Burley Gate CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burley Gate C of E Primary School Burley Gate, Hereford, Herefordshire HR1 3QR

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Outcome

Burley Gate C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school, and one other in the trust, is Michele Lewis. This school is part of the Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Canon Andrew Teale, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Will Finn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Burley Gate C of E Primary School welcomes everyone. Pupils enjoy life at this happy, growing school. They get along well together and feel safe. Pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have any worries. The school sets high expectations for the standard of pupils’ work and behaviour, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils attend school regularly and learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff quickly forge strong relationships with pupils, and children get off to a good start in the early years. Pupils behave well in lessons, and disruption to learning is rare. They are well-mannered and treat each other with respect. The school feels calm and purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school takes effective care of pupils’ physical and mental health. Pupils learn to take responsibility, for example packing away unprompted at the end of playtime. They become articulate, confident young people, well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Visitors and trips out of school contribute well to pupils’ learning. Pupils have opportunities to take up positions of responsibility and to involve themselves in the running of the school. Many receive instrumental lessons and take part in a range of after-school clubs, mostly related to sport.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has made reading a high priority and ensures that pupils learn the various skills involved in reading. From early years onwards, pupils follow a structured phonics 1 May 2024

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programme. This programme ensures that pupils learn about letters and their sounds in a logical order. Staff use the programme’s resources in a consistent way. They check regularly on how well individual pupils are learning. The school provides effective support for any pupils at risk of falling behind. Staff work closely with parents, and pupils read frequently to an adult. Books are well matched to pupils’ knowledge of phonics. Pupils quickly become fluent readers.

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Pupils study all the subjects in the national curriculum. The school has carefully planned an ambitious curriculum. All pupils in a mixed-age class study the same topic, but teachers make sure that learning builds using what pupils already know. For example, in mathematics, older pupils are able to draw on their existing knowledge of arithmetic and geometry to find the areas and perimeters of shapes. The curriculum balances the different components of each subject successfully.

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In general, teachers use assessment well, checking on pupils’ knowledge before starting each unit of work. They use this information, along with what they see and hear in the classroom, to adapt learning appropriately. However, in foundation subjects, teachers sometimes lack a clear picture of pupils’ learning over time and any gaps in knowledge they may have.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They understand what to teach and when. Teachers make sure that pupils learn and choose the correct vocabulary. Adults use facilities and equipment well, for instance to help pupils understand mathematical ideas. For example, Reception class children learn how hospitals have changed over the centuries through role play. Teachers frequently ask pupils to recall past learning, but sometimes these activities do not reinforce the key knowledge as well as they should.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND effectively. Teachers know how best to meet these additional needs. As a result, these pupils follow the full curriculum and learn well.

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Staff apply the school’s rules fairly and consistently. This ensures that pupils behave well in lessons. Pupils listen attentively and concentrate hard, demonstrating consistently positive attitudes to learning. They take pride in their work. Pupils understand the importance the school places on ‘loving your neighbour’, and they treat each other with respect. Well-trained staff provide high-quality pastoral care for pupils.

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Pupils follow a planned programme of social and personal education. This teaches pupils about healthy relationships, citizenship and how to keep themselves safe. They learn about other cultures and traditions. Pupils influence how the school runs, for example by shaping its support for charities. Leaders make sure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are able to take part in clubs after school and trips to places such as the theatre or Hereford Cathedral.

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The multi-academy trust supports the school well. It provides leaders with the opportunity to work with other schools and share expertise, for example in subject leadership and safeguarding. This in turn reduces staff workload. Staff appreciate this and believe that leaders are always ready to listen to their views. The school works effectively with 1 May 2024

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parents, for example in helping them to support their children’s reading and in the promotion of good attendance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not finalised assessment arrangements for what pupils have achieved in foundation subjects. As a result, teachers lack a reliable indication of pupils’ starting points for the next unit of work. The school should ensure that assessment in foundation subjects provides teachers with the best possible springboard for considering future work.  Retrieval activities are sometimes not focused on the key knowledge all the pupils in the class most need to remember. In these circumstances, the activities do not help pupils to engage with the learning and secure the important knowledge. The school should ensure that activities to help pupils recall important past learning and commit it to long-term memory are more effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, of the same name, to be good in November 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 May 2024

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 May 2024

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School details

Headteacher Michele Lewis (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Hereford. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in January 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The school’s next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  The executive headteacher took up her post in January 2022. She also serves as executive headteacher at another local primary school in the trust.  A significant number of pupils join the school other than at normal points of transfer, a high proportion of whom are pupils with SEND.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 May 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, other senior leaders and curriculum leaders.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust and with the chair and two other members of the local strategic task group (STG).  The inspectors spoke with pupils at social times and with groups of pupils more formally.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents. These included minutes of STG

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meetings and information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum, self-evaluation and improvement planning. The inspectors also checked the school’s website.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. An inspector also met with parents in person. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and scrutinised their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to a number of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Clair McNeill Ofsted Inspector 1 May 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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