Burnham Market Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Burnham Market Primary School Friars Lane, Burnham Market, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 8JA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Rachel Stroulger. The school is part of the Wensum 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), Daniel Thrower, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Smith. 23 and 24 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this welcoming and friendly school. The school fulfils its vision of ‘local memories, broadening horizons’ well. Pupils contribute significantly to the life of their local community. They follow a broad and balanced curriculum that teaches them about the wider world. Pupils enjoy the extensive range of clubs available that are open to all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. There is a calm and orderly environment around school. Pupils are kind and respectful. They learn to recognise their emotions and think about how their actions affect others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic success. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Learning in subjects such as music, physical education, computing and drama is particularly strong. Pupils also get to learn moviemaking to a high standard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils very well, both academically and pastorally. This is especially true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

The school has identified the knowledge that pupils should learn, and when they should learn it, in each subject. The curriculum is organised well for teaching mixed- age classes. For example, in computing, when pupils are designing websites, teachers have thought through the different aspects required to be successful in the end project. Pupils’ knowledge across many subjects deepens over time because of teachers’ expertise in a wide range of subjects. There are some gaps in pupils’ learning where staff do not ensure that the ‘sticky’ knowledge they want pupils to learn is secure. This happens when pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and embed new learning so that they remember it easily.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Children get off to a great start in the early years. They thrive in a language-rich environment, where much curriculum planning is built around stories. Teachers read stories to pupils and there are regular visits to the school by professional authors. Children start learning how to read as soon as they start Reception. All adults follow the school’s phonics programme. Most pupils quickly learn to read. There are, however, some inconsistencies in the quality of phonics teaching. Some pupils do not always practise their sounds enough and, occasionally, staff do not correct them when they make mistakes. This slows some pupils’ progress with reading.

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better?

Staff are quick to identify pupils with SEND. This begins in the early years, where children with speech and language difficulties receive extra support. The school makes sure that teachers meet pupils’ individual needs by adapting lessons or providing extra support. As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress. 23 and 24 April 2024

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Most pupils attend regularly. For those who find this more difficult, the school provides a wide range of help. Leaders work hard to understand, and address, the causes behind any absence. As a result, previously low attendance has now improved.

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The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. Pupils learn how to stay healthy. For example, they enjoy growing fruit and vegetables which they then cook as they learn about healthy meals. Older pupils play well with younger ones and take on many responsibilities such as reading to others, helping them with their computing and ensuring mealtimes go well.

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Pupils’ wider development is a strength of the school. All staff have a strong commitment to ensuring that pupils have an enriched curriculum. Opportunities to engage in additional arts, music, sports, drama and moviemaking are vast. Pupils get extensive opportunities to work alongside adults with a national reputation such as West End performers and published authors. Pupils can perform in front of a wide range of audiences. They are highly engaged with the local community, raising money for charity, appearing in festivals and producing art shows that are presented as a gallery in the town.

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Trustees and governors work very well together. Governors regularly visit the school to see how well things are working. The trust provides considerable support through partnership activities with other schools. This has helped many staff improve their subject knowledge. Staff feel well supported and valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not always teach the phonics curriculum consistently well. As a result, some pupils do not learn phonics as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that all teachers have the necessary skills to support pupils in their phonics learning.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment information well enough to identify some older pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. As a result, on occasion, these pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should help staff check pupils’ understanding carefully and ensure that all pupils know and remember the key learning identified in the curriculum plans.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted 23 and 24 April 2024

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Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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

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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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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School details

Website www.burnhammarket.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 September 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Burnham Market Primary School joined the Wensum Trust in 2017.  The school uses one alternative provision which is registered.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, the chair of the trust board, the CEO and the trust primary 23 and 24 April 2024

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strategic lead.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 inspection team observed behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. It spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke with staff to gather their views, including about their workload and well-being. Additionally, the inspectors considered 99 responses to Ofsted

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Parent View and 21 free-text responses. Inspectors considered 17 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 57 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Imran Khan Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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