Barleyhurst Park Primary

Inspection of a good school: Barleyhurst Park Primary Forfar Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK3 7NA

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Outcome

Barleyhurst Park Primary continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Barleyhurst Park is warm and welcoming, where pupils flourish. They are proud to attend this school and appreciate the support they receive from staff. One pupil expressed the sentiments of their peers when they stated, ‘Every day, you get to learn something new.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, considerate and well behaved. Outside, pupils enjoy playing together, sharing resources and talking with their friends. Throughout the school, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils feel valued and well looked after. They feel safe in school and know there is always someone to talk to if they have concerns or worries. There are high expectations for pupils to achieve well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meet these expectations and achieve well

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers present learning in engaging ways, which motivates and inspires pupils and fosters their keenness to learn. Teachers plan events that expand and enrich the school’s curriculum, such as visiting a safari park, participating in water sports and experiencing live theatre. Pupils develop their practical skills, including building dens and learning about habitats in the on-site forest area. They raise money for charity and consider the needs of others. These experiences help pupils to become well-rounded individuals and citizens.

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

The school provides an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Children in the early years get their education off to a flying start. They thrive due to the high levels of care, supportive environment and clear routines. Staff provide experiences and opportunities that support children in becoming keen learners. As they move through the school, pupils are supported to become confident, articulate and ready well for new learning

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

Staff have secure subject knowledge. They model learning effectively and explain new ideas clearly. Staff select learning activities carefully to support pupils in strengthening 21 and 22 May 2024

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their understanding. For example, children in the early years develop their knowledge of number patterns by talking about which colours will come next in a sequence of toy flowers. This creates a meaningful discussion about why a specific colour should come next in the pattern. In geography, older pupils use their knowledge of physical features to discuss the differences in climatic zones.

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Pupils are motivated and keen to participate in lessons. They have opportunities to revisit essential knowledge, which helps them link learning together. Staff check routinely how well pupils understand their learning. This means staff are able to adapt future learning successfully to meet pupils’ emerging needs. Work to refine curriculum thinking in some subjects is ongoing. In these subjects, the school is in the process of clarifying the precise essential knowledge that pupils should learn.

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The school identifies pupils’ additional needs quickly. Staff know how to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum successfully. For example, teachers provide appropriately adapted work and use specialist resources. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.

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Reading is a key priority for the school so that pupils develop a love for reading. It is promoted throughout the school, encouraging pupils to read widely and often. There is a consistent and effective approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils read books that match their ability, helping them practise to become fluent readers. Those who need extra assistance with reading are identified quickly and receive timely and appropriate support to help them catch up. There is a wide range of activities to capture pupils’ literary imaginations and interests. These include pupils visiting the local library, older and younger pupils reading together and adults reading to pupils.

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Pupils are supported well to develop beyond academic learning. Staff ensure that pupils understand what it is to be a good citizen. British values are taught as an integral part of the curriculum. Pupils recognise the importance of valuing others’ views and beliefs, knowing these may differ from their own. They are taught how to stay safe when, for example, riding a bike, using the internet and being at home. Pupils develop an age- appropriate understanding of staying safe and healthy relationships. They enjoy leadership roles, such as being library monitors and school councillors. Clubs, such as games and technology, sports, construction and drawing, help to nurture pupils’ talents and interests.

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Leaders and governors have a secure knowledge of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. There is a determined drive to make a positive impact on pupils’ education and well-being. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued and supported, which allows them to focus most on teaching effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the important knowledge the school expects pupils to know and remember over time is less precisely identified. This limits pupils' development of deeper subject-specific knowledge over time. The school needs to ensure that it clearly identifies and teaches the essential knowledge that pupils should know. The school should check that these changes have the desired impact on pupils’ learning.

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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 school to be good in January 2015.

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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.

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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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a governor-led Nursery provision which was considered as part of the inspection.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, staff and pupils. The inspector also met with representatives of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and representatives of the registered alternative provision. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 The inspector met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils during playtimes and in lessons.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at samples of pupils’ work across some other subjects.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, including parents’ free-text comments, were considered. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; evaluated safer recruitment practices; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; met with the designated safeguarding lead; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Darren Aisthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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