Burnside Academy Inspires

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Burnside Academy Inspires Burnside Estate, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear DH4 5HB

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Outcome

Burnside Academy Inspires has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Leona Kelly. This school is part of Inspire 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, Joanne West, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Ruffell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Burnside Academy Inspires is rightly described as ‘a small school with a big heart’. Staff know the pupils very well. They care for all pupils deeply and have high expectations for them. It is a highly inclusive place to learn. The school supports all pupils very well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), so that they can succeed. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils display positive attitudes to school. In lessons, they work hard. Pupils are happy and keen to join in with class discussions. At social times, pupils are cooperative and kind. In the early years, children concentrate well. They learn to share, and they help each other. The children are very friendly and they welcome visitors warmly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is committed to pupils’ personal development. Pupils benefit from a range of leadership opportunities. These include school councillors, mental health ambassadors and play leaders. Through these roles, pupils learn to make a positive contribution to their community. For example, if conflicts arise, play leaders help pupils to resolve issues easily. Pupils learn about the importance of their health and well-being. They have a clear understanding of healthy relationships and staying safe both online and offline. 22 October 2024

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

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum. It is broad and clearly sequenced. The important knowledge that pupils should learn is clear. Pupils learn the curriculum well, step by step. This is having a positive impact, especially in the early reading and mathematics curriculum. Pupils are enthusiastic about writing. Some pupils are less secure in their spelling, use of punctuation and grammar. This hinders the quality of their writing. Leaders have taken recent steps to address this. However, the curriculum offers pupils limited opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills, including in different subjects.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain concepts clearly and ask questions skilfully, to help pupils think deeply. The activities that pupils complete help them to secure their knowledge. For example, in history, pupils complete diagrams to help them to compare and contrast different periods in history. In science and geography, pupils regularly complete practical work so that they can apply what they have learned. The school effectively identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. The school puts helpful support in place. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and are well-supported to achieve their potential.

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

The school has prioritised developing strategies to help pupils to remember more of the wider curriculum over time. The school has embedded these strategies in subjects such as geography and history. As a result, pupils remember key knowledge in these subjects consistently well. In other subjects, where this work is not fully embedded, some pupils’ ability to recall key knowledge is inconsistent.

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

The school has prioritised reading. Teachers are well trained in the teaching of phonics. Teachers carefully check the sounds that pupils know. When they notice a pupil beginning to fall behind, they put effective support in place. As a result, pupils learn to read well. Pupils benefit from the school’s inviting and well-resourced library, where they can choose from the variety of books available and read them at their leisure.

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

Leaders have a relentless focus on attendance. The school uses impactful strategies to support pupils and families. As a result, attendance has improved significantly over time. Pupils with SEND attend school particularly well. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive. They are resilient and they respond well to the different rewards they can receive, such as class prizes and ‘star of the week rewards’. Children in the early years learn school routines quickly. They are confident, creative and curious in their learning and play.

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

The school offers pupils a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical health. They take part in a range of festivals and competitions, including in football, dodgeball, snow-tubing and rebound. Pupils develop their risk assessment skills and resilience when they go rock climbing and gorge walking. The school is equally committed to supporting pupils’ mental health. This starts in the early years when children learn about different feelings through the stories they read. The school offers pupils a range of ways to develop 22 October 2024

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their interests and talents. For example, they can take part in clubs in performing arts, computing and art.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, are highly effective. Their actions have had a positive impact on the school over time. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. Staff feel that leaders support their well-being. Morale is high. The whole community is working well together in the best interests of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s writing curriculum is not having the impact on pupils that it should. Some pupils’ achievement in writing is hindered by weaknesses in spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge, and this limits the effectiveness of pupils’ written communication. The school should ensure that pupils’ literacy skills are developed further and that pupils can use and apply fundamental writing skills accurately across the curriculum.  The school has recently introduced some strategies to help pupils to remember key knowledge and skills in the wider curriculum. These strategies are not yet fully embedded, and, as a result, some pupils cannot remember the most important learning in some subjects over time. The school should continue to refine and embed the new approaches so that pupils know more and remember more across the wider curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 22 October 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2014.

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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 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). 22 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of Inspire Multi Academy Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the trust’s chief executive officer, the chair of the board of trustees and a number of governors and other trustees. 22 October 2024

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 The inspectors focused inspection activity on the following subjects: early English, mathematics, geography, history and science. The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  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.  Throughout the inspection, the inspectors met with groups of staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspectors took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynn George Ofsted Inspector 22 October 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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