Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School Burton Leonard, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 3RW

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Outcome

Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School is a happy school where pupils are well cared for. The vast majority of parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Comments such as ‘the school has a nurturing environment where children are cherished’ are common.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. There are warm relationships between staff and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to treat everyone with respect. They show respectful and tolerant attitudes. They enjoy the wide range of leadership and enrichment opportunities that the school offers. For instance, ‘making a difference days’ enable pupils to learn about becoming responsible citizens. Leadership opportunities, such as ‘well-being warriors’ and ‘digital leaders’, build pupils’ resilience and confidence. The school’s ‘curriculum ribbons’, such as enterprise, heritage and spirituality, are evident in the day-to-day life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ academic achievement. However, sometimes these expectations are not always realised. For instance, there are some inconsistencies in teachers’ expectations of the quality and quantity of pupils’ work.

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

Reading is prioritised and pupils enjoy reading. All staff are trained in the school’s phonics programme. The books that pupils read are typically well matched to the sounds that they 22 October 2024

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know. Staff support pupils in the early stages of reading well. Pupils who find reading difficult are given additional support. Pupils read a wide range of books across the curriculum, helping them to become more fluent and confident readers. Pupils achieve well in reading by the end of key stage 2.

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This year, the school has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that pupils are more fluent in the basics of writing. The teaching of handwriting and correct letter and number formation is evident throughout the school. Teachers increasingly ensure that pupils can write simple sentences before they move on to more complex writing activities.

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The school has prioritised improving pupils’ achievement in mathematics. For instance, there are more opportunities for pupils to practise mathematical facts until they are fluent. There are lots of opportunities in the early years for children to develop their number skills. Sometimes in mathematics lessons, teachers do not check well enough for gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. Teachers sometimes move on to new mathematical content too quickly.

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In some lessons, staff effectively support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For instance, in the early years, staff are clear about the needs of children with SEND. They provide effective support for children, enabling them to achieve well. However, on occasion, staff do too much for pupils. This is not helping pupils to become more independent.

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Teachers have good subject knowledge. The most important knowledge that pupils need to learn is identified in most subjects, with the exception of physical education. The curriculums in some of the foundation subjects are less well developed than others. As a result, pupils find it difficult to remember what they have been taught over time in some of the foundation subjects. The school is addressing this. For instance, there are increasing opportunities in lessons for pupils to revisit what they have previously learned.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Routines are well established from the early years onwards. Pupils behave well and low-level disruption is not tolerated. Pupils are respectful and polite. They enjoy coming to school and attend well. Pupils understand the importance of good attendance. Attendance is everyone’s responsibility at the school.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ wider development is strong. Pupils understand the importance of fundamental British values, such as respect and tolerance. Older pupils understand the protected characteristics. Pupils talk about ‘making a difference’. Many activities are linked to local and global issues. Pupils enjoy taking part in the school’s wide range of enrichment activities, such as the school choir, knitting club and sports clubs.

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After some instability and a decline in standards, leadership capacity has been strengthened and there is a shared purpose and vision. Staff feel well supported. They are proud to work at the school. Governors know their roles and responsibilities well. They seek external views on the school’s work and hold leaders effectively to account. Leaders know which aspects of school life require further development. They are taking swift action to ensure that the quality of education continues to improve. 22 October 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not use assessment well enough to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils find it difficult to remember what they have been taught, especially in some of the foundation subjects. The school needs to ensure that staff use assessment effectively in order to swiftly address misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  At times, staff are unsure about how best to support pupils with SEND in lessons. This can limit pupils and they become over reliant on help from staff. The school should ensure that the quality of additional support is effective in enabling pupils to gain the knowledge and skills needed for their next steps.

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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 outstanding 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in June 2019. 22 October 2024

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.burtonleonard.n-yorks.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average sized primary school.  There is a new headteacher and chair of the governing body since the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative education provision.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age groups with the exception of Year 2.  The school is a Church of England school. The last Statutory Inspection of Anglian and Methodist Schools inspection took place in November 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place within five years.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the school’s education provision. 22 October 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the school’s business manager.  The lead inspector met with a local authority representative and held a telephone call with a representative from the diocese.  The lead inspector met with some governors, including the chair and the vice-chair of the governing body.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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 Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school, the school’s behaviour, bullying and attendance analysis and logs, the school improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings.  An inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during breaktime and lunchtime. They spoke with pupils about bullying, behaviour and attendance.  An inspector met with a group of key stage 1 boys and a group of key stage 2 girls.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and parents who responded to Ofsted’s surveys, including responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Frances Turner 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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