Bourton Meadow Academy

Inspection of Bourton Meadow Academy Burleigh Piece, Linden Village, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire MK18 7HX

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Lucy Berry. This school is part of Campfire Education 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), Sarah Mitchell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Liam Harrison.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since July 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the beginning of early years, staff have the highest expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils take great pride in meeting these expectations. In reading, writing and mathematics, many pupils achieve highly and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They know and understand the school’s values deeply. Pupils spoke confidently about respect, resilience, curiosity and integrity and how values such as these are important to them. Pupils treat each other kindly. Pupils are encouraged to be responsible, respectful citizens. They thrive through many opportunities such as ‘guardians’ and reading mentors, who help younger pupils with phonics and learning to read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are happy. They have strong, positive relationships with staff and each other. Pupils know who to speak to if they have any worries. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils learn about e-safety regularly and understand about issues such as cyberbullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. On the playground, pupils cooperate harmoniously. They know the school’s rules and routines well. Pupils line up, take turns and listen respectfully. Staff use the school’s behaviour policy effectively and with a sensitive, caring approach.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for its pupils. Where subjects are strongest, such as in English, physical education (PE) and Spanish, staff have identified the precise knowledge and key vocabulary that they want pupils to learn. In these subjects, staff check pupils’ understanding systematically. Staff identify errors and misconceptions in lessons and then help pupils to build their knowledge securely over time. This supports pupils in strengthening their understanding of the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as well developed. In some subjects, the precise knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn is not as clear and pupils’ learning is not checked as effectively. This means that some pupils are not learning as securely or achieving as well as they possibly could.

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

Children make a very strong start in the early years. From the beginning of the Nursery Year, children are immersed in language, stories and texts. Children are inspired by nursery rhymes, songs and traditional tales. They love the opportunities to develop language through role play and engage in conversations in areas such as the home corner, mud kitchen and writing stations. Early reading and early mathematics are taught expertly. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is taught consistently well. There is a sharp focus on developing children’s vocabulary and ensuring that there are no barriers to children’s achievements. Staff have strong subject knowledge and an infectious joy for learning, which helps children to achieve highly. By the end of Reception Year, children are very well prepared for Year 1 and beyond. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Pupils love reading. They speak enthusiastically about the school library and books that staff share with them throughout the curriculum. The school has adopted a robust approach to teaching phonics and early reading. Reading books that help those at the earliest stages of learning to read are matched closely to the sounds that pupils have learned. If pupils fall behind, they receive extra help so that they catch up to their peers quickly. Staff work tirelessly to identify pupils’ needs quickly and support parents and carers, staff and pupils effectively. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Where necessary, the curriculum is adapted successfully for pupils with SEND.

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Pupils enjoy the many trips and educational visits that enrich their learning meaningfully. Extra-curricular activities include creative writing, football, netball, sewing, basketball and choir. Many pupils learn musical instruments such as the guitar, the piano, the violin and the drums. Disadvantaged pupils are prioritised and consistently benefit from these opportunities. Pupils’ attendance is high. For a small number of pupils, whose attendance is not as high as it could be, the school has positive relationships with parents and works successfully to address this.

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Governors and trustees know the school’s strengths and areas for development. They are rightly proud of staff and pupils. They offer support and challenge to ensure that the school responds to leaders’ high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Governors and trustees are considerate of staff workload and well-being to support this work. Most parents are supportive and appreciate the efforts of the staff team. One parent summarised the thoughts of many, saying, ‘The school is a magical place… a perfect blend of nurture and independence to ensure that the children are ready for the next transition in their educational journey.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects in the wider curriculum, precise curriculum knowledge is still being refined to make sure that what pupils are taught builds successfully on their prior learning. As a result, in some subjects, pupils’ understanding is deeper and more detailed than it is in others. The school should continue its work to identify and sequence the most important knowledge in each subject so that pupils revisit and strengthen this over time.  The school’s effective use of assessment is not fully developed. In some subjects, staff do not identify whether pupils have developed the depth of knowledge and understanding that is intended securely. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and expertise to be able to consistently check that pupils have a deep and secure understanding of what they have been taught and how this connects 12 and 13 November 2024

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to broader concepts, making suitable adjustments to the curriculum where this is not the case.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  Bourton Meadow Academy joined the Campfire Education Trust in March 2012.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 12 and 13 November 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 headteacher, the CEO, trustees, members of the local governing body and other senior staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, PE, Spanish and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where possible, 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed from parents through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tash Hurtado Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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