Burradon Community Primary School

Burradon Community Primary School

Address: Burradon Road, Burradon, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 7NG Unique reference number (URN): 108612

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff have designed a programme of personal development that reflects the needs of pupils and the community that the school serves. This programme has a significant and positive impact on pupils’ experiences. Leaders adapt provision very well to consistently meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring they are able to access the school's offer alongside their peers. Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of fundamental British values and respect for protected characteristics. These are taught, for example, through carefully planned assemblies which include a range of visitors from different backgrounds to help pupils to develop tolerance.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, discover and develop their talents. Pupils have access to a wide range of clubs, sports and cultural opportunities. Pupils participate fully in the extensive range of activities, including clubs that have been implemented to support pupils' with anxiety.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the personal, social, economic and health education curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about health, relationships and safety both on and offline. Leaders track and refine the programme to anticipate pupils’ needs. This is supported by highly effective pastoral care which is precisely matched to individual pupils and the needs of their families.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils develop a deep appreciation for their community and its coal mining heritage. Pupils engage in community activities such as talking to elders in the community to hear their experiences for the upcoming D-Day commemoration. Pupils support local charity events, including collecting food for a local foodbank. The wide range of leadership opportunities available for pupils such as the school council, sports crew and eco team ensure that pupils develop confidence and resilience. Pupils contribute positively to the school and the wider community. They are very well prepared for life beyond the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders track attendance carefully and share the importance of this information with pupils, parents and staff. Leaders’ work to improve attendance is thorough. It has led to sustained improvement for all vulnerable groups. Persistent absence continues to fall. Where attendance is low, leaders know about this and they act promptly. They work effectively with families and other agencies to reduce barriers to attendance and secure improvement. These actions are having a positive impact on overall attendance across the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have created a calm and respectful environment. Pupils feel safe because they trust the adults who care for them. Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils generally show positive attitudes to learning. They share resources and treat each other with respect. Staff know pupils well. They make appropriate adjustments for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders provide effective pastoral support to those who need it. This helps all pupils to fully participate in all aspects of school life. Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently, using clear rewards and restorative practice. Pupils typically understand the expectations and consequences linked to the school's approach. They are eager to please. Bullying and prejudicial behaviour are not tolerated. Any incidents are addressed quickly and effectively. Leaders promote a culture where discrimination, harassment or abuse is never acceptable.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They prioritise improvements, such as ensuring the curriculum is suitably planned for the changing cohorts of pupils. Leaders have constructed a broad and ambitious curriculum that identifies clear end points and provides pupils with the knowledge they need for future learning. Leaders have sequenced learning so that knowledge builds as children progress through the school from pre-school to Year 6.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders support teachers to gain the necessary expertise to teach the range of subjects on offer. This has improved teaching, particularly in ensuring pupils remember key knowledge in mathematics. Leaders prioritise early reading. Staff teach phonics effectively starting in Reception Year. Leaders identify any pupils who fall behind quickly and provide effective support to help them to catch up.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff understand pupils' needs well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who are disadvantaged. In most cases, pupils benefit from the effective changes to curriculum and teaching which helps them to understand what they have done well and what they need to improve. However, on occasion, teaching does not address misconceptions or close gaps in knowledge swiftly or precisely enough, particularly with regards to the accuracy and fluency in writing.

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Early years Expected standard

Most children in the early years make a secure start to their education. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what is working well and which aspects of the early years offer could be strengthened. Since the last inspection, leaders have added provision for 2-year- olds. The curriculum identifies the important knowledge that children must learn at each stage in the setting. There is a sharp focus on communication and language, successfully supporting children’s vocabulary development. Many children start school with gaps in their knowledge and skills. Staff make sure that these children engage in activities to help prepare them for future learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Children enjoy interacting with adults and each other. They are supported to develop positive relationships. Staff plan carefully considered activities to ensure that children gain the essential knowledge and skills that they need for future learning. For example, in Nursery children practise ordering numbers to help them develop number sense. When children need extra support, staff generally adapt learning well so that this meets children's individual needs. Reading is prioritised. Staff teach phonics consistently well from the start of Reception Year. Children practise putting sounds together to read and write words. As a result, children develop secure early reading skills successfully and begin to apply these in their writing. Children are well prepared for Year 1 they follow routines and expectations are well understood.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that inclusion is at the heart of this school. They make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils, are able to participate fully in lessons and wider opportunities. This ensures that pupils feel valued and that they belong in this school community.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have developed systems that generally enable accurate identification of pupils’ needs, including those of disadvantaged pupils, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care, and those with SEND. Staff receive training and support matched to the specific needs of pupils in the school so that they can effectively implement the right approaches. Adaptations to teaching and use of resources are carefully considered to enable pupils to access the curriculum and wider opportunities. Targeted interventions, such as phonics catch-up groups and speech and language programmes, help pupils to make progress through the curriculum. Leaders monitor the impact of these strategies and adjust provision when needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The pupil premium strategy funds are typically used well. For example, providing extra help for pupils with SEND. This ensures that all pupils can access more opportunities. Leaders work closely with families and external agencies, hosting regular SEND review meetings and offering parent workshops on a range of topics.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors ensure that pupils are at the heart of their decision-making. They have ensured that the school is a safe and welcoming place where everyone works together to develop pupils' wellbeing and learning experiences. Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance. They use their insight to prioritise actions that improve the outcomes for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The recent changes that leaders have made to the curriculum are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors provide effective challenge and support. They ensure that resources are used strategically, for example funding interventions and wider experiences for pupils who are disadvantaged. Staff benefit from an evidence-informed professional development programme. It builds expertise, including training in improved approaches to teaching reading comprehension, writing and mathematics.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued. They appreciate initiatives such as the ‘golden ticket’ which they use to support and manage their workload. Engagement with parents and carers and the wider community is an asset. Initiatives such as parent workshops contribute towards parents understanding how to help their children at home. Parents appreciate the high levels of care for their children. They recognise that leaders act in the best interests of pupils.

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Needs attention

Leaders know that they need to sustain the recent improvements in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2 to ensure that pupils deepen their learning across the curriculum. They have set out clear improvement plans which they are enacting to improve key areas of provision.

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Achievement Needs attention

Recent work to improve the curriculum and approaches to checking pupils’ knowledge in lessons have not yet shown sustained impact. Outcomes in 2025 in Year 6 national tests in reading, writing and maths demonstrated an improvement on previous years. However, while many pupils achieve well, especially in the wider curriculum, some still have gaps in their foundational knowledge such as in grammar, spelling and handwriting. The school is taking appropriate steps to address this, but it is too soon to see sustained impact. As a result, some pupils are not as prepared for secondary school as they could be.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils generally progress well from their starting points, including in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils learn to read fluently and accurately. The teaching of phonics is effective and helps build to secure foundations for reading. Leaders’ actions to improve mathematics have led to positive changes, with Year 4 multiplication outcomes broadly in line with national averages.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at this school feel part of a close-knit, caring community where staff know and value every individual. The school’s values of care and respect are evident in daily routines and relationships. Staff greet pupils warmly each morning and take time to check on their wellbeing. This creates a safe and welcoming environment. Parents and carers appreciate the levels of care shown not only to their children but also to themselves. Pupils take pride in contributing to school life through initiatives such as the eco club who reduce the amount of food waste. Most pupils attend regularly and many have high attendance which reflects how much pupils value their time in school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Behaviour is calm and respectful. Bullying is rare. When it occurs is dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils feel safe because staff respond quickly and effectively to any concerns. Staff help pupils to manage their emotions. This ensures that those facing trauma or disadvantage receive support to be ready for learning. Pupils enjoy the rich opportunities to explore the wider world. They build resilience through residential visit activities such as caving and kayaking. There is an extensive range of support for mental health, including strategies to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders acknowledge that published outcomes at the end of key stage 2 must improve because some pupils are not as prepared as they could be for secondary school. Leaders are addressing this by implementing changes to the curriculum and teaching approaches to English and mathematics. Pupils enjoy learning. Those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities learn successfully alongside their peers. In the early years, children engage in activities that prepare them well for Year 1. Published outcomes for phonics and the multiplication check ensure that pupils gain secure knowledge in early reading and number facts.

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Next steps

Leaders need to continue their work to embed recent curriculum improvements to ensure pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need so that all pupils are ready for the next stage of their education. Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently identifies errors and misconceptions and provides feedback to support pupils to swiftly close gaps in knowledge, particularly in grammar, spelling and handwriting. Leaders, including governors, should build on recent improvements by checking the impact of their work so that improvements are sustained and continue to improve pupils’ outcomes.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Damian Ramsay.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders during the inspection. The lead inspector also met members of the governing body, including the vice-chair. The lead inspector also held a meeting with the school improvement partner from the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school is part of the North Tyneside Learning Trust.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. Provision for 2- year-old children opened in September 2023. At the time of the inspection, the school had 170 pupils on roll.

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Lead inspector:

Kathryn McDonald, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 73% 75% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (final) 80% 74% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 45% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 62% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 64% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 4.8% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.6% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.0% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 12.9% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 12.5% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 15.1% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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