Barnburgh Primary Academy

Barnburgh Primary Academy

Address: Church Lane, Barnburgh, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 7EZ Unique reference number (URN): 150040

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Over time, pupils have attended more regularly than the national average. This has been sustained, despite some variation between cohorts. Rates of persistent absence have reduced further for almost all groups. Leaders inform actions to improve attendance with a detailed understanding of factors that prevent pupils regularly attending school. This enables them to take appropriate steps, such as working with wider services to support families. Leaders are tenacious in their work to improve attendance. Their targeted support successfully improves attendance for the individual pupils and groups they work with.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils consistently behave to a high standard. They enjoy school and display positive approaches to their learning. Pupils routinely realise leaders’ high expectations. The school’s approach to managing behaviour is well established and commonly understood by staff and pupils. Staff actively teach pupils about how to behave and how to manage challenges. This helps pupils to learn to be respectful and independent and to persevere. Staff provide effective support to pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour. This enables them to do so successfully. Pupils learn to resolve conflict maturely. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils trust staff to resolve these and any acts of discrimination. Staff do this swiftly, preventing incidents from persisting. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Children in the early years get off to an excellent start in school. From before they arrive, leaders work to understand pupils’ needs and starting points. These effective transition arrangements ensure that children quickly integrate into their new school surroundings. Younger children learn from, and replicate, the positive habits and behaviours of their older peers, including showing focus and concentration on their learning.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum in the early years to ensure that children progress quickly and securely from their starting points. Staff adapt their teaching so that children build on what they have learned previously. Staff prioritise children’s learning in the prime areas of development. For example, children's communication and language development is consistently reinforced by staff. Through stories, rhymes and songs, as well as high-quality interactions, staff support children to develop their speech and vocabulary. As children progress into Reception, leaders ensure that they quickly develop a secure grounding in phonics. This contributes to the school’s positive phonics screening check outcomes in Year 1.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Children are confident, safe and happy in school. They learn well across all areas of learning and attain highly. This is reflected in their preparedness for learning in key stage 1.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion is a real strength of the school. Transition arrangements for pupils who are new to school are very effective. These enable leaders to build a detailed picture of any additional needs or barriers to learning that pupils have in advance of them joining. Leaders’ work with external professionals and previous settings is highly impactful in this regard. Pupils with barriers to learning quickly make a positive start in school.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

The school identifies pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly. Leaders train staff well, enabling them to support pupils’ learning effectively. Where right to do so, the school makes adjustments to pupils’ curriculums. These instances help pupils to progress well from their starting points. Leaders carefully analyse the progress of pupils with SEND. They use these insights to refine pupils' provision further.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

The school’s pupil premium strategy is well considered. Leaders draw on research and local knowledge when identifying priorities. In areas such as attendance, strategies have secured a clear impact. The attainment of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding at the end of key stage 2 remains a priority for the school. Leaders use additional funding for children in care carefully. This accelerates their access to support such as speech and language therapy, and improves their learning.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are thoughtful and committed in their leadership of the school. They act with integrity and make decisions in the interests of pupils. School and trust leaders are aligned in their ambition for pupils. They work closely together and understand the school’s strengths and priorities well. Over time, this has ensured that the school has sustained areas of highly effective practice while improving others, such as the design of the curriculum. As a result, pupils experience an improving standard of education. Leaders’ expertise is recognised beyond the school, with several making contributions to other providers and projects within and beyond the trust.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school’s professional learning programme is carefully developed by leaders. Staff benefit from this and have strengthened their knowledge and skills, particularly in relation to features of curriculum design and teaching. Leaders prioritise this work, rightly recognising the importance of investing in the expertise of staff. Staff are well supported by leaders at all levels. They feel valued and proud to work at the school. Staff trust leaders to consider the impact of decisions on them, including on their workload and wellbeing.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and how it is led. They have great trust in staff to care for their children and to promote their welfare and learning effectively.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Those with responsibility for governance understand their roles well. They provide effective support and scrutiny to the work of leaders. School leaders value their input and contributions, acting quickly on these.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s offer. Leaders use high-quality research to inform the school’s personal development curriculum. They carefully structured it around the needs of pupils and the context in which the school operates. All aspects of the school’s offer are purposeful and carefully integrated. Over time, leaders have extended and

p.3

Expected standard

refined the opportunities that are available to pupils. As a result, pupils experience a rich and cohesive personal development programme.

p.4

Expected standard

Teachers use the school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum to ensure that pupils develop important knowledge. This enables them to understand the world around them and to keep safe. Pupils’ knowledge of the PSHE curriculum is detailed and connected. They speak with confidence on topics including equality, diversity and keeping safe online. The curriculum is further enriched through a range of careers events, outdoor learning and community events which pupils at the school play an active role in. Pupils’ understanding of the school’s relationships and sex education and health education curriculum is well developed. They understand about different family structures and features of healthy and unhealthy relationships, for example. Pupils’ learning influences the way that they conduct themselves and their interactions with peers positively. They are considerate of one another and inclusive of the needs of others.

p.4

Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that the school’s pastoral support is of high quality. Pupils’ wellbeing is of paramount importance. The school works effectively to provide wider support to pupils and their families, including by helping them to access local services, where appropriate.

p.4

Expected standard

The school provides pupils with a wealth of clubs, visits and enrichments that enhance their education. This is an entitlement for all pupils. Leaders carefully track pupils’ experiences to ensure that all pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, are able to benefit. Beyond this, many pupils hold purposeful positions of leadership responsibility, such as house captains and digital leaders. The school routinely celebrates pupils’ successes in all areas, such as through the ‘aspire’ events.

p.4

Achievement Expected standard

Typically, pupils achieve well across the school. Published outcomes for key stage 2 national assessments are broadly in line with national averages. Measures such as reading, writing and mathematics combined have slightly improved in recent years. There remains more to do to ensure that all pupils, including some who are disadvantaged, achieve the highest possible outcomes at the end of key stage 2. Those pupils with barriers to learning, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make secure progress from their starting points.

p.4

Achievement Expected standard

Outcomes in younger years generally show a strengthening picture. Pupils’ attainment in phonics is consistently in line with the national average while pupils’ attainment in the Year 4 multiplication check is higher than the national average.

p.4

Achievement Expected standard

Children in the early years are supported to achieve particularly well across all areas of learning. By the time they finish Reception, they are very well prepared for learning in key stage 1.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders take a considered approach to strengthening the school’s curriculum. Across subjects and phases, they have reviewed its content and sequencing. Essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary are clearly identified and taught in a logical sequence. This helps pupils to build on what they know and to access the curriculum with success.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Where pupils have not secured important learning from earlier stages of their education, such as phonics, the school identifies this quickly and ensures that support is put in place. This effective support is delivered by skilled staff. It enables pupils to progress through the curriculum successfully.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Leaders have established effective professional learning programmes that help staff to strengthen their approaches to teaching. Recently, this has included refining teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and updating approaches to assessment. Typically, teachers select effective strategies that support pupils' learning, for example regularly reviewing learning from earlier stages. In the most effective examples, such as teaching in the early years, staff apply agreed strategies with refinement. Where this is the case, pupils progress quickly and securely through the curriculum and attain very well.

p.5

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

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly, welcoming school. They and their families are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of provision and the standards of support and care that they receive. Staff are dedicated to helping all pupils reach their potential. Pupils develop a deep sense of belonging and loyalty to the school. They rightly trust staff to act in their best interests and to help them to succeed.

p.5

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

The school is a calm and inclusive environment. Staff know pupils well. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure, contributing to the school's community feel. Pupils are polite, respectful and kind to one another. They are interested in others. They display positive attitudes to their learning and enjoy playing in the company of their peers. Incidents of bullying or discrimination are very rare and dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.

p.5

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

Pupils achieve well across phases and subjects. This is due to improvements that leaders continue to make to their quality of education. Pupils benefit from a high-quality curriculum and teaching that enables them to make secure progress over time. Generally, this results in pupils attaining well in national assessments, with outcomes that are broadly in line with national averages. Pupils in younger year groups, particularly children in the early years, attain more highly and are very well prepared for later learning.

p.5

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

Pupils across the school enjoy the wealth of wider opportunities the school provides. For example, many enjoy participating in the school's junior leadership programme, a range of clubs, charity events and activities, including dance competitions. These opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all pupils. They help to develop pupils' confidence and sense of personal responsibility. Wider activities, such as residential visits, broaden pupils' experience of the world and strengthen their resilience.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should further refine the school's approach to teaching to ensure that all pupils achieve as highly as they can. This includes securing outcomes that exceed the national average for all groups of pupils in key stage 2 national assessments.

p.6

About this inspection

This school is part of Leger 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, Adam Dale, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nicola Bailey.

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

About this inspection

This inspection took place on 15 and 16 September 2026.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders from the school and trust, including the chief executive officer of the trust. The lead inspector spoke with members of the trust board. Inspectors discussed the school’s work with the virtual school. During the inspection, inspectors visited lessons across a range of subjects and year groups as well as speaking with pupils and reviewing samples of their work. They also spoke with parents and carers and other members of the school's teaching and non-teaching staff.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.6

About this inspection

The school does not use any providers of alternative provision.

p.6

About this inspection

The school has a before- and after-school provision that operates from its premises. This is operated by an external company.

p.6

About this inspection

This is the first inspection of the school since it joined the trust in August 2023. Many staff and leaders, including the headteacher, members of the academy council and other senior leaders, remain in the roles that they held in the predecessor school, Barnburgh Primary School.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 15 September 2026

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

p.8

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.

p.8

What does this mean?

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

p.8

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.

p.8

What does this mean?

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

p.9

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.

p.9

average

2024/25 (final) 69% 62% Close to average

p.9

average

2023/24 (final) 65% 61% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.9

average

2023/24 (final) 73% 74% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.10

average

2024/25 (final) 79% 74% Close to average

p.10

average

2023/24 (final) 77% 73% Close to average

p.10

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.

p.10

mathematics

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

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

p.11

average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

p.12

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.

p.12

mathematics

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

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

p.12

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.

p.13

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

p.13

gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

p.14

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.

p.14

Persistent absence

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

p.14

national average

2024/25 (3 term) 9.9% 13.0% Close to average

p.14

Exceptional

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

p.14

Strong standard

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

p.14

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.

p.15

Needs attention

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

p.15

Urgent improvement

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

p.15

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.

p.15

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.15

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 .

p.15

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.15

Urgent improvement

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

p.15