Burlington Infant School

Burlington Infant School Inspection report

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117833 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 312717 Inspection number 21 °22 February 2008 Inspection dates Kathryn Dodd Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Infant Type of school Community School category 4 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 227 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Angela Norton Chair Mrs Mari-Louise Booth Headteacher 1 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Marton Road School address Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire YO16 7AQ 01262 673858 Telephone number 01262 400941 Fax number

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4-7 Age group 21 °22 February 2008 Inspection dates 312717 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Almost all the pupils at this average sized school are from White British family backgrounds. It serves a mixed locality that includes areas of social and economic disadvantage. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is average, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Grade: 2

This good school has an accurate view of its effectiveness and provides good value for money. Some aspects are outstanding, such as the way in which children are cared for and nurtured in an exceptionally friendly community. The school fosters outstanding partnerships, for example, with parents, the community, other schools and support agencies. Personal development is good. Making sure that pupils can enjoy learning, are safe and healthy and play a very active part in their school and local community is a high priority. Consequently, pupils achieve well. They make very good gains in their social development. Parents think very highly of the school. They particularly appreciate the high standard of care and the exciting range of activities that enable their children to develop a `real joy of learning that fires their young imaginations’. Consequently, pupils mature into confident and eager learners, who are well placed to take

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Grade: 2

advantage of their education when they move to junior school. Achievement is good for all pupils including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Standards by Year 2 are average. Pupils’ good progress across the school reflects the good quality of teaching and learning and curriculum provided. Teachers’ set challenging learning targets for their pupils and track their progress towards them. They provide work matched well to the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who may be falling behind their peers. There is not yet however, a consistent approach in all classes to providing the right level of challenge for the more able pupils. This means that their learning does not always push forward at a good rate. Nevertheless, recent adaptations to the curriculum that more closely reflect pupils’ particular learning needs, for example, promoting better speaking

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Grade: 2

and listening skills, are starting to have a positive impact on raising standards. The headteacher makes a strong contribution to school improvement. Making sure that every pupil can achieve well in a very caring and supportive setting is her passion. She has enlisted the support of other schools, parents and the community. There is a strong sense of common purpose, vision and a determination amongst staff. The senior leadership team and governors offer effective support. Staff who have responsibility for leading subjects are keen to make a greater contribution to finding out how well the school is doing, so that they can have more influence on planning the way forward. The skills they need in order to do so, however, are insufficiently developed to enable them to make the contribution they would like to. Nevertheless, self-evaluation is accurate and the school knows itself well. It has a clear view

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Grade: 2

of what action needs to be taken to bring about further improvements. There is no sign of complacency, but rather, a clear sense of striving to achieve even more. The good improvement since the previous inspection, as evidenced, for example, in improved attendance, successful curriculum adaptations and a strengthened senior leadership team, demonstrates that the school has good capacity to improve in the future.

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Grade: 2

When children start in Reception, their skills and knowledge are below what is typical for their age. Aspects of their communication skills and social skills are sometimes weak. Staff place a high priority on children’s personal, social and emotional development. They provide good support to help children to learn to get along together, talk about their learning and behave well. This, along with the excellent links with nearby pre-schools, ensures that children settle very quickly into school routines. Children develop an early thirst for learning because they are 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008 taught well. They have access to a wonderful range of stimulating and increasingly practical activities from which to choose. Lessons are sometimes outstanding. This is because staff keep a very watchful eye on how well individual children are doing, so that daily activities and

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Grade: 2

teachers’ questioning take full account of children’s varying learning needs. Recent changes to leadership and the curriculum are having a positive impact on children’s achievement. An increased emphasis on improving children’s communication and language skills, for example, is already paying dividends, albeit there is scope to develop this still further. Children’s good progress means that when they transfer to Year 1, their skills are much closer to those expected nationally, although in aspects of communication, language and literacy, they have not all yet made up for their sometimes very low starting points.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure a consistent approach in all classes to providing the right level of challenge for the more able pupils. ■ Extend the skills of subject leaders and managers, so that they can play an increased role in finding out how well the school is doing and influencing its way forward.

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Grade: 2

The achievement of pupils of all ages, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is good. Standards by the end of Year 2 are average. This represents good progress from pupils’ below average starting points. Standards and the rate at which pupils make progress are steadily improving. This is particularly noticeable in mathematics; so much so, that the results of teachers’ assessments reported in mathematics in 2007 were the highest in five years and were almost above average. Although standards in reading and writing are average, in recent years, they have been higher in reading than in writing. In 2007, this was because a greater proportion of pupils exceeded the level expected for their age in reading than in writing. Improving pupils’ writing skills has been a recent priority for improvement. Current school data and inspection evidence indicates that the school’s action is starting to pay small dividends,

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Grade: 2

and pupils’ progress in writing has started to speed up. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because staff are very aware of their individual needs and provide effective care, guidance and support.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils’ outstanding social development shows in the mature and confident way in which they enjoy undertaking small duties, get along well together and relish opportunities to make their school a happier and safer place. Pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory although their understanding of the diverse nature of British society is not yet fully developed. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour are good. They say that they do their best because achievements are valued and celebrated. Attendance is good and, because of action taken to promote better attendance, it has improved greatly since the previous inspection. Pupils’ outstanding understanding of healthy lifestyles is seen in their enjoyment of taking part in physical activities, such as the popular ‘Activate’ sessions. Pupils understand

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Grade: 2

that this helps to keep their bodies and minds healthy and helps them to learn. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award and has recently received the Activemark Award. Flourishing 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008 social skills, along with good progress in literacy and numeracy skills, equip pupils well for the future.

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Grade: 2

As a result of good teaching and learning, pupils make good progress. Good organisation, purposeful activities, positive relationships and careful deployment of support staff are strong features of most lessons. Consequently, pupils behave well and are open to learning. Teachers make regular assessments to find out what pupils can already do. They use information well to offer the right kind of support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, or those whose learning needs a boost. Some teachers ensure that the more able pupils are always challenged to achieve even more. This, along with good marking of pupils’ work, reflects teaching at it’s very best. However, these practices are not seen consistently across all classes and, as a result, the more able pupils could sometimes achieve more. Nevertheless, hard working teachers all respond with enthusiasm to changes in practice. Increasing chances for pupils to

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Grade: 2

talk about their learning, for example, contributes towards an improving picture.

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Grade: 2

A creative, practical and enriching curriculum enables all pupils to make good progress. A strong focus on pupils’ personal development ensures that they enjoy learning and benefit fully from their education. Efforts to raise standards include careful adjustments to the curriculum. In mathematics, for example, standards are improving because pupils have good opportunities for investigating and solving problems. Similarly, in English, pupils’ learning is speeding up as a result of increased opportunities for talking about their work. In writing, however, learning is sometimes restricted, especially for the more able pupils, by lack of opportunities to practise their basic writing skills. This is most evident when pupils complete worksheets that do not require them to think for themselves. The curriculum takes good account of the learning needs of those pupils in Year 1 who need a more gradual transition to formal learning. A good range

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Grade: 2

of support programmes helps pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those needing additional social and emotional support to achieve well.

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Grade: 2

Making sure that every pupil is nurtured and cared for is at the very heart of the school. Pupils say that there is always someone to turn to if they are worried. Appropriate procedures for protecting and safeguarding pupils are in place. The school gives high priority to providing the right kind of support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with social and emotional needs. Staff, parents and outside agencies work together closely to ensure that the pupils achieve as well as they can. Outstanding links with local pre-schools and the junior school ensure that pupils transfer smoothly. Academic guidance is satisfactory. Pupils are beginning to understand how well they are getting on in their writing. This is because teachers share and discuss progress towards individual targets in lessons and when they mark pupils’ work. However, these practices are not used consistently well across the classes because

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Grade: 2

the targets for the more able pupils are not always challenging enough. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Leadership, management and governance are good. The headteacher has the full support of staff and governors, who all share her clear vision for the school. This is why pupils’ personal development and well-being is high on everyone’s agenda and helping them to achieve so well. The assistant headteacher makes a strong contribution to ensuring that the curriculum promotes a love of learning. The recent appointment of the deputy headteacher has strengthened the senior leadership team further. Together, this team has identified well-chosen and carefully planned priorities for future improvement, for example raising standards in writing. Enthusiastic subject coordinators contribute well to ensuring that staff apply new teaching initiatives confidently to day-to-day practice. However, they do not yet have the skills they need to enable them to check the school’s performance, identify strengths and weaknesses and plan the way

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Grade: 2

forward. Nevertheless, the school has made good progress since the previous inspection, for example, improving attendance, a strengthened leadership team and the recent steady rise in standards. This plus a clear direction for the future demonstrate good capacity to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Age group 4 °7 Inspection date(s) 21°22 February 2008 Inspection number

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 February 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Burlington Infant School, East Riding of Yorkshire, YO16 7AQ Thank you so much for the very warm welcome you gave the inspectors when we visited your school. We thoroughly enjoyed being part of your school community and you helped us to see why you enjoy coming to school so much. You answered all our questions so thoughtfully. I particularly enjoyed seeing you singing so joyfully in assembly, and to such a good standard, and seeing how proud you are of the certificates you get when you have done something really well. You get lots of chances to take part in exciting activities in your lessons, at lunchtime and after school, especially in sport. I was pleased to find out that you know that the `Activate’ sessions that you enjoy so much will also help to keep you fit and healthy, as well as help you to learn better. All the adults care a great deal about you and give you lots of encouragement

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to do well and to grow in confidence. I was very impressed with how you all help to make your school a better place, and how well you all look after one another and your school. You are so kind and caring and your behaviour is good. No wonder you told me you feel safe and happy in your school. Your school is a good school. You do well in your learning, and you are well prepared for going to junior school at the end of Year 2. There are a few things that can be even better still. I have asked your headteacher, staff and the school governors to help you even more by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure that your work is just right for you and never too easy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure that teachers who watch over your work in subjects know how to check that you are all doing as well as you can. You can help your school by making sure that ask your teachers how well you are getting on and what you still have to do to reach your learning targets. Of course, you should continue to try your best in everything that you do. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Kathryn Dodd Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Burlington Infant School, 21 °22 February 2008

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