Burhill Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for pupils, particularly those who are most able, by ensuring that:
  • work is matched to their needs and abilities
  • teachers challenge pupils in lessons to probe their thinking and so deepen their understanding
  • teachers provide effective feedback to pupils about the quality of their writing, particularly at key stage 1, and ensure that pupils act on this feedback.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that leaders at all levels can accurately evaluate the impact of actions they take
  • ensuring that pupils build their skills, knowledge and understanding in all subjects and that published curriculum information is up to date.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Good

• Since the previous inspection, leaders and governors have successfully maintained a good quality of education while overseeing the expansion of the school. They have built on the strengths of the previous inspection to create a three-form entry primary school that will see the first Year 6 cohort of pupils in September. A particular strength is the way in which they have preserved the family ethos of a school that is at the heart of the community.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent reflected the views of the many who responded to the free-text comments by writing, ‘Every day the children are introduced to opportunities and ideas that inspire their curiosity. There is rigour, there is discipline, there are high expectations, yet, still, magical things seem to happen.’
• Leaders are ambitious and they have established a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils. They have created an environment in which pupils are confident, enthusiastic learners who want to embrace all the opportunities offered by the school. Consequently, pupils enjoy learning and they behave well throughout the school.
• Aware of the need to introduce different expectations as the pupils move through the school, leaders have secured good relationships with other schools within the local area. They have developed partnerships between teachers and leaders to learn and share best practice. Leaders have provided training so that teachers have opportunities to take on leadership roles when they are ready.
• School leaders and governors have a secure understanding of what the school does well and where further improvements are needed. They are reflective and outward-looking. They strive to seek new learning experiences that will inspire pupils to become good citizens in the future.
• The curriculum is vibrant, stimulating and provides rich experiences for all pupils. It is strengthened by the high quality of art, dance music and sports, and this contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils also benefit from other experiences, including after-school clubs, visits to local places of interest and residential visits.
• Although the curriculum offers extensive enriching activities for pupils, planning for some subjects such as history, geography and science does not show how pupils are to develop their skills in these subjects systematically. Some long-term curriculum planning is out of date and precedes the new national curriculum. Consequently, pupils are not all benefiting from the higher expectations of these subjects.
• The sport premium funding has been deployed to good effect. Sports coaches provide work alongside class teachers to develop their skills. Some funding has been used to widen the resources available, allowing pupils access to a wide range of sports including golf, hockey and rugby. Pupils take part in local inter-schools competitions and the number of pupils attending sports clubs has substantially increased. Pupils take part in a daily run lasting for about 15 minutes and this helps to prepare them well for classroom routines.
• The school’s own values largely mirror those of national British values of respect and tolerance to everybody, regardless of background. The school is proud of being inclusive and values all pupils. Consequently, all pupils are treated equally and discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.
• The school has a small number of disadvantaged pupils who attract additional government funding. Leaders have analysed the specific barriers to success that these youngsters face, and have deployed the funds to diminish any differences. Leaders have used some of the funding to provide additional help for those disadvantaged pupils who struggle with some aspects of their learning. Other funds are used to help with costs of trips, visits and other activities, and so ensure that these pupils enjoy the same opportunities as their classmates.
• The school uses the funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Much is used to provide additional adults who help pupils in classrooms or administer special programmes to help them overcome their difficulties. However, some pupils have targets that are too broad and cover a long period of time, and so it is difficult to evaluate the success of these programmes.
• School leaders have a wealth of performance information to help them assess how well pupils are doing. However, not all leaders have a clear enough view of how well some particular groups of pupils are doing. Consequently, some leaders do not know how well the actions they have put in place are bringing about the planned outcomes.

Governance

• Governors are passionate about the school and are strongly driven to work in close cooperation with school leaders to secure a good quality of education for all pupils. They visit school regularly and so they see for themselves how well the school performs. They are particularly proud that the school has retained its reputation as a family school within the community while increasing in size year on year.
• Governors have reviewed the way in which they challenge school leaders and hold them to account. They have introduced new committee structures and improved communication so they carry out their responsibilities more effectively. They keep a close track of the school’s finances and other aspects of the school’s work.
• Governors know that school leaders have provided training to improve teachers’ skills and they are confident that teaching is good. They have worked closely with leaders to recruit high-quality staff to take on new roles as the school has grown. Governors have supported the transition to a new leadership structure to accommodate the increased needs of a larger school.
• Governors know the strengths of the school and where further improvements are needed. They are provided with extensive information by the headteacher that they use to challenge decisions. Governors have an established monitoring schedule so they ensure that all statutory policies and procedures take place at the right time. Minutes from their meetings show that they are well organised and carry out their duties diligently.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders and governors have created a culture in which the safety of pupils is paramount. Staff, parents and pupils agree that this is a strength of the school. All visitors to school are carefully checked and the appropriate checks are made when recruiting new staff. All staff have been trained in what to do should they have a concern about a pupil. They say they are confident in the right procedures to be followed and know exactly whom to speak to. Staff are very aware of the potential dangers associated with modern technology and have raised awareness among pupils about the need to be cautious when using tablets, smartphones and computers.
• Staff have also been trained on how to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk from modern issues such as radicalisation. They report that the headteacher provides regular updates in staff meetings and so they are aware of the broader aspects of safeguarding pupils. The headteacher keeps safeguarding arrangements under review and any issues are acted on promptly. She liaises with external agencies to ensure that pupils in need of support get the right help in a timely way. The large majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, are confident that their children are well looked after and safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good

• Teachers plan imaginative activities that inspire pupils and engage their interest. For example, pupils in Year 2 visited the school hall to see for themselves the devastation left by the Mad Hatter’s tea party in preparation for writing. They were thoroughly engaged and eager to begin writing. This linked in turn to the text, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, that has been the focus for their work this term.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they use this well to ask questions of pupils to deepen their understanding and increase rates of progress. A feature seen in all classes is the quality of discussion among pupils as they share their ideas and challenge each other.
• There are good relationships between teachers and pupils and these motivate pupils to learn and to behave well. Pupils need few reminders to get on with their work. Teachers have established clear routines and provide activities to foster independence, encouraging pupils to take risks and challenge themselves. There is a positive climate for learning in all classrooms, and teachers have high expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour. Teachers promote equality of opportunity and respect for others, regardless of circumstances.
• In mathematics lessons, work planned for pupils builds on what they already know and this helps pupils to make good progress. Teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to solve problems and apply their skills to a practical situation. For example, pupils in Year 3 had a budget to purchase resources for the new Year 6 classroom that is to open in September. Work in their books shows that they have to explain their answers and apply their reasoning skills.
• Teaching of reading is effective. In addition to phonics (letters and the sounds they represent), teachers provide a variety of interesting activities that develop pupils’ comprehension skills, their inference skills and their ability to make judgements about what they have read. There are good links between reading and writing, and teachers use texts to support pupils’ learning in both subjects. As a result, pupils in key stage 2 make good progress in both reading and writing.
• Teachers provide effective support, both academically and emotionally, for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They have a good understanding of their needs and provide appropriate support for them. However, there are times when these pupils have the same work as others and they struggle to complete their work because it is too hard for them.
• Most teachers have high expectations. Their lessons are brisk and pacy which helps maintain pupils’ interest. However, there are times when they do not provide enough challenge, particularly for the most able pupils. This slows progress for some pupils.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers do not all pick up on basic errors, particularly in writing at key stage 1. As a result, pupils, particularly those in key stage 1, continue to repeat the same mistakes.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Parents were lavish in their praise for the high quality of care provided by the school. One parent wrote, ‘This is a very caring and nurturing school led by Mrs Taylor which filters down through her staff. The school feels part of the community in the village. I feel proud that my child attends this amazing school.’
• Pupils are happy and they enjoy school. They are proud of their school and this is shown in the way they show respect towards each other and adults. They are very caring and sensitive towards the needs of others.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Displays around the school show links with a school in Uganda with which the school has a partnership. Pupils confidently talk about the work they do to support that school and show a good understanding that people in other parts of the world have very different lifestyles from their own.
• Pupils feel very safe in school. They trust adults to help and are very confident that adults take their concerns seriously. Pupils know their views will be heard and that adults will listen to their ideas about how the school can be even better.
• Around the school, pupils’ conduct is impeccable. They are friendly, polite and helpful. They hold doors open for each other and they show good manners towards each other, listening and taking turns in conversation. Pupils say that they are treated fairly and equally, and that discrimination on any grounds is simply not tolerated.
• Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe in school and outside school. They learn about keeping safe when using modern technology and that they should not share personal information. They know about the potential dangers associated with roads and railways. They know that tobacco can be harmful and they know how important it is to eat the right food and take plenty of exercise to stay fit and healthy. The breakfast club provides pupils with a nutritious and settled start to the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in class and when moving around the school. Playtimes are happy occasions when pupils from all backgrounds play together and enjoy each other’s company.
• Pupils say that incidents of bullying are rare. They know about different forms of bullying, including that related to modern technology. Pupils say that adults deal promptly with any incidents and that they take their concerns seriously.
• The school’s records relating to poor behaviour show few incidents and that all necessary steps are taken to resolve any problems. There have been few exclusions in recent years. The overwhelming majority of parents agree or strongly agree that behaviour is managed well by school leaders.
• Although pupils in most lessons are highly motivated and engage well with their learning, this is not universally so. There are occasions when the pace of learning is too slow and when teaching does not meet pupils’ needs: they lose concentration and begin to fidget and become restless.
• School leaders are aware of a small group of pupils whose attendance is low. Despite actions taken to improve attendance, it is not increasing rapidly enough. This is because leaders do not analyse the impact of their actions accurately to identify what more they could do.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They work hard and make good progress in reading and mathematics across the school. While progress in writing is good in key stage 2, pupils in key stage 1 do not make as much progress as they should. This is because weaknesses in their spelling and punctuation are not always picked up and so they repeat the same mistakes.
• Provision for disadvantaged pupils has improved and these pupils are catching up with their classmates quickly. However, there are very few numbers of disadvantaged pupils in some year groups and so comparisons with all pupils are statistically unreliable.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make variable progress across the school. Where work is planned at the right level for them and the support they receive is good, they make good progress from their starting points. However, when the work they are given is too hard, they do not progress as well as they should.
• By Year 5, pupils read fluently, confidently and with good understanding. They enjoy reading and they have developed a wide range of skills that enable them to read for pleasure and to find information. By Year 2, pupils have various skills including phonics that they use to read fluently and confidently. However, books provided for the most able pupils are sometimes too easy and offer little challenge.
• Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons and so they make good progress in this subject. They have a sound grasp of basic computation skills that they confidently apply to solve real-life problems. Pupils explain their answers to questions clearly, using correct mathematical language. Teachers provide challenging activities calling for pupils to reason and so deepen their understanding.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that they write often when studying other subjects and this has helped them to practise and improve their skills, particularly at key stage 2. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 produce writing that is lively and engaging and demonstrates their ability to write clearly to express their feelings, ideas and points of view. Progress is slower in key stage 1 because teachers do not always pick up and address pupils’ basic errors and so pupils do not learn from their mistakes.
• Work on display around the school shows that pupils progress well in other subjects, including art for which the school has received national awards. Pupils also make good progress in physical education owing to the quality of sports coaching.
• The most able pupils make adequate progress overall. They enjoy learning and often have challenging work that they relish. However, in some classes, they have work that is at a similar level to other pupils and this slows their progress.

Early years provision Good

• Staff provide good-quality care for children, and so children settle well and quickly adapt to the routines of both the Nursery and the Reception classes. The early years is bright and attractive and gives children secure foundations on which to build their school life. Children are safe in the early years and so they develop confidence to learn and establish good social relationships.
• The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of provision. She has a clear plan showing the improvements she intends to make to enhance the quality of provision. She knows that outcomes at the end of the Reception year have not been as high as they should be, and she has taken action to address this. Current data shows that a higher proportion of pupils are set to reach a good level of development than in recent years. Children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Children behave well in both the Nursery and the Reception classes. They play well together and enjoy learning together. Adults plan interesting activities that help children to develop social skills as well as academic skills. Those few children who attract additional funding are provided with good support that allows them to achieve as well as other children.
• While gaps between disadvantaged children and others are diminishing, the gap in attainment between boys and girls remains. Staff have taken action to address this by introducing topics and themes that would be of interest to boys. This has led to an improvement in boys’ attainment but at the same time, girls have also improved and so the gap remains. Leaders are closely monitoring the situation and deciding on next steps to bring about more equality in attainment.
• Teaching is consistently good in the early years. Staff know children well and they plan activities that are imaginative and inspire their curiosity. Children have a sense of awe and wonder about the world, reflecting the good provision to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Children are inquisitive and they want to learn.
• Adults provide a variety of activities that promote good learning both inside and outdoors. They help to develop children’s skills by asking questions and talking to them about what they are learning. For example, after taking part in the daily run, the children were asked why their hearts were beating fast. One child said ‘because we are working hard’. Just occasionally, adults miss opportunities to exploit all learning opportunities and this prevents children from making more rapid progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125055 Surrey 10032484 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 579 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Tim Eckes Sally Hewlett-Taylor Telephone number 01932 225 836 Website Email address

www.burhill.surrey.sch.uk head@burhill.surrey.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 6 November 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is much larger than most primary schools. Since the previous inspection, it has developed into a primary school with the addition of key stage 2 pupils in Year 3 in September 2014. It will become a fully fledged primary school in September this year when the current Year 5 pupils move into Year 6.
• There is provision for children in the early years in the Nursery and the Reception classes.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is lower than usual.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage with few pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national figure. There has been a high number of new staff who have joined the school since the previous inspection. This is largely owing to the expansion of the school.
• There is a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection observed pupils working in 27 lessons, six of which were seen jointly with school leaders. Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and they observed pupils in the playground and as they moved around the school. They listened to pupils reading in Year 2 and Year 5.
• Meetings were held with school leaders and with teachers. The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body, and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.
• Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, the school’s own evaluation of its performance and records relating to the quality of teaching. Inspectors also looked at records relating to pupils’ behaviour and documents showing how the school keeps pupils safe.
• The views of parents were taken into account by analysing 232 responses to Parent View and by reading well over a hundred written responses. Inspectors also spoke informally to parents during the inspection. There were no responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Joy Considine, lead inspector Stephanie Scutter Kate Redman

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector