Burlington Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better and leads to pupils making good progress, especially in reading and mathematics, by ensuring that:
  • teachers have high expectations of the work produced by pupils
  • work set for pupils is challenging for all abilities, especially middle-ability pupils and the most able pupils
  • pupils’ work is assessed in line with the school’s policy and additional challenge is provided when work is found to be too easy
  • pupils’ spelling is accurate and there are consistently high expectations of the quality of pupils’ writing
  • skilful questioning is used consistently well to deepen pupils’ understanding of what is being learned
  • pupils’ reading is checked regularly and their understanding of what they are reading is checked in detail
  • pupils’ reading texts are appropriately matched to their abilities, especially for the most able and middle-ability pupils
  • pupils have greater opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in a wide range of subjects.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour and attendance by making sure that:
  • pupils contribute fully to their learning by behaving well
  • the proportion of disadvantaged pupils regularly absent from school is reduced to at least average.
• Increase the effectiveness of leaders by ensuring that:
  • senior leaders and subject leaders evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s work accurately
  • senior and subject leaders raise their expectations to make sure that pupils’ work and the quality of teaching are consistently good across the school
  • subject leaders check the quality of teaching thoroughly and make sure that school policies are followed to improve learning
  • teachers’ knowledge of the teaching of reading is improved across the school to be consistently good
  • teachers’ professional development leads to the overall effectiveness of the school being at least good at the next inspection.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Over time, leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently good. They have not secured good achievement for pupils, particularly the most able and middle-ability pupils.
• Leaders are overgenerous in their views on the school’s work. They believe the school is better than it is and their expectations are not consistently high. Leaders check pupils’ work regularly but do not link inconsistent, and sometimes slow, progress to the quality of teaching, which clearly requires improvement.
• Over time, subject leaders have not identified clearly what needs to be done to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. For example, when checking the teaching of reading there is very little focus on how teachers’ skills are helping pupils to make progress. Subject leaders have not picked up inconsistencies in teaching and variability in the use of the school’s policy for assessment.
• Plans for improvement do not focus precisely on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, especially those of subject leaders. As a result, both teaching and pupils’ progress have not improved quickly and are not good.
• Turbulence in senior leadership has inhibited progress in addressing the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. The headteacher and governors have taken steps to stabilise leadership in the school and there are signs of improvement.
• The new leader overseeing the progress of disadvantaged pupils makes sure that the pupil premium funding is used effectively and identifies bespoke support for these pupils. However, leaders have further work to do to make sure that the attendance of a small number of disadvantaged pupils is much better.
• Leaders make sure that the physical education and sports funding is used well. Pupils are active at play, enjoy physical education and there is strong engagement in a wide range of activities such as football, dodgeball, badminton and gymnastics.
• Extra funding for those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used well. Leaders make sure that these pupils have good support in school and extra specialist support from a range of external agencies to meet pupils’ needs.
• The curriculum provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop good personal development skills and to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. There are good opportunities for pupils to experience a range of careers and use educational visits to support their work. The curriculum contributes very well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Religious festivals are celebrated and there are visits to temples, mosques and churches. Pupils have opportunities to join the school choir and orchestra. However, the quality of teaching is not developing good progress in reading, writing, mathematics and a range of other subjects.
• Staff morale is high and the headteacher has made sure that all staff are aware of the key priorities for the school. Staff believe leaders are supporting their work well. There are regular opportunities to take part in professional development activities and for teachers to work together. However, the effect of this development work has not improved teaching to be good. Training for teaching assistants has had a positive effect on the contribution made to pupils’ learning.
• Parents are positive about arrangements for smooth transition into Year 3 and from Year 6 to secondary school.
• The local authority has provided good-quality training for the special educational needs coordinator. Recently, the local authority has provided funding to establish collaborative working with other schools. Advice and support are being provided to upgrade the quality of leadership and teaching. Overall, the local authority’s support has not been good enough to improve the overall effectiveness of the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are making a very effective contribution to the leadership of the school. They have a wide range of skills, with some governors having skills in education, business and finance. Governors have supported the headteacher well in stabilising staffing in the school. They are proactive. For example, during a period of turbulence in leadership they commissioned temporary support for the headteacher so the school could function effectively.
• Governors are very knowledgeable about the school. They have commissioned an external review to confirm their views of the school. Governors challenge leaders in an effort to improve the school’s effectiveness. They have a good understanding of how the school is performing in comparison to other schools nationally. Records show that they have challenged leaders’ overgenerous views on the school. Their efforts have not led to good pupil progress and good teaching but they continue to challenge leaders to make both good.
• Governors check the additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils and know the effect it is having on these pupils. They know the physical education and sports funding is used well and the funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is helping these pupils to make good progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have made sure that all staff are clear about their duty to keep children safe and how to report matters of concern. Staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff are vigilant and leaders have created an effective culture which ensures that pupils are kept safe from harm. Record-keeping is meticulous. The school works very well with external agencies and parents to make sure that children are safe, especially the most vulnerable. The record of staff pre-employment checks and the suitability of volunteers to work with children is well kept.
• Training for staff and governors in child protection means they are knowledgeable and up to date with the most recent legislation. There is a designated governor for safeguarding. Regular reports are made to keep governors up to date about safeguarding. Leaders and governors make sure that all checks on staff and volunteers working with children are made and recorded.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching requires improvement because not enough pupils make good progress, especially middle-ability pupils and the most able.
• Since the previous inspection, there have been considerable changes in teaching. Leaders have arranged professional development to improve teaching and staff are positive about taking part. However, teaching is variable and not consistently good.
• Work set does not consistently challenge pupils well for them to make good progress. This is particularly noticeable for the most able and middle-ability pupils. Teachers vary tasks for pupils according to their different abilities, but the pitch of work is not high enough to challenge pupils to make good progress.
• In mathematics, work set is too easy and there is too much work repeated when pupils are secure. This slows pupils’ progress. In writing, teachers’ expectations are variable and pupils are not producing consistently high-quality work with accurate spelling.
• Overall, assessment is not used well to provide work that helps pupils to make good progress. Teachers check pupils’ learning regularly in class. However, they do not adjust work that is too easy to ensure that pupils make good progress.
• Questioning is not used consistently well to probe and deepen pupils’ understanding and engage pupils widely. When questioning is used well, pupils are keen to answer and some provide extended responses that show a good understanding of the work.
• An analysis of current pupils’ work shows too few opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their mathematical skills. There are examples of high-quality writing across a range of subjects, but this is variable across classes and within classes because teachers’ expectations are not consistently high. Interesting tasks are planned across a range of subjects but are not used well enough to ensure good progress for pupils.
• Pupils’ work shows a wide range of comprehension tasks to check their understanding. There are good examples of pupils giving responses in depth to questions about the texts they are reading. However, there is variation across the school in the development of reading skills, particularly for middle-ability pupils and the most able.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge about the teaching of reading, including the teaching of phonics, varies. Leaders have not made sure that reading skills are checked thoroughly. Some pupils are not listened to regularly by adults to assess their development in reading. This slows pupils’ progress in reading, especially middle-ability pupils.
• Teachers deploy teaching assistants well. Teaching assistants give good support to pupils, especially those who have SEN and/or disabilities. Also, they give effective support to the least able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and welcome opportunities to speak with adults. They are polite, respectful and courteous. Pupils listen well to each other and to adults.
• Pupils spoken to say they enjoy school and are safe. Those who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire indicated they were safe in school. Pupils say they like the trips and visits that are organised to support their learning. Pupils have a good understanding about how to keep safe when using the internet.
• Pupils say bullying is infrequent. They are confident that adults resolve any problems should bullying occur. Pupils say that adults help them out if they have any concerns.
• Pupils told inspectors how important it is to keep fit and eat healthy food. They enjoy the healthy food at breaktime and lunchtime. Pupils are very active and enjoy their physical education lessons. They take part in competitive sport and other activities.
• Pupils have good opportunities to take on leadership roles and to use democratic processes. They vote for their school council whose members have chosen charities for the school to support. There is much good work in school that supports pupils’ understanding of what makes a good citizen. Trips to London and visits to places of worship are enjoyed by pupils and contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.
• Presentation of work is usually of a good standard, but it can sometimes slip when teachers’ expectations are not high.
• Parents and staff are very confident that pupils are safe and well cared for in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils’ behaviour is not consistently good in lessons. When work is not matched well to their needs, their concentration is not good and they lose focus on what they are doing. They become chatty and this slows their learning.
• Attendance is below average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is well below average and far too many are absent from school often; this is affecting the learning and progress of some disadvantaged pupils. The school’s attendance officer checks the whereabouts of absentees to make sure that they are safe. Further work is to be done to make sure that pupils attend consistently well.
• Around school, pupils conduct themselves suitably and respond well to adults’ requests. They hold doors open for adults and display good manners. Pupils contribute to the behaviour rules for their class and know the rules well. Generally, rules are kept well. However, there are a few challenging pupils who have to serve detention or are excluded for a fixed period for poor behaviour.
• The school’s ‘Eco team’ contributes successfully to pupils’ understanding of the need to keep the school litter free. The school is free from litter.
• Parents and staff are very confident that pupils are safe and well cared for in school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Over time, pupils have not been challenged effectively enough by the work their teachers set for them. Teachers’ expectations have been too low, especially in reading and mathematics. Consequently, pupils are not making good progress in these subjects and a wide range of subjects. As a result, progress is not strong and requires improvement.
• For the past two years, progress in reading and mathematics has been significantly below average for pupils leaving school at the end of Year 6. Progress in writing has been broadly average. From average starting points at the beginning of Year 3, pupils attain below average standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined at the end of Year 6. In 2017, progress in reading improved but not well enough for pupils to attain average standards.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make slow progress in reading and mathematics. As a result, too few attain the highest standards in these subjects. In writing, they make broadly average progress. Middle-ability pupils make too little progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This leads to below average attainment, especially in reading and writing.
• Inspectors checked current pupils’ work and found that teachers’ expectations are not consistently high. Work set is not pitched at a high enough standard for the most able and middle-ability pupils, especially in mathematics. Progress in reading is below average because there is inconsistent challenge in the work set for them. Pupils’ reading skills are not checked regularly by adults and this leads to pupils making less than average progress overall. Overall, least-able pupils make better progress than others as the pitch of work meets their needs better and additional support helps them well.
• In other subjects, history, geography and science, pupils are not deepening their understanding well enough nor the specific skills related to these subjects.
• Overall, the progress of disadvantaged pupils has shown signs of improvement over time. This is because leaders have set this group of pupils as a priority for improvement. In 2017, disadvantaged pupils leaving Year 6 made broadly average progress. Differences in attainment diminished between disadvantaged pupils and others from 2016 to 2017. Leaders are aware that variable progress still exists across the school and they are providing support for these pupils.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. Leaders identify the needs of these pupils precisely and make sure that they receive good support from teaching assistants in class. When necessary, extra support from external agencies is sought to meet the needs of these pupils.

School details

Unique reference number 117832 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10031992 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 309 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Micky Booth Alison Beckett 01262 674 487 www.burlingtonjuniorschool.org burlington.juniors@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 20 May 2015

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is well above average. Four out of 10 pupils are disadvantaged.
• Almost all pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for their SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• Two in 100 pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. This is above average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• There have been significant changes in staffing and leadership since the previous inspection. A new leader for mathematics, a new assistant headteacher and a deputy headteacher have all been appointed.
• The school started an informal collaborative arrangement with two local schools in September 2017. The aim is to support the development of leadership and teaching.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning throughout the school. Two lessons were jointly observed with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.
• During the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about learning and safety. They also spoke with parents.
• Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading.
• An inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and three other governors. A meeting was held with the school’s improvement adviser from the local authority. An inspector spoke with a headteacher from one of the collaborating schools.
• Inspectors also held meetings with senior leaders and other staff.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plans, a number of school policies and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors analysed 58 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents (Parent View). They also considered 34 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire and 168 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Jim McGrath, lead inspector Tracey Ralph Helen Hussey

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector