Burnham Market Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Burnham Market Primary enjoy their time in school.

They show respect and understanding towards one another. They appreciate the extra opportunities that are offered. Pupils are proud to talk about their experiences of going to London for Young Voices and making fires at camp.

This is an inclusive school where every pupil is valued.

Behaviour in and around school is good. Pupils report that bullying never happens, but if it were to happen, they know that they can talk to any member of staff.

Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Pupils show a good understanding of their own well-being and emotional needs. They are taught to empa...thise with how other pupils might be feeling.

Pupils are well prepared socially and emotionally for the next stages of their education.

While pupils learn to read fluently from an early age, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some areas of the curriculum.

Parents and carers are typically happy with the school.

This is particularly the case with the extra curriculum offer, such as using the woodland area and the beach days.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

While leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum in reading and personal, social and health education (PSHE), they have not completed this work in other areas of the curriculum. There are broad themes in place, but teachers lack the clarity of which knowledge and vocabulary are needed to be taught.

This means that pupils are not achieving as well as leaders would want, and pupils are not being given the prior knowledge on which to learn and remember more.

Similarly, in early years, leaders have not set out the expectations of the vocabulary and content they want children to learn and remember. Therefore, staff are not clear about what pupils need to learn in each session that will help children achieve well across all areas of learning.

Children's learning is not building on what they already know, and they are not well enough prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.

Leaders have planned an ambitious reading curriculum to ensure that pupils learn how to read accurately and fluently. Teachers use a range of texts throughout the school.

This is successfully increasing pupils' understanding of some important vocabulary. Pupils can talk confidently about the class text they are reading. Pupils show a love of reading.

Leaders ensure that weaker readers have extra sessions to support them to gain the skills needed. This contributes towards pupils becoming confident, fluent readers.

Leaders provide a well-designed, high-quality PSHE curriculum to prepare pupils socially and emotionally to learn.

Pupils have learned about democracy, differences in families and people, and about what qualities make a good leader. The PSHE curriculum is revisited through lessons and assemblies. Teachers are clear about the knowledge and skills being taught.

This in turn ensures that pupils are confident to show their understanding, views and emotions.

Leaders provide an exciting range of opportunities for pupils to take part in at lunchtimes and after school. This includes ukulele and piano lessons, 'mindful' colouring and computing.

Pupils learn about different cultures and traditions. They talk fondly of their friends who have medical or emotional needs. One pupil said, 'We are all different, but still the same.'

Owing to the effectively taught PSHE curriculum, pupils display high levels of respect for one another and visitors. Pupils have been taught to use the correct vocabulary when talking about their feelings.

Leaders place a high priority on accurately identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate support to access the curriculum. Staff receive effective training so that they can support pupils. This is particularly the case with speech and communication needs.

The trust ensures that staff have access to external services so that pupils' needs are quickly and effectively assessed.

While the local advisory board (LAB) and the trustees have provided support in reading and PSHE, governors have not held leaders fully to account for the quality of education provided. Governors have not checked that all curriculum plans are in place or how well teachers are using these plans to develop the curriculum.

The LAB has successfully checked on the well-being and emotional needs of pupils, families and staff. This is in response to the pandemic. However, a significant number of pupils are further behind than they should be.

Staff said that they did not see workload as an issue and that leaders are considerate of their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a positive culture of safeguarding in the school.

Leaders and staff are vigilant in identifying pupils who need early help. Staff have received effective training on safeguarding. There are robust systems to check that pupils are getting the help they need quickly.

Leaders work effectively with social care colleagues and the education welfare officer. Leaders have suitable processes in place to ensure that all pre-employment checks on staff and checks on visitors are carried out.

Leaders have planned a curriculum that teaches online safety and healthy relationships effectively.

This ensures that pupils can identify and share concerns they have about themselves or others.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have prioritised the delivery of their PSHE and reading curriculum as a response to the pandemic. Leaders are in the process of designing a progressive, sequenced curriculum for the other subjects.

Although the broad themes are in place, leaders have not identified the expectations for the specific vocabulary and concepts needed to be taught in other areas of the curriculum. This means a high proportion of pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Leaders need to carefully consider what they want and need pupils to know from Reception through to Year 6.

Leaders need to ensure that all adults understand the expectations and have the skills to build on what pupils already know so that pupils are ready for their next stage of learning. ? Leaders and those responsible for governance have not been fully checking the quality of education. Leaders need to check the quality of education in all aspects of the curriculum and hold leaders to account so that the planned curriculum is effectively implemented and developed throughout the school.

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