Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils' achievement is good.

They make excellent progress in reading and good progress in writing and mathematics. Teaching is good overall and occasionally outstanding, especially in mathematics in Key Stage 2. Teachers plan lessons which have interesting topics and a range of activities.

They use questions well and check pupils' understanding as lessons progress. Lessons have a brisk pace. The curriculum offers pupils many stimulating opportunities to see the links between subjects and to develop their skills in reading and mathematics.

Teaching assistants are very skilled at teaching and supporting pupils' learning. The schoo...l offers excellent care and support and provides extremely well for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding.

They care exceptionally well for one another and say they feel extremely safe. Attendance is above average. The headteacher and the governing body have a very clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

They have improved teaching, pupils' achievement and the leadership skills of other teachers. It is not yet an outstanding school because : While teachers plan lessons to meet the needs of different groups of pupils, work is not always well-matched to the level at which individual pupils are working. Pupils are given too few chances to write at length in English and other subjects.

Teachers do not always make it clear to pupils what they need to do to reach the next level in their learning. Targets for pupils' progress in the school development plan and teachers' performance management are not rigorous enough.

Information about this school

This school is very much smaller than the average-sized primary school.

All pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above average. The proportions of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are average.

There are after-school clubs which take place in other local schools. The school has had too few pupils in its last three Year 6 classes for them to be measured meaningfully against the current government floor standards. These are the minimum expectations for pupils' progress and attainment in English and mathematics.

There are two classes: one for pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2; the other for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. The headteacher teaches the Key Stage 1 class on a 0.3 basis.

The headteacher has been on maternity leave since April 2013. In her absence the school has been led by the headteacher of a neighbouring school on a 0.6 basis and the Key Stage 2 teacher.

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