Barden Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy and harmonious place to be. Pupils are respectful and well behaved.

They are keen to earn a range of rewards for concerted effort or regular attendance. Pupils proudly told inspectors how they attend tea parties with the headteacher for achievements such as practising their reading at home.

Pupils enthusiastically described the many things that they enjoy at school.

They find their learning fun. Pupils relish opportunities to engage in adventurous activities as part of wider school life. Older pupils value time to carry out their 'buddy' roles with children in the early years.

The school has high aspirations for all pupils, incl...uding those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well from their differing starting points. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils spoke positively to inspectors about the support and encouragement that they receive to overcome any barriers that they might face. They described staff as kind and patient. Pupils said that other pupils are eager to help them.

They develop confidence to try their best and not become overwhelmed by new challenges as a result.

Pupils who speak English as an additional language, or those who are new to the school, are well supported by skilled staff. These pupils quickly settle into school and focus on their learning.

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

The school has developed and embedded a new and ambitious curriculum since the time of the last inspection. The revised curriculum has raised the bar for the achievement of all pupils. The impact of these changes on current pupils in the school is not reflected in the 2023 published data.

The school's revised curriculum is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. They are building up secure knowledge across the curriculum. This is particularly true in reading.

Well-trained staff provide effective support to help pupils catch up if they have gaps in their knowledge or have missed part of their education.

The school helps pupils to make sense of their learning, for example by making effective use of topics, books and other resources to which they can relate. Teachers typically follow agreed strategies for ensuring that pupils build on what they already know.

By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the transition to their chosen secondary school.

Typically, teachers deliver the curriculum well. However, in a few subjects, the revised curriculum has been introduced more recently.

Teachers are still familiarising themselves with the content. In these subjects, there is less consistency in how well teachers check pupils' prior learning before introducing new information. Occasionally, this impacts how securely some pupils build up their knowledge.

At times, these pupils do not recall their learning as accurately as they should.

The school places a high priority on pupils learning to read. All staff are trained and supported in how to deliver the school's phonics programme effectively.

This is implemented to a consistently high standard. Children are introduced to a rich diet of well-loved songs, stories and rhymes in the early years. These provide a firm foundation for children to learn how to use phonics to read words.

Pupils benefit from regularly practising their reading with carefully chosen books. Most pupils can read accurately by the end of Year 1. Those who find reading more difficult continue to benefit from the support of skilled staff.

Pupils across the school enjoy times when they read independently or share class novels with their teachers. Pupils become proficient readers. This helps them to access other learning more easily.

The school ensures that teachers know how to identify and meet pupils' differing needs. Pupils with SEND achieve well. Pupils who attend 'The Nest', the school's special educational needs (SEN) unit, benefit from accessing this specialist provision as well as joining in with lessons and other activities with the rest of the school when they can.

Most pupils attend school well. Their positive attitudes to school are tangible. The school provides effective support for pupils whose attendance is causing concern.

This enables these pupils to benefit from all that the school has to offer.

The school ensures that opportunities for pupils' personal development are woven through the curriculum, including for pupils in the SEN unit. There are also a wide range of high-quality activities on offer at lunchtimes and after school.

Most pupils are keen to make the most of these. They develop new talents and interests as a result.

The school expects pupils to learn about different faiths and how these are lived out in people's lives.

The school also expects pupils to understand and value the differences between people. However, some pupils do not have a clear enough understanding of these aspects of the curriculum. These pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be.

There is a strong sense of teamwork at the school. Governors work closely with the staff to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can. Staff value the support that governors and the school provide.

This enables them to focus on their respective roles and responsibilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, there is variability in how well teachers make use of assessment information to design future learning for their pupils.

This results in some pupils' knowledge not being as secure as it could be. The school should ensure that teachers take more careful account of what pupils already know before moving on to something new in these subjects. ? The school does not identify sufficiently well what it expects pupils to know about the differences between people.

Pupils' understanding of diversity is variable. In particular, they struggle to recall what they have learned about other faiths. The school should ensure that the curriculum prepares pupils well for living in a modern and diverse society.

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