Barmby-on-the-Marsh Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Barmby-on-the-Marsh Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is at the heart of village life. Parents and pupils are highly positive about the school, and rightly so. Pupils show care and respect for each other.

Staff have set high expectations. Pupils respond to these expectations and achieve well.

Staff widen pupils' horizons.

All pupils can attend clubs and trips. These include the green fingers gardening club, the summer food club and opportunities to take part in adventurous activities.

Older pupils act as positive role models to younger pupils.

They help younger children at lunchtime a...nd encourage them to join in during play. Pupils are encouraged to be caring citizens. This positive culture extends to the local community.

At the end of each year, the community is invited to attend celebratory events. At Christmas, pupils make up chocolate parcels, which they then deliver to elderly residents in the surrounding villages. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility by supporting community events, such as harvest in the local church.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. This leads to a calm environment, where pupils work well together. Bullying is extremely rare.

Pupils know how to work together to resolve problems if they ever fall out. Everyone is made to feel welcome and included.

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

Leaders have identified broad areas of knowledge that pupils need to learn across many areas of the curriculum.

They have broken this knowledge down across many subjects into the small steps of learning that pupils need to take. For example, children in the early years learn about habitats and wormeries. This prepares them for subsequent learning about habitats and conditions for plant growth.

Teachers are clear about what to teach and in what order to teach this knowledge. They explain complex ideas to pupils in clear and accessible ways. Children in early years learn to use apparatus, games and independent activities to support their understanding of number in mathematics.

There remain some areas of the curriculum where the important knowledge that pupils need to learn has not been fully mapped out. Where this is the case, new learning does not build on what pupils already know.

Leaders support teachers to adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

For example, staff help pupils with SEND to record their learning in ways that help them to remember.

Learning to read is a priority for this school. Leaders have implemented a phonic scheme, which has improved the teaching of reading.

Pupils enjoy learning to read. They use their phonic knowledge to read books with sounds they know. Adults are becoming experts in delivering the programme.

They receive ongoing training and support. Pupils who need to catch up have extra sessions during the day. Leaders have implemented a 'favourite fifty' of recommended reads.

Pupils enjoy choosing from this rich range of books to take home. Despite these strengths, some pupils do not get the prompt start and precise teaching they need to help them to catch up quickly.Leaders have set the values of being 'ready, respectful and safe'.

Pupils show clear understanding of these school rules. They are well behaved in class, respectful to each other and show interest in their learning. Pupils believe that the behaviour system is fair.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about different faiths. Pupils can compare their own beliefs and non-beliefs with those of others. For example, pupils can explain what a humanist is and how this differs from other beliefs.

Leaders provide a range of rich opportunities to develop pupils' characters. These include 'Capable Kids', an award scheme where pupils develop their life skills. Pupils also rise to the challenge of 'lifestyle', a youth engagement project.

They spend their summer holidays completing self-initiated projects that benefit their community. Leaders work with an engineering company on joint projects to encourage young engineers. Representatives of 'Primary Futures' visit pupils to provide talks and promote interest in different careers.

Staff feel supported by leaders to manage their workload and well-being. Parents are very supportive of the improvements that are being made at the school. They explain the positive impact this is having on their children.

Governors know the school well. They work with leaders and staff to offer challenge and support. They question and oversee important areas of school life, including well-being, safeguarding and curriculum.

This work is effective.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are well trained on safeguarding issues.

There are secure systems in place for staff to report concerns about pupils' safety. The records show that leaders take timely action to safeguard pupils. Staff understand their responsibilities for the safeguarding of pupils.

They follow clear procedures to report any concerns they may have about a pupil's welfare. They know what to do if they are worried about an adult's behaviour towards a pupil. Pupils learn about safe and healthy relationships.

They know how to keep themselves safe from local risks. These include water safety when playing near the river, as well as how to take care around farm equipment.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On some occasions, teaching does not support pupils at the earliest stages of reading well enough.

This means that pupils do not catch up as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that they build staff expertise in the teaching of early reading and phonics so that children get the help they need from the moment they start school. ? In some subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to learn is not clearly identified.

This means that pupils do not learn the important things they need for future learning in that subject. Leaders need to support staff in teaching the most important knowledge and in checking that pupils understand and retain this knowledge.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.