Barnacre Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils at Barnacre Road Primary School receive an acceptable standard of education. This helps them to achieve well. In contrast, the gains that many other pupils make in their learning are just not good enough.

In particular, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been cut adrift. Leaders have not made sure that staff are able to identify or meet these pupils' needs effectively. As a result, their achievement across the curriculum is poor.

Furthermore, the curriculum in the early years is particularly ill-designed. This means that children are not ready for the demands of Year 1.

Pupils rise to leaders' high expectations f...or behaviour and conduct.

Pupils behave well in lessons and play nicely with each other during social times. They show consideration and respect for their classmates. Pupils' relationships with staff are equally positive.

Leaders deal with instances of bullying effectively, although they do not record and analyse reports of weaker behaviour as well as they should. Despite these weaknesses, pupils are ultimately safe and happy at the school.

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs that develop their talents and interests.

They have plenty of opportunities to develop their sense of citizenship through activities such as fundraising events. They also take on leadership roles within the school when they are older. Pupils enjoy the school's own off-site woodland area which is used to enhance some aspects of their curriculum learning.

Pupils also maintain this woodland which contributes to their sense of responsibility and community.

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

Leadership of the school has deteriorated since the last inspection. Leaders and governors have been lax in their upkeep of policies and procedures that help them to maintain the effectiveness of the school.

Leaders at all levels do not have appropriate oversight of pupils' learning experiences which means that they do not know how well pupils are achieving. In particular, leaders' oversight of the education on offer to pupils with SEND is weak. Leaders have been too passive in checking on the learning and achievement of these pupils.

They are not aware of, or responding to, the many deficiencies that are preventing pupils with SEND from achieving all that they should.

The local authority has had to intervene to help leaders to identify the weaknesses within the school and formulate plans to address the shortcomings. Leaders are overly reliant on further support from the local authority to make the necessary improvements.

They do not have the capacity to bring about much-needed change.

Leaders have designed an overarching curriculum structure for pupils in Years 1 to 6. In some subjects, leaders have clearly identified the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which it will be taught.

In other subjects, leaders have not defined this knowledge. In any case, teachers do not consistently implement subject curriculums as they are intended. This means that pupils' learning experience is variable across different subjects and year groups.

In turn, this means that pupils do not achieve consistently well across the curriculum and across the school. While some thought has been given to what pupils will learn, the same consideration has not been afforded to pupils with SEND. Leaders have not thought about how the curriculum should enable pupils with SEND to achieve well.

In addition, they have not ensured that staff are suitably equipped to help pupils with SEND to reach the same ambitious goals as others in the school.

Leaders have not ensured that there is an appropriate curriculum in place for children in the early years. They have not given enough consideration to what children in these year groups should learn beyond broad topic themes.

Each year, the same themes are repeated across the two-year-old provision, Nursery and Reception classes, regardless of children's different needs or starting points. Teachers in the early years are left to their own devices to determine what they should teach. As a result, children do not learn what they should to enable them to make a successful start in Year 1.

Teachers typically carry out checks on pupils' learning. In subjects where teachers are clear on what knowledge to teach, these checks are mostly effective in identifying and correcting pupils' misconceptions. However, where subject leaders have not clearly defined the specific knowledge that pupils should know, teachers' checks on pupils' learning are less effective.

They do not help teachers to know where pupils' knowledge is insecure nor do they aid teachers in reshaping their teaching to overcome any gaps in learning.

Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme this academic year. However, some teachers are more skilled in delivering this programme than others.

Pupils read books that are not matched well enough to the sounds that they know. This means that pupils do not build their phonic knowledge as securely as they should. This hinders pupils from becoming fluent and confident readers.

Leaders do not have a sharp focus on supporting pupils who need extra help to learn to read. Leaders do not ensure that reading support sessions take place regularly nor do they review the impact of these sessions. Staff who deliver these sessions do not have the expertise that they need to help pupils overcome gaps in their phonics knowledge.

As a result, pupils do not catch up quickly enough.

Pupils maintain high standards of behaviour throughout the school day. Teachers deal with any minor disruptions to learning quickly and kindly.

Fall-outs between pupils are rare. Although incidents of poorer behaviour are generally dealt with well, leaders do not keep sufficient records of these events and do not report on these accurately to governors. This limits leaders from identifying potential bullying issues or patterns in behaviour that might emerge.

Leaders ensure that pupils' personal development is catered for well. Pupils benefit from trips that enrich the curriculum. They develop a strong understanding of British values through what they learn in school.

Pupils develop a secure knowledge of physical and mental well-being. They are tolerant of others and can talk confidently about how their learning helps them to appreciate the differences of others. They are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

Most staff feel supported by leaders. They believe that leaders help them to manage their workloads. A small number of staff do not share this view.

Governors openly acknowledge that they have been remiss in carrying out their duties. They do not have the knowledge and expertise that they need to address the weaknesses within the school by themselves. Over time, governors have not gathered appropriate information to evaluate the work of school leaders objectively.

They have too readily accepted what leaders have told them. They are not aware of the true extent of the weaknesses that are impacting pupils' achievement, particularly those pupils with SEND.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel confident that they can speak to staff about their worries. Staff know how to identify the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm. They report their concerns swiftly.

In most cases, leaders take appropriate action to manage any concerns and secure appropriate support for pupils and their families. However, at times, leaders' record-keeping, and some of their actions to maintain effective procedures, are not as robust as they should be.

Pupils develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

They know how to maintain safe and healthy relationships with others. They also know how to stay safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Weaknesses in leadership means that there is insufficient capacity to tackle the shortcomings at the school that contribute to pupils' poor achievement.

Leaders' oversight of many aspects of the school, including the delivery of the curriculum, is lacking. Leaders are too reliant on external support. Governors must ensure that urgent action is taken to secure sufficient leadership capacity throughout the school.

• Leaders have not prioritised the needs of pupils with SEND. They have not kept an eye on the curriculum experiences for these pupils and have not provided guidance to staff on how to adapt their delivery of the curriculum where necessary. This means that pupils do not have their additional needs identified quickly enough.

It also means that pupils with SEND do not receive the support that they need to succeed. Leaders must ensure that pupils have their needs identified and met. Leaders must also ensure that staff are well trained to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.

In some subjects, teachers are not clear on the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn and how best to deliver it. In these subjects, teachers do not know how to assess pupils' learning, and pupils do not develop their knowledge securely over time. Leaders must provide sufficient curriculum guidance so that teachers know what to teach and how to check that pupils have learned it.

• Some teachers are more skilled at delivering the phonics programme than others. Furthermore, teachers are not well trained to provide effective early reading catch-up support. As a result, pupils do not build their phonic knowledge as quickly or securely as they could.

Leaders must ensure that teachers have the skills and expertise that they need to help pupils learn to read fluently as soon as they are capable of doing. ? Leaders have not designed a suitable curriculum for children in the early years. Children repeat the same themes each year without sufficient forethought given to their different ages and prior experiences of the same themes.

This means that pupils do not build a secure foundation of knowledge to prepare them for future learning in key stage 1. Leaders must urgently review the curriculum to ensure that pupils build a secure knowledge base for the next stage of their education. ? Governors do not have the appropriate knowledge and expertise that they need to evaluate the work of leaders.

This means that governors are not alert to, nor addressing, the weaknesses in the school that are impacting pupils' ability to achieve well. Governors must ensure that they have the knowledge and expertise to carry out their duties effectively. ? At times, leaders' maintenance of records, policies and procedures related to behaviour, bullying and safeguarding are not as robust as they should be.

This means that leaders and governors miss opportunities to identify patterns or issues in these areas of school life. Leaders should review their approach to recording and evaluating their work in these areas in order to maintain a school climate in which pupils are kept safe. ? Leaders and those responsible for governance may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.