Barnby Dun Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils listen to their teachers and try hard. They can explain the difference between bullying and friendship fallouts.

Pupils feel that teachers deal with the small number of bullying incidents better than they did last year. Incidents of bullying are low. Pupils feel safe in school.

Most pupils are fascinated by the subjects they study. They especially enjoy gaining new knowledge about the past, great thinkers and creators and different places. Pupils are keen to succeed.

They also know that 'they may make mistakes, which helps them to learn'. A small number of pupils struggle too much with the work they are given. This is because the support they receive i...s not always effective.

Pupils also enjoy activities that give them a broader knowledge of the world. For example, they like debating current affairs issues in class. Many contribute positively to the local and wider community, for example, they raise money for local charities, such as the foodbank.

The school has developed several pupil-leadership roles relating to subjects, and to important issues, such as equalities. Pupils are proud of the roles they have been given and can explain their importance. Pupils also participate in a wide range of clubs, including science club.

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

Over the past year, and following the previous inspection, leaders and staff have successfully improved many aspects of the school.

Senior leaders and subject leaders have developed a very ambitious curriculum. It enables pupils, and children in early years, to gain new knowledge and understand big concepts.

Pupils can apply their knowledge meaningfully across a broad range of subjects. For example, in geography, pupils learn about the physical and human features of large European cities. They use this knowledge to make meaningful comparisons between the way Paris and London have developed as capital cities.

Teaching approaches enable most pupils to learn and remember new knowledge. In the early years, teaching is carefully planned. It enables children to gain the big subject-specific ideas needed for future success.

For example, children learn about concepts linked to measurements or time such as 'longer' and 'shorter.' However, during play activities adults do not always introduce new vocabulary to children who struggle to acquire new words as well as they might.

The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is ambitious.

Teachers and assistants adapt teaching approaches so that pupils with SEND can understand important content. For instance, staff introduce topics to small groups of targeted pupils before the lesson (pre-teaching) and revisit them after the lesson (post-teaching). Adapted teaching approaches work better in some classes than others.

Some teachers and teaching assistants have not received sufficient training on this aspect of their work.

Leaders have successfully developed reading across the school. They have implemented new approaches to teaching phonics.

Pupils and children practise making the sounds that letters make and blending them together. Over time, pupils blend sounds with increasing speed and accuracy. This is because staff ensure pupils have lots of practice.

Assessment strategies enable staff to precisely identify any gaps pupils may have in their phonic knowledge. In key stage 2, pupils read texts that have challenging language use and use literary language. Work in books show that pupils learn about writers' lives and how their experiences can inform the themes writers choose to explore.

Curriculum developments have focused more on reading than writing. As a consequence, in some classes, the range of writing that pupils undertake is too narrow. Pupils write a great number of non-fiction texts like letters.

However, the writing curriculum does not enable pupils to gain expertise in narrative texts.

Behaviour in class is impressive. Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is high.

Pupils follow instructions given by teachers and teaching assistants. Staff are currently developing their expertise in supporting pupils with additional behavioural needs. They have received some training, but leaders rightly have plans for staff to receive further training to improve this aspect of their work further.

Over the past year, the bullying policy has been amended. The policy details the signs of bullying. It also clearly outlines the processes that staff should follow in response to any concerns about pupil interactions.

As a result, staff responses to any concerns raised about the way pupils interact are more consistent.

Leaders have improved the curriculum for personal, social and emotional education. The content focuses on building healthy relationships as well as exploring peer-on-peer abuse, and the definition of bullying.

Leaders have developed many aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, especially spiritual education. The strong curriculum in religious education gives pupils deep insight into the beliefs held by a range of religions. Pupils participate in 'circle time' in class in which they discuss issues that arise from an ethical viewpoint.

The multi-academy trust (MAT) has supported the school's leaders in strengthening relationships with parents. Leaders have set up a parent advisory board to gain a better insight into parents' views. School and MAT leaders know that there is more work needed to reach parents who do not engage positively with school.

They have strong plans in place to achieve this. MAT leaders' evaluations of where the school's strengths and areas for improvement lie are accurate and discerning. They support leaders in moving the school forward.

Staff also feel well supported by school and trust leaders, including with workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have improved safeguarding training for staff.

It now has a greater focus on local safeguarding issues. As a consequence, staff are knowledgeable about the safeguarding risks associated with the school's locality. They also know the signs that indicate that pupils are involved in risky behaviours, such as county lines.

The school has worked closely with parents to develop their understanding of how children can stay safe when online.

The designated safeguarding lead checks all safeguarding concerns thoroughly and where appropriate refers concerns to the local authority.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adaptions that are intended to enable pupils with SEND to access the curriculum, such as pre- and post-teaching are not always well implemented.

This means that some pupils with SEND struggle to undertake the tasks they are given. Teachers and assistants need more training in implementing planned adaptions so that they are consistently effective and enable all pupils with SEND to benefit from the school's ambitious curriculum. ? Pupils do not write in a wide enough range of styles and forms.

In particular, they do not write enough narrative texts. Leaders need to review the writing curriculum so that it enables pupils to build their expertise in writing narratives. They need to use the challenging narrative texts that pupils read as models for pupils' own writing.

• When children are involved in activities as part of continuous provision in the early years, adults do not always ask questions that extend children's vocabulary knowledge. Leaders should make sure that planning includes well thought-out opportunities to develop children's vocabulary. They should also make sure that adults working in early years are trained so that they know how to introduce children to new vocabulary during play activities.

How can I feedback my views?

You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school, or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted.

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route.