Birkwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

Leaders, governors and all of the school's staff have clear aims and high ambition. They work together very hard with firm commitment and deep resolve and ensure all pupils, whatever their circumstances, achieve highly, develop as well-rounded individuals and leave very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leaders, managers and governors are determined that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are as high as possible.

Improvements in teaching and pupils' achievement are driven relentlessly and the improvements accomplished have proved very effective. The school's reputation in the community has grown and ...the school is an increasingly popular choice for parents. Their views of the school and its leadership are extremely positive.

The headteacher's outstanding leadership provides an ambitious vision of high academic standards and a culture in which pupils' personal development and safety flourish. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and their love of school develops quickly from an early stage. Their behaviour in lessons and around school is outstanding.

Pupils understand fully the importance of learning, making progress and achieving high standards. It shows clearly in their efforts and commitment to doing as well as they can. This also reflects the excellent moral and social values the leaders very effectively promote.

Pupils enjoy school and are happy learners. They feel safe and secure. All of the procedures for keeping pupils safe are rigorous and very effectively managed.

Every teacher and teaching assistant is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Their expectations are high and, right across the school, they work together with great consistency ensuring that learning has very good pace and challenge. Every lesson is planned thoroughly to ensure pupils work at the right level, consolidate what they know, understand and can do, and build on this systematically.

From the least able to the most able, there is substantial support to guarantee pupils are always challenged to achieve more. The great majority of pupils, whatever differences they have in capabilities, make outstanding progress in their subjects but especially in learning to read and write. The quality of writing is a strength above all other strengths.

Pupils have progressed well in mathematics and their results are improving rapidly but these are not at the high level achieved in reading and writing. Early years provision is outstanding. Children make rapid progress in all areas of learning.

This is the result of excellent teaching and support for learning. Children enjoy and thrive on the vast breadth of activities and the excellent resources supporting these.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.

Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is well-above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the expected minimum standards for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.