Buckingham Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Buckingham Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of empathy, perseverance, independence, creativity and collaboration (EPICC) underpin every aspect of school life. There are strong relationships between adults and pupils. This is because staff know pupils and their families well.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel safe and are happy in this caring school.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. All pupils, including the very youngest children in the early years, try hard not to disappoint them.

Pupils enjoy playing with their frie...nds on the variety of play equipment available to them, particularly the cube and the willow tunnels. Pupils know that adults will promptly sort any bullying issues, as school records confirm.

Leaders are ambitious for all.

Pupils know what their teachers expect of them, and they rise to the challenge. Pupils make sure that they listen, do their best and work hard.

Pupils appreciate the aspirational 'promise board', which details 100 different opportunities pupils should experience before they leave the school.

This starts from the early years and moves on through to Year 6. It includes promises such as visiting a farm and singing around a campfire by the time they leave the school in Year 6.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious, broad and engaging.

They have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and remember. In all subjects, leaders have mapped out, starting in the early years, the knowledge and skills pupils need to take them to their next stage of learning. They have ensured that lessons are sequenced and that teachers know the clear end points pupils should reach.

This is enabling pupils to learn well. Teachers in Reception find out what children know and can do before planning activities that will move their learning forward in all areas of the curriculum.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge.

They routinely revisit prior learning to make sure pupils understand how their learning builds on what they already know. For example, in geography, Year 6 pupils use knowledge of the water cycle learned in previous years to help them understand the impact it has on rivers. Teachers ensure that pupils are given time to practise and embed new learning.

In mathematics, this enables pupils to recognise and remember number facts. For instance, children in Reception practise making pairs of numbers to 10 by investigating how many different pairs they can make. Teachers constantly check for any misconceptions and address these immediately.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start in learning to read. Leaders have reviewed phonics teaching during the current academic year. This ensures that pupils develop their understanding systematically and learn well.

Pupils learn phonics by using a well-structured programme taught by well-trained staff. Books pupils read match the level of their phonic knowledge. Leaders ensure that pupils with gaps in their phonic knowledge receive the support they need to catch up quickly.

Pupils experience a wide range of texts in their reading lessons. Every year group has 50 age-appropriate books they can read throughout the year. These, alongside visits from authors, are developing their love of reading.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Pupils with barriers to their learning are quickly assessed and support plans put in place. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers.

Teachers meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively in phonics, reading and mathematics. However, leaders know that more work is needed to ensure that teachers adapt other curriculum subjects to the same standard in order to support and embed the learning of pupils with SEND.

Pupils behave well in class and do not distract others from learning.

They are keen to learn and contribute well in lessons. If pupils lose concentration, teachers quickly refocus them.

Pupils' personal development is built upon the school values of EPICC.

For example, they learn to respect different religions and cultures through visits to various places of worship. Older pupils know that any form of discrimination is wrong. Pupils learn to protect the environment through tree planting in the local park and in school.

Every year group is responsible for tending to and caring for the trees. Pupils are keen to take on roles of responsibility, such as becoming a kindness champion. However, currently, staff recognise that there are limited roles the children can take on, and this is being reviewed.

Staff appreciate leaders' care for their well-being. They know that leaders are mindful of their workload by, for example, the new approach to marking. This enables teachers to give immediate feedback to pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained well. Staff have weekly updates to ensure that they are aware of any local safeguarding issues.

They know the procedures to follow if they have a worry or concern about a pupil. The safeguarding team ensures that concerns are followed up immediately. Leaders work closely with families and external agencies to ensure that the right support for pupils is put in place.

Older pupils talk confidently about safeguarding risks such as stranger danger and road safety. Pupils also know how to stay safe online and are aware of the risk of cyber bullying.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils with SEND and those with additional needs are not always well supported to access the curriculum.

This means that they do not always learn as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers understand how to adapt learning to enable the most vulnerable pupils to learn the curriculum effectively alongside their peers.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

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