Buckingham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school and feel loved by the school. They speak passionately about the wide range of clubs, trips and opportunities at school. The school's offer of lunchtime clubs is successful at ensuring pupils with any form of disadvantage can participate without any barriers.

Pupils feel a sense of expectation from staff and rise to meet it. They are thoughtful and supportive of each other. Pupils feel safe and know that adults will help to resolve any worry they might have.

They behave with consistently high levels of respect for each other and adults across the school. Pupils have a deep sense of equity and fairness, and they show this in how they treat each ...other in class and on the playground. Consequently, pupils discuss race, gender and equality topics with open-minded views and an awareness of others.

The close community feel of the school is rooted in a true sense of open acceptance.

The school has high ambition for all and pupils achieve well. They are highly engaged in learning and relish the curriculum's ambitious topics.

They feel empowered by the knowledge they gain. Pupils are proud of their achievements and are ready for the next stage of education.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum.

The knowledge that pupils should learn has been precisely identified from the Reception class onwards. Staff have ordered this carefully and logically. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified.

Staff across the school have the expertise to provide effective support and successfully meet pupils' needs. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

Staff benefit from secure subject knowledge.

This helps teachers to design tasks that gradually build pupils' learning over time. Staff use resources well to support pupils' learning. For example, they select resources in mathematics to help pupils to visualise numbers and patterns effectively.

Pupils with SEND benefit from adapted resources that support them to access the same knowledge and skills.

Pupils benefit from lots of opportunities to practise and develop their learning. In English and mathematics, staff carefully check what pupils know and can do.

In these subjects, pupils learn and achieve consistently well. In some wider subjects, staff do not check pupils' knowledge with enough rigour. As a result, some gaps or misconceptions in pupils' knowledge are not noticed or addressed.

This means that pupils do not consistently remember key content the school expects.

Reading is a strength of the school. Staff closely follow a clear phonics programme when teaching pupils to read.

This starts at the earliest opportunity in the Reception class. Pupils read books that are well matched to their knowledge of letters and their corresponding sounds. The school pays close attention to how accurately and fluently pupils read.

Pupils who need extra support are given swift and effective extra support.Consequently, pupils are fluent and accurate readers. Pupils love reading.

The school provides books that reflect a wide range of cultures, and families from across the world.

The school has an exceptionally strong culture of kindness and respect. The school's focus on pupils taking responsibility for their own actions is visible across the school.

Pupils are impeccably polite and well mannered. From Reception onwards, pupils learn the language and skills to manage their emotions and seek support when they need it. Staff are clear and consistent in their expectations and routines.

Pupils react to these with joy and have pride in their accomplishments. The school promotes pupils' attendance successfully. Pupils attend well.

The school has made significant improvements to pupils' attendance, including for those who are disadvantaged.

The school prioritises promoting pupils' personal development. Pupils develop a strong understanding of how to be modern British citizens.

Pupils are well informed and critical consumers of current affairs. They show an awareness of how to manage their welfare and safety and how to treat others with respect. Pupils relish the wide range of leadership opportunities the school provides.

The roles of ambassadors and play rangers provide pupils with opportunities to help others. As a result, pupils develop a sense of calm and maturity in their actions and thinking.

The school is led well.

Governors are well informed and offer constructive challenge. The school uses work with other schools to refine aspects of the school's practice. Staff benefit from the continued investment in their professional development.

Staff who are new to their teaching career are given effective support. The school has a positive working relationship with most parents and carers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the checks on what pupils have previously learned lack sufficient rigour. This means that sometimes pupils do not develop a secure understanding before new content is introduced. The school must accurately assess pupils' knowledge and understanding and use this information to inform future teaching.

Also at this postcode