Bucklesham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This small, caring school has a big vision for children's lives. Pupils like their school and they attend regularly.

They are happy and safe because staff have pupils' physical and mental welfare at the forefront of their minds. If pupils ever have a concern they can turn to a teacher for help. Pupils' behaviour is calm and respectful because of their teachers' high expectations.

Children, as from Reception, learn to read well. Older pupils re-tell stories and discuss the books they read. Pupils are ready to learn.

Pupils participate eagerly in class. They help each other to learn better.

Pupils enjoy a range of trips.

Pupils visit the zoo, ...a farm, the seaside and the natural history museum. These experiences enhance pupils' knowledge of nature, evolution, the environment and life in Anglo-Saxon and Victorian Britain.

Pupils visit London and the Houses of Parliament.

This enriches their understanding of democracy and other fundamental British values. Pupils exercise their democratic rights by voting for school councillors and head pupils. Reception-age children gain useful responsibilities.

They tidy the classroom, arrange books and report on the weather. School counsellors give assemblies on how pupils should behave and respect each other. These opportunities build pupils' confidence and prepare them well for the future.

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

Leaders have recently constructed a new, more ambitious curriculum. They have carefully selected the knowledge pupils learn. In light of some low outcomes in 2023, particularly in mathematics, leaders have provided precise training to help teachers hone their subject knowledge further.

As a result, pupils now calculate with increased accuracy. Leaders are refining the curriculum further so that pupils apply their knowledge more regularly to reason, solve problems and carry out experiments.

Teachers break learning into small chunks so that pupils understand.

They explain new ideas with clarity. In most areas of the curriculum, teachers systematically check how well pupils are learning. In some areas, teachers do not identify misconceptions, mistakes and gaps in knowledge with the same rigour.

Pupils, therefore, continue to make the same mistakes, which slows their learning.

Leaders have made the teaching of reading a priority. Teachers adopt a highly consistent approach to phonics and early reading.

Pupils receive much practise of new and previously learned sounds. As a result, children in Reception build sounds quickly. They automatically blend and begin to read familiar language with fluency.

In Years 1 and 2, pupils read with expression. Teachers meticulously analyse how well pupils read. Any pupils who fall behind receive precise support and they catch up.

Leaders accurately identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use a range of outside agencies to provide pupils with SEND with the help they need. However, for some pupils, leaders do not evaluate the impact of this support with precision.

As a result, some pupils with SEND do not access the curriculum as well as they might. Leaders are aware of this and have recently put in systems to address this.

The early years curriculum provides a firm foundation for future learning.

Children quickly gain language and grasp understanding of the world around them. Learning activities ensure children practise this knowledge. This helps them to express their ideas using correct subject-specific language.

Children show tremendous resilience when working in groups, for example when constructing an obstacle course.

The school caters well for pupils' wider personal development. Pupils know how to nurture positive relationships.

Peer mentors support other pupils and help to resolve disputes. Pupils are open minded, kind and considerate of others. They learn about people who are different from them in the books they read.

This helps them to empathise with people who experience prejudice and other challenges in the world. Pupils know what is right and know when attitudes are harmful. Pupils do not tolerate unkind behaviours.

Pupils appreciate a range of clubs and other extra-curricular activities. They dance, sing, perform and play musical instruments. They regularly compete regionally in sporting and academic challenges.

Older pupils organise games and referee sports at lunchtime. Pupils, therefore, develop teamworking and leadership skills.

Leaders, governors and the local authority incisively evaluate how well the school is performing.

Governors firmly hold leaders to account for their actions. Staff are happy. They value the training they receive, which helps them to implement the curriculum better.

Parents overwhelmingly endorse the quality of education their children receive. Leaders have reached out to the community. Some parents play an active part in supporting school life.

Leaders are indeed 'aiming high'. They are well placed to ensure the school improves further.

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 areas of the curriculum, some teachers do not systematically check errors, misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning. As a result, pupils continue to make the same mistakes and do not learn as well as they could. The school needs to ensure staff address pupils' mistakes and misunderstanding with greater rigour so that pupils learn even better.