Burbage Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Burbage Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a vibrant school where everyone is welcome. Pupils are happy and safe.

The school has high expectations of pupils. Pupils enjoy learning. They achieve well.

Pupils understand that the school expects them to make positive behaviour choices. They are guided to be the best version of themselves by 'The Burbage Way' values. Pupils play together happily at social times of the day.

They are respectful and courteous to their teachers and to each other.

The school provides a range of opportunities for pup...ils' character and well-being to flourish. Pupils understand how to stay healthy, for instance with plenty of sleep and exercise.

They enjoy the range of wider activities that they can participate in, such as choir performances in the community and sports opportunities. The school's commitment to developing oracy builds pupils' confidence to present themselves well.

Many parents and carers would recommend the school to others.

Parents value the support the school provides to their children. They described the school as a welcoming place where staff genuinely care about the children.

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

The school has a well-sequenced curriculum.

Pupils build on their prior learning well. For instance, they use their secure knowledge of how to control a ball in basketball to apply to new activities in physical education. Pupils apply what they have learned about internet safety to write a blog in computing.

The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to speak about the knowledge they have learned for a range of purposes. For instance, pupils use their strong knowledge of geography to debate topics such as deforestation. Pupils learn and recite poetry confidently to different audiences.

The school has effective approaches to help pupils learn and remember what they are taught. For instance, knowledge organisers and reminder notes in pupils' books are used well to help pupils to remember important knowledge. Teachers frequently check that pupils have understood their learning.

For example, they make effective use of regular quizzes to identify and address any missed or forgotten learning. Teachers have useful approaches to support pupils to improve their explanations of what they have understood. For instance, teachers use sentence scaffolds to ensure pupils provide detail and clarify number concepts or area in mathematics.

Sometimes, teachers are not always consistent in how they help pupils to communicate clearly the new knowledge that they have been taught.

Pupils describe reading as 'entering a portal to another world'. They immerse themselves in books with impressive concentration.

The school provides opportunities for pupils to read with expression and understanding. Teachers expertly model reading aloud. They use their strong subject knowledge to support pupils to empathise with story characters.

Teachers give precise feedback to pupils about reading. The school ensures swift identification of pupils who struggle to read well. These pupils benefit from expert phonics teaching that helps them to catch up quickly.

The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. The school provides effective programmes of support to build pupils' confidence and self-esteem. Pupils with SEND spoke positively about the support that they receive.

These pupils typically achieve well.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are strongly positive. They need few, if any, reminders from staff to concentrate on their studies effectively.

Pupils know that learning can be hard sometimes and that developing their resilience helps.

The school's personal development programme prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand the importance of being respectful to everyone and not discriminating against different groups of people.

They know how to be safe online. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility as sports leaders, school councillors and reading ambassadors. They are proud of their successes when they represent the school, for example in table tennis and tag rugby tournaments.

Leaders have taken effective action to sustain and improve the quality of education for pupils since the previous inspection. Leaders accurately evaluate the impact of strategies that help pupils to learn and remember more. Governors know the school well and are effective in their roles.

They give consideration to staff's well-being. Staff appreciate the ways in which leaders support them in their roles and listen to their views.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, teachers do not ensure that pupils communicate clearly enough the new knowledge and vocabulary that they have been taught. This means that some pupils' understanding is not as secure as it could be and some pupils do not communicate and explain with enough detail and clarity what they have understood. The school should ensure that staff are supported to help pupils develop their communication of what they know and understand so that pupils deepen their understanding.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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