Burford Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Every child at this vibrant school strives to do their 'Burford Best'. The school has high expectations of all pupils.

Pupils achieve well because of the well-designed curriculum and strong teaching. Staff's curriculum adaptations help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) meet the school's high expectations.Pupils have a keen understanding of the school's values of respect, aspire and achieve.

Staff notice and celebrate pupils displaying these values. Each class creates an assembly journal that encourages pupils to reflect on the school's ethos. This helps pupils develop kind attitudes towards each other.

Pupils benefit from a wide... range of opportunities. Deliberately designed clubs help pupils gain confidence in sports or games that they would not usually play. For example, there is a girls' football club for those who have never played the game.

This has led to far more girls playing football at breaktimes and lunchtimes.The clear and consistent routines in the school help pupils to behave well. Pupils display positive attitudes towards learning and know what to do if they are struggling to complete an activity.

Staff help pupils understand and manage their emotions. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in the school.

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

The school has a strong ambition for all pupils to achieve well.

The school has carefully designed a well-sequenced curriculum to meet all pupils' needs. It sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn at each stage, including in the early years.

When pupils start the Reception Year, the school identifies their individual needs.

Precise and individualised adaptations ensure all pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum. For example, pupils use resources to help them remember important vocabulary. Therefore, pupils with SEND achieve well.

Staff's subject knowledge is strong. Pupils benefit from opportunities to discuss learning with each other, as it deepens their thinking. The school uses assessment well to check pupils' understanding across the curriculum.

Teachers quickly address pupils' mistakes or misunderstandings. However, in some subjects, teachers' strategies do not always ensure that pupils remember new knowledge or connect it with previous learning.Reading is a top priority.

Teachers ensure that children in early years learn phonics from the start. Pupils read fluently by the time they reach the end of Year 2 because well-trained staff support them effectively. Pupils particularly enjoy listening to their teachers reading to them.

They discuss important vocabulary and events in the stories that they have read and what they have learned from them. Consequently, pupils have a strong understanding of what they have read and what it means.In early years, adults engage children in positive and constructive conversations.

Carefully chosen activities develop and deepen children's knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. These help children to communicate increasingly well. For example, the children, along with staff, enjoy reciting rhymes and poems.

The school uses initiatives and clear strategies effectively to encourage pupils to attend school regularly. Pupils enjoy being at school and attendance rates are rising. Pupils' have positive attitudes towards their learning.

They try hard and low-level disruption is a rarity. Pupils show resilience when something is difficult. They use prompts to help them, such as discussing their thoughts with a partner.

Children in the early years show sustained levels of concentration. They learn to share and collaborate well with each other.

There is a strong emphasis on promoting pupils' character, individuality and personal development.

There are many opportunities to nurture pupils' talents and interests and for pupils to display them, for example through clubs such as astronomy and science. Pupils learn to be good citizens and develop an understanding of democracy through opportunities such as being school councillors and eco-leaders. Pupils display tolerance towards each other and celebrate differences.

The school prioritises staff's development and well-being. Leaders provide staff with thoughtful and precise training. This results in staff who know their subjects well and structure lessons effectively.

Leaders consider the impact of any changes on staff. Therefore, all adults work together towards improving the school further for pupils.

The trust supports school leaders to focus sharply on school improvement priorities.

Governance structures are effective and they challenge, support and check all aspects of the school's work. Leaders ensure that staff set ambitious goals for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teachers' strategies do not always support pupils in remembering as much as they could. This means that pupils cannot always build their knowledge and connect it to what they already know. The school needs to ensure that pupils build their knowledge securely in all subjects.