Burley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to be members of this friendly school.

They appreciate the close community, where everyone knows each other. Pupils across the school show kindness and consideration towards others. Pupils choose to demonstrate the school's 'HEART' values, knowing these help everyone to flourish.

They feel strongly supported by the attentive and caring staff. This helps pupils to develop self-confidence.

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve the best they can.

Staff promote these expectations well across the school. Pupils respond positively, behaving with consideration and courtesy around school. In lessons, they typic...ally work with focus and willingly engage in class discussions.

The school's continuous drive to improve the curriculum and approaches to teaching is supporting all pupils to achieve increasingly well.

Pupils keenly participate in wider learning activities, such as clubs and residential trips. They learn about the importance of contributing and gaining valuable experience through initiatives such as helping with the upkeep of the school gardens or fundraising for charities.

Pupils are motivated by the school's approaches to recognising their achievements. They enjoy receiving house points and celebrating their successes with the whole school in weekly assemblies.

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

The school curriculum is broad and ambitious.

Across subjects, the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary are clearly identified from Reception to Year 6. In most subjects, these have been carefully arranged so that pupils build understanding and revisit the important ideas. This supports them to know and remember more over time.

In some subjects, beyond the early years, new knowledge is not being connected to earlier learning. In these subjects, the curriculum does not deliberately return to key knowledge from previous learning. As a result, pupils' understanding is hindered by having gaps in their knowledge.

Early years provision is exceptional. The curriculum precisely arranges small, purposeful steps in learning. These support all children to develop the essential knowledge they need.

The highly skilled staff sharply focus on developing children's vocabulary and communication skills. These help children to learn how to work together and solve problems. Children benefit from a wide range of learning opportunities.

These reinforce important learning so that children know and remember more over time. As a result, children demonstrate impressive levels of independence and are well prepared for Year 1 and beyond.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge.

They use this to introduce and explain new ideas clearly. Teachers do this skilfully in mixed-age classes so that children of different ages are appropriately challenged. Staff use a range of methods to check pupils' understanding and promptly correct errors in their thinking.

Across subjects, pupils' progression through the curriculum is checked effectively. In most subjects, teachers draw on this to reteach the aspects of knowledge pupils understand less securely.

Reading is a high priority.

Children learn how to read from the start of Reception. Any pupils who struggle receive targeted support so that they rapidly become fluent readers. The wider reading curriculum, through a diverse range of texts, supports pupils to develop strong reading skills.

The school strongly promotes the love of reading. Pupils reflect this, talking enthusiastically about their current books.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

The school carefully identifies pupils' needs. Teachers draw on individual plans to make appropriate adaptations to learning activities. Learning support assistants apply specific strategies so that pupils with more complex SEND progress well through the planned curriculum.

Behaviour is positive across the school. In lessons, the majority of pupils work with purpose and enthusiasm. They show respectful attitudes towards staff.

At playtime, pupils share equipment and invite others to join their games. Pastoral support is highly effective. It supports pupils effectively to learn how they can manage their feelings and emotions, including those who exhibit more challenging behaviour.

The school purposefully develops pupils' character. It promotes the importance of independence. Pupils learn about how they can stay safe, including online.

Through rich outdoor learning opportunities, they learn how to responsibly use the National Parks' resources. Pupils explore diversity in the wider world, exploring different world religions and important issues in society. They are being well prepared for life beyond school.

The school strives to continuously improve. It carefully identifies changes and makes sure these are sustained. The governing body scrutinises the impact of this, providing effective challenge about its effectiveness.

Staff are galvanised by the togetherness and the shared approach to improvement. They appreciate the school's efforts to support their well-being so that they can focus on teaching.

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 design of the curriculum is not supporting pupils to understand or revisit important knowledge. Consequently, pupils' learning is hindered because they have not developed a secure understanding of important concepts. In these subjects, the school should ensure pupils build a secure understanding of important knowledge and remember it over time through a carefully structured curriculum.