Burnham Grammar School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Burnham Grammar School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enthusiastically embrace challenge and enjoy learning here. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, benefit from high aspirations set for them by leaders and staff.

This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are passionate about their subjects and this helps them to inspire pupils to do their best. Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive.

The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils consistently meet these expectations....

As a result, pupils learn in calm and purposeful lessons. Pupils willingly hold the door open for each other. They are polite and respectful.

From the minute they join the school, they learn the importance of being responsible citizens who take an active part in their education.

Bullying occurs very infrequently. On the rare occasions when it does happen, staff deal with it swiftly and effectively.

Pupils told inspectors that they feel happy and safe at school. There is a strong focus on supporting positive mental health in pupils and staff. Some older students receive training as 'Mind ambassadors'.

Different-coloured lanyards indicate trained mental health champions. Pupils appreciate being able to seek support from their peers as well as from adults.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum with a focus on high-quality education for all, including pupils with SEND.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn to become responsible learners and to embrace mistakes. The curriculum is well sequenced at key stage 3 and prepares pupils for future learning. Leaders' focus on strengthening curriculum thinking is particularly evident in English and mathematics.

Many students stay to complete their studies in the sixth form. As at GCSE, there is a broad offer of subjects, and students follow appropriate courses to prepare them for future study or work. Sixth-form students achieve well.

In the majority of subjects, leaders ensure that teaching supports high-quality delivery of the curriculum. Teachers have strong, and in many cases exceptional, subject knowledge. Leaders ensure that curriculum teams have sufficient time to work together to plan and refine the curriculum.

Staff regularly check pupils' understanding of the curriculum. Purposeful homework activities identify where gaps in knowledge or understanding are. Teachers use assessment tasks in class to pinpoint precisely where misconceptions are and quickly address these with appropriate teaching activities.

Trained specialists swiftly and accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. This enables them to provide teachers with detailed information about pupils' needs so that the teachers can modify or adapt the curriculum appropriately. Expert support staff work alongside teachers to help pupils with SEND achieve their best possible outcomes.

Staff appreciate the support and time they get to develop their own subject expertise. Leaders are mindful of staff workload. Leaders have adopted an approach to assessment that is manageable for staff and purposeful for pupils.

Leaders prioritise reading. Staff inspire pupils to love reading and to read widely. Some older students volunteer at a local primary school to support pupils with early reading.

Leaders direct support to a small number of pupils who are less confident or whose reading is less fluent than others. The programme of support is in its infancy and leaders are aware of the need to evaluate the effectiveness of this.

The wider personal development of pupils is a strength of the school.

The personal, social, health and careers education (PSHCE) programme teaches pupils, among other things, about beliefs, rights and responsibilities. There are a wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer to develop interests and build character. Some older students run their own clubs and activities.

Pupils benefit from participating in a plethora of extra-curricular activities. Similarly, a wide variety of trips and visits play an integral part in enhancing the curriculum and provide memorable experiences for many pupils. Careers information education, advice and guidance is also a strength of the school.

Students in the sixth form value the personalised and extensive approach to the individualised support and advice they receive.

Students aspire to be young leaders. They desire to be promoted to positions of responsibility.

There are many opportunities to take on positions of leadership, formal and informal. The prefect system is well regarded. There are many voting opportunities for pupils.

As a result, pupils have a deep understanding of democracy. The teaching of spirituality and morality permeates many activities. Visiting speakers bring expertise to the PSHCE and assembly programme.

Students feel that they have a voice here. Vertical tutoring is extremely well regarded by staff and pupils. Pupils benefit from informal and formal mentoring opportunities in mixed-age classes.

For example, students in the sixth form support pupils in Year 10 with examination preparation and technique.

Staff say that leaders support them well. They value the professional development opportunities on offer to them and the family feel of the school.

Subject leaders speak passionately about their autonomy and the collaborative nature of working with other subject and senior leaders to continue to improve the school.

Trustees and local governors have a clear vision for the school. They are ambitious for the quality of education pupils receive.

The strategic growth of the alumni network is providing valuable support to the school in many ways.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a priority of this school.

Leaders are meticulous in how they protect pupils from risk of potential harm. The experienced designated safeguarding lead is supported by a team of knowledgeable safeguarding and pastoral staff.

Staff receive timely and appropriate training and updates.

This helps them to respond effectively when they have a concern about a pupil. Strong relationships between staff and pupils mean that staff are alert to changes in behaviour which may be worrying. Clear reporting systems enable staff to raise concerns in a timely manner.

There are many opportunities in the curriculum for pupils to learn how to stay safe. For example, in the PSHCE curriculum, pupils are taught about online safety and safe relationships.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a very small number of subjects there is some variability in the quality of the curriculum's implementation.

This means that pupils do not achieve as highly as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently across all subjects so that pupils achieve as highly in these subjects as they do elsewhere.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012.