Burton Morewood CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Burton Morewood school.

They told inspectors that poor behaviour and bullying are rare. Pupils explained that when behaviour is poor, adults deal with it so that it is not repeated. Around the school, pupils demonstrate positive behaviours.

This starts with children in the provision for two-year-olds.

Children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 work hard to live up to leaders' high expectations. They achieve well.

Relationships between adults and pupils are strong. This supports pupils to feel safe in school. Pupils said that adults listen and respond to their worries.

Leaders take effective action to ...deal with any incidents of bullying, should they occur.

Leaders ensure that pupils have many opportunities to engage in a wide range of curriculum enrichment experiences. Pupils learn how to look after their physical and mental health through a range of exciting outdoor activities.

Pupils really enjoy their regular ski lessons as part of their physical education curriculum. Trips and visits are carefully planned to broaden pupils' opportunities to learn about life in modern Britain. Older pupils take on a range of leadership positions, for example the school council, the eco-council and the pupil parliament.

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

The school curriculum is ambitious and well designed. It builds on the skills and knowledge children acquire in the early years. Leaders set out learning well so that teachers deliver new content logically.

Leaders have made some recent changes to the curriculum and these are embedding. Leaders, including governors, are at an early stage in checking on the impact of these curriculum changes on pupils' outcomes.

In lessons, teachers make regular checks on how well pupils are learning.

They use these checks to identify when pupils need additional help to keep up with their learning.

Leaders have strengthened the curriculum for phonics and early reading. Teachers plan lessons that introduce new sounds systematically.

In phonics lessons, pupils regularly recap on all the sounds they know. In the early years, staff read exciting stories to the children to develop their listening skills. Adults skilfully support younger children, including two-year-olds, to say sounds accurately.

Those who fall behind with their phonics get the support that they need to catch up quickly. Sometimes, the books that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 take home to read are too hard. This hinders the rate at which they develop their reading accuracy and fluency.

In lessons, pupils behave well. Pupils listen to what adults have to say and try their best. Pupils are rarely disrupted in lessons.

This enables them to get on with their learning. Children in the early years, including those in the provision for two-year-olds, very quickly learn skills of independence, for example getting themselves changed into their wet weather clothes.

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

Leaders make sure that appropriate support is given to those pupils who require it. Leaders have well-tested systems in place to identify additional needs at the earliest opportunity. Leaders work with specialist agencies to make sure that pupils get the help that they need in a timely manner.

Leaders make sure that pupils learn about life beyond the Lake District. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to learn about national and global issues. Pupils learn to respect and support those less fortunate than themselves.

For example, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, engage in fundraising for local charities. Older pupils regularly visit a local care home to sing and read to the residents. Furthermore, pupils have collected donations for the local foodbank.

They have sponsored a school in a refugee camp in Uganda. Pupils know to treat everyone with respect, regardless of their faith, gender or beliefs.

Pupils who leave Burton Morewood school at the end of Year 6 are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

The governing body knows the school well. Governors find out for themselves how well the school is performing. Staff who work at the school said that leaders are considerate of their well-being and their workload when making decisions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make careful checks on all adults who work in school. They ensure that all staff receive regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

Staff know how to spot signs that may indicate harm or neglect. Staff know how to record and pass on their safeguarding concerns to senior leaders.

Those responsible for safeguarding document their concerns carefully.

They follow up concerns, ensuring that work with external partners is detailed and thorough.

Pupils learn about how to keep safe on country and busy roads. They also learn about some of the potential dangers of using social media and playing online games.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Where adaptations have been made to the curriculum, leaders do not routinely make checks on the impact of any changes. Leaders must ensure that adaptations to the curriculum are having a positive impact on pupils' outcomes. Doing so will enable leaders at all levels to have a better understanding of the overall quality of education in the school.

• Sometimes, children in the early years and pupils at the early stages of reading in keys stages 1 and 2 have reading books that are too challenging. Where this is the case, pupils have fewer opportunities to practise their phonics knowledge and develop fluency. Leaders must ensure that pupils at the earliest stages of reading have reading books which are closely matched to the phonics that they know.

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