Burton Salmon Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Burton Salmon Community Primary School has a positive and respectful school culture. There are warm and considerate relationships between the staff and pupils. The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils' behaviour.

Pupils respect that there are sanctions when they do not adhere to the school rules. The school rewards pupils for displaying good behaviour with certificates and house point tokens.Pupils elect school ambassadors who demonstrate and uphold the school's values.

The ambassadors acknowledge other pupils being happy and safe and nominate them for awards. Pupils are proud of this peer recognition.The school offers high-quality pastoral support to p...upils and families.

This includes therapies, such as drawing, play and time with Twig, the school's therapy dog. Adults regularly check pupils' emotional well-being and provide support as necessary.The school has high expectations for its pupils.

It is part of the White Rose Federation, which has one executive headteacher and one governing body leading three schools. This has enhanced the opportunities for pupils to meet socially and attend educational visits.The school ensures that pupils know how to stay safe online.

Pupils know to 'block, stop, report' if they are contacted by a stranger online. Pupils are safe at school. They share any concerns with staff, who offer care, nurture and support.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has taken steps to ensure that the wider curriculum is well planned and sequenced from Nursery to Year 6. The curriculum has been developed by the staff across the White Rose Federation. Working collaboratively significantly supports the school's expertise to provide an ambitious curriculum.

The curriculum has different cycles to meet the needs of the mixed-age classes. This ensures that pupils do not repeat topics and learning builds over time.

The school identifies the most important facts and vocabulary they want pupils to remember.

This is planned progressively over time. However, in some subjects, pupils struggle to make connections to their previous learning. They do not consistently use subject-specific vocabulary to explain their thinking.

Each lesson, teachers check on what pupils can recall with a recap element or short quiz. At the end of each unit of work, there is a more formal task. The school is refining the system to check pupils' knowledge in each curriculum cycle.

The school focuses on prioritising early reading through their phonics teaching. This has improved significantly since the last inspection. The school introduces listening games and environmental sound walks in Nursery.

This ensures that children are ready to access phonics lessons in Reception. The school regularly checks the sounds that pupils know. A very small number of pupils, who are not keeping up with the phonics programme, receive extra daily catch-up sessions.

This helps to ensure that most pupils can read unfamiliar words successfully. Pupils enjoy reading to Twig. This activity helps pupils to practice reading aloud with confidence.

The mathematics curriculum is ambitious. Adults adapt lessons for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, pupils use manipulatives, such as cubes, to help with calculations.

Pupils speak enthusiastically about mathematics. Teachers apply effective questioning and modelling in their teaching. Pupils use the classroom's working walls to support their learning.

This promotes a purposeful learning environment.

The school has an effective and timely system to identify the needs of the pupils with SEND. Teachers set appropriate targets for pupils.

The school monitors the targets to ensure that pupils are making progress.

In early years, the school supports children to investigate, take risks and sustain concentration in their play. Adults model the correct use of language to develop children's communication skills.

For example, while mixing paint an adult introduced the words `teal' and `violet' to extend a child's colour-palette vocabulary. The school involves parents in their children's learning through their online communication platform. There are strong links between the early years team and parents.

Pupils confidently discuss equality and protected characteristics. One pupil said, 'We are all treated the same; It just matters to have fun.'

The school manages attendance and punctuality effectively.

The school tracks pupil attendance and, when it dips, the school immediately contacts families. This is having a demonstrable improvement in pupil attendance.

Governors fulfil their statutory duties.

They have a good understanding of the improvements the school has made. The local authority is a supportive partner. It reviews aspects of the school, such as the curriculum, to assure themselves it meets the needs of the pupils.

Working as a federation helps to reduce staff workload. It enables staff to share subject leadership, resources, planning and good practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that pupils use the important vocabulary identified in the curriculum. This means pupils do not routinely use subject-specific language to talk about their learning. The school should emphasise the vocabulary so that pupils develop their use of subject-specific language.