Burwash CofE School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's vision of 'caring children, loving learning' is fully realised. Pupils are deeply engaged and motivated in class and love learning.

They receive the very best start to their educational journey. The school have created a highly ambitious curriculum that inspires children to become inquisitive and independent learners who are curious about the world around them. Consequently, pupils achieve highly, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are highly focused in lessons. Relationships are warm and respectful, and pupils look after each other at social times.

They have an excellent unde...rstanding of the school rules and how they link closely to the fundamental British values. Attendance is high as pupils want to be in school. Pupils feel safe and know they can go to staff for help with any worries they may have.

Pupils benefit from an excellent range of well-considered trips and experiences that link carefully to the curriculum they are studying. They look forward to the many opportunities to perform plays and to sing in the community. Pupils are proud that they sponsor a school in Malawi and love finding out about life in another country.

As a result, pupils develop a profound sense of the world in which they live.

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

The school has created a unique and bespoke curriculum. It is highly ambitious.

The curriculum maps out the precise knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. Teachers have identified the exact vocabulary that pupils need to be able to use and understand from early years through to Year 6. Pupils have many opportunities to routinely revisit prior learning.

As a result, their knowledge and understanding across different subjects is impressive. Pupils can use the content they have learned to create well-structured arguments, for example, when debating whether tourism is a good or bad. Their knowledge of computing is first rate, and the curriculum inspires pupils to continue learning outside of school.

Staff precisely check pupils' recall and understanding. They use this information to ensure that misconceptions are identified quickly and that effective support is put into place. Pupils with SEND are supported by expert staff who ensure that the curriculum is accessible and based on the next step of learning.

Teachers accurately identify those in need of support.

Children in early years make an excellent start to their education. Staff have expertly crafted a curriculum that is engaging and interesting.

There is a strong focus on developing children's vocabulary and skills to talk with confidence. Children learn a rich breadth of language, which they use in their learning and discussions with their teachers and friends. Highly trained staff support learning effectively and enable all children, including those with SEND, to access the ambitious curriculum.

Children are helped to become independent learners, so they are ready for their next stage of education.Pupils are taught to read accurately and with fluency. Children in early years experience a language-rich environment that is filled with stories, poems and rhymes.

Staff teach phonics with precision, and books are well matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. Routine checks ensure that pupils do not fall behind, and well-considered support enables pupils to become confident readers. Older pupils love reading stories, and they enjoy the many books that are chosen to deliberately enrich their learning in other subjects.

All staff have the highest expectations of behaviour, and pupils' conduct is exemplary. Warm and positive relationships between everyone are in abundance. Pupils are exceptionally well mannered and polite.

They care deeply for their friends and develop very positive attitudes to their education. Pupils' attendance overall is above the national average, and this has improved substantially in recent years. The attendance of a small proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is not yet as high as the rest of the school.

The personal development of pupils is highly effective. Pupils demonstrate exceptionally inclusive attitudes to each other and a well-developed understanding of commonalities and difference. They are supported to develop a particularly strong moral understanding.

Staff ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep healthy and active. This is further enriched through forest school and outdoor learning opportunities. The school ensures that individual talents are nurtured and that pupils have the chance to share those interests with others.

All leaders, including governors, are highly ambitious for the pupils in their school. They support staff's well-being and workload very effectively. As a result, staff are effusive in their praise of leaders.

Staff also have a strong sense of belonging and feel valued. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is constantly being refined for the benefit of pupils and well-considered training supports skilled staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.