Buryfields Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Buryfields Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Buryfields is at the heart of its community.

Everyone views one another as friends. People new to the school are quickly welcomed into the Buryfields 'family'. This includes a warm welcome from the school dog.

The 'deployment club' supports service pupils well, helping them to manage their feelings when a parent or carer is overseas.The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils meet these high expectations by using the school's 'learning powers'.

For example, in a design and technology lesson, pupils r...ecognised they needed to persevere when making a prototype. Pupils enjoy learning and work hard. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve highly across the curriculum.

Pupils are polite, kind and courteous. Their actions reflect their school values of 'be kind, be confident and love learning'. 'Playground squad' pupils know their role is important; they make sure everyone takes turns to dance on the stage and play on the car track at playtime.

Pupils feel safe. They know they can talk to an adult if they have concerns. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online.

They are being well prepared for their next steps and life outside of school.

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

All pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum with a strong focus on the local area and community. Across the different subjects, teachers use well-chosen activities to interest pupils and help them learn.

In mathematics, precise teaching of key words leads to pupils developing a deeper understanding of number. Most pupils are confident when using resources to show their understanding. They use these to help them prove their answers are right and solve harder problems.

In the early years, teachers present information clearly. They revisit it through play. This gives pupils a strong base for more complex learning later on.

In addition, the school carefully identifies pupils with SEND and provides effective support. Skilled adults design and adapt tasks to ensure these pupils also achieve well.Reading is a priority across the school.

The love of reading is well developed and pupils are very proud of their library. Parents value the library as a place to share stories and choose books with their children. Pupils learn to read right from the start in early years.

Staff have the skills and training they need to help pupils learn the sounds they need to read with fluency. Leaders have recognised that not all adults use the same precise language and are taking action to remedy this. Teachers measure progress at regular intervals; they have effective plans to ensure all pupils are keeping up.

Pupils make good progress in their writing because they are given many opportunities to practise what they have learned. They can write sentences which increase in complexity each year. They check their work and correct it.

Many write with flair and fluency in response to the well-chosen texts chosen to read.The school has identified the key knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to learn across the curriculum. There are well-planned sequences of learning with a wide range of activities for pupils.

In design and technology, pupils learn how to design, plan and make objects. Teachers encourage them to test what they have made. Teachers skilfully use questions to deepen pupils' understanding and help them remember more.

For example, in history, pupils compare sources using their knowledge of monarchs. The school is developing ways to check what all pupils can do and remember. They are strengthening this work with recall activities at the start of every lesson.

This reflects leaders' strong understanding of their school and how plans are regularly monitored to secure ongoing progress.Pupils behave well and enjoy school. They follow instructions, allowing quick starts to lessons.

In early years, most children share and take turns. Adults skilfully support those pupils who struggle to manage their feelings. The school closely monitors attendance and acts quickly to ensure that attendance is excellent for all.

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to become active citizens. Pupils value the 'acorns to oaks' club, where they garden with older members of the community. They are proud that many pupils come from places all over the world.

They enjoy identifying these places on the world map. They relish experiences such as 'trailblazers' and 'woodland school'. They appreciate the clubs and trips on offer, including one to an art gallery.

Through a wide range of assemblies, pupils learn about different faiths. Pupils know that being active and eating well keeps them healthy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment is not fully developed across all subjects. As a result, teachers do not have a complete understanding of what pupils have learned and can remember. Assessment in the foundation subjects needs to be developed further so teachers are able to check pupils' understanding effectively and use this to inform future teaching.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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