Busill Jones Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a rapidly improving school. It is led well. The curriculum has been revamped to suit pupils' needs.

There is a significant focus on teaching phonics so that everyone, whatever their background or difficulties, learns to read. This is paying off and standards coming up through the school are rising. There is still more to do to develop teaching and learning in different subjects.

However, leaders have established a shared vision and ambition for all to achieve.

The school's rules are simple and fair. Pupils understand them and follow them.

Lessons run smoothly and the school is an orderly, calm place. There are many rewards and recognition for... being a positive 'Busill Bee'. Pupils respond well to this and their pride in the school is increasingly evident.

From smart school uniforms, with blazers in Year 6, to preventing bullying and showing good manners, the school's raised expectations can be seen in many ways.

Importantly, the school is a safe place to be. Pupils and parents know that the school will help them with any problems, even if that means challenging them to take more responsibility.

Whether it be addressing poor behaviour or unnecessary absence, parents can be confident the school has their children's best interests at heart.

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

After a difficult past, this school is on the up. While outcomes are not yet where they should be, pupils are now making better progress.

Importantly, the school supports pupils to develop the self-belief and resilience they need in order to succeed.

These improvements at the school are being driven by leadership that understands the local challenges. However, this leadership does not accept hardship as a barrier to achievement.

Instead, the school teaches pupils that the route to a brighter future is education. To this end, the school is doing much to lift aspirations. As part of this work, the school has established clear and consistent routines for teaching reading.

An informed focus on improving speaking and listening in the Nursery class paves the way for formal phonics teaching in Reception. The school's chosen reading scheme is followed correctly, and key stage 1 pupils are now much better readers than they used to be. The school's work to support weaker readers catch up is also bringing benefits.

Nevertheless, a legacy of past underachievement can still be seen in key stage 2.

The curriculum in several other subjects has also been strengthened. In geography and design and technology, for example, the curriculum focuses on the right things.

There is a clear progression of learning from early years to Year 6, so everyone knows what to aim for. That said, there is variation in the quality of learning and assessment in several other subjects. The most significant area is mathematics.

In this core subject, inconsistencies in the way the subject is taught and assessed slows pupils' progress. Leaders are aware of this and are getting involved with national projects to improve the quality of teaching and learning in this subject.

While there is more to do to strengthen the way in which some subjects are taught and assessed, attention to pupils' personal development is strong.

The school uses what it knows about pupils' experiences and the locality to inform this work. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and how to make informed, responsible choices. Crucially, the school teaches pupils that achievement at school improves their well-being and life chances.

This optimistic, aspirational culture supports the school's successful work to improve attendance. Pupils want to come to school and families know they can count on the school to help them. In their comments to inspectors, many parents expressed gratitude for this.

They also noted how higher expectations and consistency were helping their children to enjoy school and feel valued and successful.

Any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately.In addition, the school carefully tailors early years provision to meet children's developmental needs.

For example, the curriculum provides extra opportunities to develop children's physical, social and communication skills, which are often underdeveloped when they first start. On top of this, the school routinely provides additional services, such as speech and language support which happens daily.

Staff are well supported by leaders.

They say ambitious expectations are made clear and that leaders are equally attentive to their welfare.

The headteacher and trust leaders have taken effective action to build sustainable leadership capacity. They draw on expertise from the trust's central team and other schools to support improvements.

Their plans for the future are informed and ambitious. After a bumpy past, energetic leadership has put this school on the right track.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While the mathematics curriculum has been strengthened, inconsistencies in the way the subject is taught and assessed restricts pupils' progress and standards. It is the lower-attaining pupils and those pupils with SEND who are most affected by this. The school should continue to improve everyday classroom practice in mathematics so that standards rise.

• Curriculum design and the use of assessment are further ahead in some foundation subjects than in others. Consequently, there are variations in the quality of learning across different subjects. The school should continue to improve curriculum design and implementation in foundation subjects, so that pupils make the best possible progress across the whole curriculum.