Great Barton Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's warm and caring environment provides a safe space for pupils to thrive and flourish.

Whether chatting with friends across the dining table or pulling on wellies to get muddy at lunchtime, pupils play and socialise together very happily. Adults set high standards for pupils' learning from early years upwards. Pupils live up to these expectations.

They always try their very best in lessons and achieve well.

Opportunities for pupils to take part in activities to promote their wider personal development are in abundance. It goes beyond what many pupils may normally get to experience.

Be it sporting, musical or charitable, pupils involve them...selves with great enthusiasm. Pupils elected to the school council, the eco-council or those who act as junior road safety ambassadors, do so with pride. Older pupils delight in preparing for the upcoming Indonesian 'Gamelan' music performance.

Not only does this broaden their musical understanding and talents, but also enriches their understanding of different cultures.

Pupils and adults enact the school's values. A deep culture of mutual respect runs through the school.

Pupils, including the very youngest, behave extremely well. On the rare occasions a pupil's behaviour falls below what is expected, they are well supported to discuss, evaluate, amend and learn from mistakes they may have made.

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

The school's curriculum provides pupils with a well-curated path to success as they move through the school.

Children in the Reception class learn a rich and precisely designed curriculum. This equips them with the knowledge they need, setting down strong foundations for their future learning. Children are highly motivated to join in with meaningful learning opportunities.

They quickly learn to respect their classroom, playground and one another. They develop high levels of concentration and engagement in activities while in Reception. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers accurately identify, and meet, the needs of these children in Reception. The youngest children in the early years receive a high-quality education. They are well supported and guided in their first year in school and so are very well equipped for Year 1

More widely, pupils in Years 1 to 6 benefit from teachers with strong subject knowledge.

Teachers explain new concepts clearly, so pupils understand well. The curriculum steers adults to teach new ideas and skills in a sensible order. For example, pupils learn the recorder, and related musical notation, in Year 3.

This prepares them for the rigours of learning the clarinet in Year 4. Pupils with SEND are well supported and guided by adults and, in the main, learn well. However, in some cases, some individual targets set for pupils with SEND are not sufficiently precise.

At times they are too broad. This means that adaptations to activities are not as effective in supporting pupils with SEND to achieve exceptionally well.The youngest children are immersed in stories, poems and songs.

They learn many new words. Adults skilfully help them remember to practise the sounds they know and use this ever-growing vocabulary. Therefore, pupils are well supported to crack the reading code quickly and so become fluent and confident readers.

Those who need extra support in learning to read receive regular help from skilled adults and quickly catch up.

Lessons are calm and rarely disturbed. Pupils have fun in class but respect when it is time to concentrate on their work.

Children develop positive attitudes to their learning from Reception, and these habits continue to embed as they grow older. Pupils' mature approach as they reach Year 6 means they can tackle sensitive subject matter, such as learning about World War 2 with age-appropriate consideration. Attendance is high.

The school keep a close eye on pupils who miss too much school and provide helpful support if this is needed.

The school's established personal development programme supports pupils as they grow and develop. This highly considered and deliberate approach helps pupils to develop their character and independence over time.

They learn about different relationships through the school's highly effective relationships and sex education provision. Pupils learn about their mental health and celebrate difference between themselves and others. The 'chill and chat' club provides well-tailored opportunities for pupils to develop their self-confidence.

The school provides effective support for teachers and keeps a close eye on their workload. Staff are united in their approach to provide the best education they can for pupils.

The open flow of information between the board of trustees and school governors ensures that they all have the knowledge needed to carry out their statutory roles effectively.

Governors and trustees visit school regularly to quality assure school improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Support for some pupils with SEND lacks precision.

This is because the school does not consistently set out clearly enough what these pupils need to know, learn and remember. This means that adaptations to teaching and activities are not as effective in supporting pupils with SEND to achieve exceptionally well. The school needs to provide support and training for staff to ensure targets are precise and activities are carefully adapted to support pupils with SEND to achieve exceptionally well.

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