Stanley Burnside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Stanley Burnside Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this caring school community. They happily arrive at school, eager to start the day. Pupils are enthusiastic learners.

They share the leaders' high expectations. Everyone works hard because they want to do well. Pupils enjoy receiving rewards for their positive attitudes and good work.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about important values through the 'Burnside Bunch'. Pupils show these values through their work and play. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good.

Pupils move around the school in an orderly way and show respect... for one another. In lessons, pupils are attentive, and disruption is very rare. Pupils get on well together.

They say that bullying does not happen in school. Pupils are confident that if bullying did occur, then adults would quickly and effectively deal with it. There is support and nurture for pupils who need extra help to behave well.

Leaders have created a culture where everyone cares for each other. This school is at the heart of the community. Staff know their families well.

The supportive staff team members work successfully together in providing valuable, well-timed help to families and pupils.

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

Mathematics is a strength of the school. The mathematics curriculum is clearly sequenced.

Vocabulary is well developed and used appropriately. Teachers have good subject knowledge. In mathematics lessons, teachers revisit previous learning and check pupils' understanding carefully.

Teachers adapt the learning to help pupils to remember more. Problem-solving and reasoning tasks are used effectively to encourage pupils to think hard. Pupils achieve well in mathematics.

The reading curriculum includes high-quality texts selected to suit each year group. These books have been chosen to broaden pupils' literary experiences. All staff read regularly with pupils and promote a love of reading.

Pupils read for pleasure at school and at home.

Leaders know that some pupils find it difficult to use their phonics knowledge to read unknown words. A new programme for teaching early reading and phonics has recently been introduced.

Leaders have resourced this programme well. Staff accurately match books to pupils' phonics knowledge. Some staff have received only basic training in the programme.

They lack the expertise to deliver phonics teaching well.

The wider curriculum has been revised. Leaders have constructed an ambitious, well-designed curriculum to help pupils build knowledge across a broad range of subjects.

Leaders have successfully planned key knowledge, skills and vocabulary for each subject. Teachers present learning in ways that excite pupils' interest and encourage them to think. Teachers use informal and formal assessment to identify pupils who need additional support or challenge.

They adjust their lesson planning accordingly. Where teachers have strong knowledge, they implement these new plans well. However, in some subjects, teachers do not have strong subject knowledge.

They struggle to successfully implement some of these new curriculum plans.

Early years staff create a positive, caring environment for the youngest children. Children settle into school quickly and play well together.

The children appear very happy and settled in school.

This is a highly inclusive school. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders ensure that these pupils have access to the full curriculum and are well supported in school. Staff have a very good understanding of the pupils' needs. Support plans are sharply focused.

Staff use these plans well to help pupils make good progress.

Teachers have worked successfully to identify emerging gaps in some pupils' basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics caused by the disruption of COVID-19. Funding is being used effectively to help pupils catch up with their learning.

The pupils' personal development is at the heart of the school curriculum. The curriculum has been carefully planned to ensure equal opportunities are promoted. Leaders celebrate differences and tackle stereotypes.

Pupils have a good understanding of rights and responsibilities. They display very good manners and are polite. Leaders are keen to provide pupils with a wide range of experiences through their 'experience passports'.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils listen carefully to instructions and engage well with their teachers and each other.

The headteacher and deputy headteacher are relatively new to their roles.

They work successfully together to strengthen the school. They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and have acted promptly to implement improvements. Governors have a clear understanding of the school's priorities.

Governors provide valuable support and challenge to the new leaders. Staff say that they feel well supported by school leaders. They are proud to work at the school and say that leaders consider their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide staff with regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to identify any pupils who may be at risk.

Where pupils need help, the leaders work well with families and other agencies to keep pupils safe.

The designated safeguarding leads are tenacious in following up referrals. Leaders are determined to ensure that the right professional support is provided to help families who need it.

Leaders have robust systems for managing safer recruitment and allegations or safeguarding concerns about staff.

The curriculum includes teaching pupils about risks at school and at home, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff have not received sufficient training to implement the new early reading scheme.

Therefore, pupils are not learning to read as quickly or as successfully as they could. Leaders should ensure that training is provided for all staff, so they have the necessary expertise to teach early reading successfully. ? Some teachers lack the depth of knowledge to implement plans well in the wider curriculum.

Therefore, these teachers are unable to provide pupils with the same level of support to help them learn the important knowledge and skills in some areas of the foundation curriculum. Leaders must ensure that staff are provided with the necessary guidance and training to help them to strengthen their subject knowledge across the wider curriculum.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.