Small School Receives Glowing OFSTED Report

Staff and governors at Burlescombe School are celebrating a very positive report from OFSTED Inspectors. It praised the very good quality teaching; the excellent leadership of the headteacher, the very good care of the pupils, the genuine partnership with parents, the very good behaviour of pupils and their positive attitudes towards learning.

It also highlights very good financial control, the very good provision for the Foundation Stage pupils and the very effective support for pupils with special educational needs.

The report commends the good level of improvements made since the last inspection, noting that all issues identified have been successfully resolved.

Please note that all references to year groups are for the previous academic year.

As headteacher I am very pleased that the report has recognised and commended all the hard work from everyone involved in the school, especially over the last two years. I have included these additional sections from the full report because the summary is very brief. We would like to thank all the parents for their support and look forward to a continued good relationship.

How well are the Pupils Taught

The Inspectors felt that the quality of teaching is very good and has improved since the last inspection in 1997. There have been significant improvements over the last two years. There was a period of staffing instability following the departure of the previous permanent head, this resulted in weaknesses in teaching and meant that pupils now at the top of the school were not taught the elements of the curriculum in sufficient depth. Although teaching is now much better it has not been possible in the past two years to fill all the gaps in mathematics and science.

There were many reasons given by the inspectors for the marked improvements in teaching in the last two years, some of those reasons are:

"The head and staff have formed a very strong partnership and make a very good team:
Curriculum planning is much better, providing a secure educational basis for progress:
There is a very high commitment of all concerned at the school, staff and governors, to raising and
maintaining standards. This is based on the excellent awareness of strengths and weaknesses which is
the result of the leadership of the headteacher:
The school has now a very good ethos and provides a good learning environment."

"Throughout the school literacy lessons and numeracy teaching are consistently very good. The school is very fortunate to have two out of three teachers who have been recognised as leading mathematics teachers and this is having a very positive impact. For example pupils in Year1 and Year 3 are performing well above what is expected for their ages."
How Well Does the School Care for Its pupils?

Inspectors found that very high priority is placed on the care, support and welfare of pupils. The school actively promotes healthy living.
"Very good procedures are consistently applied to promote appropriate behaviour. High expectations are the key to the school?s success in this area. It is very impressive how teachers continually reinforce the right behaviour by positive praise and encouragement."




The Standards and Quality of Teaching in areas of the Curriculum.


The Foundation Stage ( Reception pupils)

The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good from teachers and classroom support assistants. The way the school plans for the reception age children as distinct from those in Years 1 and 2 is very good. The provision for the Foundation Stage was judged to be very much improved since the last inspection.

Reception children make good progress benefiting significantly from very good teaching and being in a class with older children. Children use a good level of vocabulary and most can express themselves well.
Standards are high with most children achieving the early learning goals before moving to Year 1. It noted that higher attaining children are already reading at level 1 of the National Curriculum, which is better than expected for this age.
" A very good feature of reception activities is the consistently good behaviour of children who are already aware of the routines and rules of the school."


English

"Results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests for pupils at the age of seven and eleven show standards to be well above the national expectations for pupils aged seven and very high by the age of eleven."
In all English lessons the management of pupils was particularly noteworthy of praise. Teachers cope with span of ages in an exemplary way and neither behaviour nor the quality of work suffers. The standard of questioning is very good, teachers adapt their questioning to suit the age and ability of the pupils.



Mathematics
Throughout the school the effect of now very good teaching and the full introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy are having a very good impact on the subject. Staff enthusiasm for mathematics is infectious, providing very good teaching for the older pupils, noting that what they are capable of is restricted by previous gaps in their education.

Characteristics of the good teaching in mathematics included:
* very good planning and preparation;
* very good levels of challenge, whereby pupils of different abilities and ages in the same class
have work set at appropriate levels;
* high levels of teacher knowledge, understanding and competence in the subject;
* very good questioning techniques, which involve all pupils in discussion and probe for pupils?
understanding.
Pupils' Attitudes, Values and Personal Development
Standards of pupils' attitudes, values and personal development have improved since the time of the last inspection. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. Pupils behave very well and get on well with their class friends as well as the adults that teach and support them. Play and lunchtimes are sociable and enjoyable occasions when pupils from across the whole school age range mix and enjoy each other?s company. No inappropriate or oppressive behaviour was observed.
" The provision that the school makes for the development of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural values is very good overall and has a positive effect on pupils' attitudes to school, to each other and to life in general. This is an improvement since the last inspection."


Special Educational Needs
"Teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs is very good and much improved from the unsatisfactory at the last inspection." Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. Work is well matched to their ability. This results in very good progress, with such pupils achieving well.



How Well Does The School Work in Partnership With Parents?
The school's partnership with parents is a significant strength. Parents are very supportive and recognise the improvements that have been made recently. The school's open door policy is very genuine. The very effective partnership with parents has a positive impact on pupils' learning.



How Well is the School Led and Managed?
" The head gives the school excellent educational direction and together with governors and staff ensures that the work of the school truly reflects its stated aims and values. As a result of the head's excellent leadership the school is very well run. Over the last two years with a stable group of staff she has created a very good team. Very good relationships and a very professional commitment by all concerned to raising and maintaining standards have established the school's very good ethos." Back to top