Barn Croft Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Barn Croft is an extremely friendly and welcoming school at the heart of the local community.

The school has set an ambitious mission for its pupils to aim high and achieve their potential as socially responsible citizens. Pupils live up to these expectations, they work hard and generally achieve well.

Staff set equally high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

Pupils understand that they must be 'ready, respectful, and safe'. They are politely and respectful, make sensible choices and behave well. This creates a positive learning environment, which supports pupils to feel happy and safe at school.

Pupils are well supported in terms of their emotional... and mental health. They know why this is important, and where they can go for help. For example, they are confident that concerns they post in the 'worry box' will be dealt with well.

Pupils learn how to be responsible citizens by taking on one of the leadership roles at the school. These include peer mentors, playground friends and school council. They know the importance of contributing positively to the local community, including activities from painting murals to creating a sensory garden.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has developed a curriculum which is broad and matches what is expected nationally. The curriculum is well constructed. Learning is ordered to ensure teaching builds on pupils' prior knowledge.

This supports pupils to secure a depth of knowledge in different subjects. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of design and implementation and, therefore, not fully embedded. In these subjects, assessment is not used as precisely to check what pupils know and remember.

As a result, some pupils are not as secure in their understanding and less well prepared to learn more complex ideas.

The school prioritises the development of communication, language and vocabulary from early years onwards. Pupils increasingly demonstrate their understanding through precise use of language and good-quality writing.

Pupils start to learn phonics from the Reception Year. Staff have the support and training needed to ensure that pupils become confident and fluent readers. There is a focus on reading across the curriculum, including in early years.

The school provides effective support for pupils who find reading difficult and need to catch up. Additional opportunities, including immersive storytelling workshops, promote positive attitudes to reading. Pupils have access to a diverse range of books that are linked to the curriculum in different subjects.

These opportunities help to ensure pupils learn to read well and develop a love of reading.

The early years is a warm and inviting space for children to learn in. Children play and learn together confidently.

For example, they take turns as they practise their number skills by counting out items on a treasure map. The outdoor provision supports the development of pupils' gross motor skills effectively, including balance and coordination.The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified.

Many of these pupils benefit from appropriate adaptations that help them access the same curriculum as their peers. However, for some pupils, the strategies used are not as well linked to their needs. This results in some pupils with SEND not being given sufficient opportunity to practise and embed the skills that they need to develop.

A range of educational visits and leadership roles is offered at the school and helps develop pupils' sense of responsibility, cultural understanding and personal interests. For example, pupils spoke highly of visits to the British Museum, the British Library and being a 'playground friend', who supports younger pupils. Pupils demonstrate awareness of what constitutes a healthy and safe relationship, including understanding the importance of consent and being aware of inappropriate touch.

The curriculum is also designed to help pupils to discuss and debate local, national and international events in a thoughtful and respectful way.

Pupils' attitudes to their learning and behaviour around the school are consistently positive. Pupils learn about being safe within and beyond school.

They are polite, respectful and play well together. Pupils and staff spoken with say that poor behaviour is rare and dealt with swiftly. The importance of attendance is widely promoted.

Leaders ensure that families get the support they need when pupils' attendance is a concern. The school's effective work to tackle absence is having an increasingly positive impact on improving pupils' attendance.

Leaders and those responsible for governance offer appropriate support and challenge.

They are knowledgeable about the school and make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about their workplace. They appreciate the investment in their continuous professional development and the consideration for their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is at an earlier stage of design and implementation. In these instances, older pupils have not experienced the current curriculum throughout their time at the school.

Assessment is not used consistently well to check pupils' prior understanding. This means that the knowledge some pupils have is not as secure as the intended curriculum would suggest. The school should ensure that the revised curriculum is fully embedded and that any gaps in pupils' prior knowledge is identified and addressed before tackling new ideas.

• The strategies to support some pupils with SEND are not sufficiently focused on their needs. As a result, some pupils with SEND are less well supported to access the curriculum and to achieve well. The school should ensure that strategies to support pupils with SEND are robust and well matched to pupils' specific needs.

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