Buckden CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, nurturing, inclusive school where pupils are respectful of each other.

Pupils understand the importance of equality. They know how their actions can impact local, national and global communities.

Staff are very ambitious for pupils to do their best and achieve well.

The older pupils like to guide their learning, knowing their achievements and what they need to do next. Younger pupils enjoy the established routines that lessons provide. Pupils contribute to lessons and work hard to ensure they do well, which they do.

Behaviour is generally positive. Most pupils know that their voice is heard and that they can speak to staff when they n...eed to. Lunchtimes are fun and exciting times where there is a vast array of activities in which the pupils can play together, making new friends as they do.

Pupils have a range of leadership opportunities available to them, for example house captains, sports captains, pupil parliament and eco council. Pupils develop their confidence and resilience within these roles. Pupils know the importance of looking after their physical well-being.

They do this by participating in a daily walk or run around the field and contributing to sports teams and events.

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

The school has a highly ambitious curriculum. It has been well thought out to ensure it covers a breadth of subjects, as set out in the national curriculum.

It progresses from the early years and identifies the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Staff routinely revisit this knowledge to ensure that pupils remember it.

In most subjects, staff have strong subject knowledge and present knowledge in interesting, effective ways for pupils.

Staff check regularly what pupils know and remember. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not present knowledge as clearly as it could be. The activities pupils complete in these subjects are sometimes not focused on the precise knowledge that the school wants them to remember.

This slows pupils' progress through the curriculum, as they do not learn and remember as much as they could.

Reading is a priority of the school. Staff thread opportunities through the week that provide pupils with a range of opportunities to enjoy and read different texts in different ways.

Pupils enjoy sharing books and their favourite authors with each other, both in class and in assemblies. The teaching of reading starts as soon as the children start in the early years. Staff use their training to deliver the school's reading programme effectively.

Pupils who struggle with reading receive the help and support they need to catch up quickly. This gives them the confidence they need to become fluent readers.

There are clear processes in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school works collaboratively with parents and carers to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve as well as they can. If necessary, the school accesses external support and services, which provides further help to school staff, pupils and their families. Staff are well trained to make adaptations to learning activities.

This enables most pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum alongside their peers.

The school carefully tracks patterns in pupils' behaviour and responds positively to this. For example, leaders noticed an increase in playtime incidents.

Changes to routines were made, ensuring that playtimes are active and engaging. This has seen a reduction in incidents and an increase in positive and respectful behaviour. Attendance has improved.

The school ensures that parents and carers understand the importance of regular attendance. Where absence for individual pupils becomes a concern, the school acts quickly to address this. As a result, most pupils attend school regularly.

The school's personal development programme is well constructed to ensure that pupils know and understand the world beyond their local community. This involves learning about a range of global issues, such as sustainability. Pupils develop what they learn into sustainable actions, for example collecting crisp packets that are turned into waterproof heat-containing sleeping bags for homeless people or switching lights off when they are not needed.

Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online, through real-life examples. They develop their musical talents and interests by learning the recorder, piano and drums.

Staff are well supported with their workload, which has a positive impact on their well-being.

They have a varied professional development programme available to them. Staff also share their expertise with other local schools through the professional development that they deliver. As the trust is growing, leaders' roles are changing.

They are clear on what their responsibilities are and diligently complete them. Parents and staff value the school community being at the heart of the local area.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the focus of teaching and the activities provided for pupils do not enable them to precisely learn the intended knowledge identified in the curriculum. Therefore, pupils do not learn and remember as much in these subjects as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum effectively in all the subjects that they teach.