Burnley Springfield Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They are safe and happy. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and caring.

Pupils know they always have an adult who they can speak to. Staff know pupils and their families well. The school offers support that is valued and makes sure that everyone feels included, ensuring a strong sense of community.

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy learning, work hard and take pride in their achievements. Most pupils achieve well.

Pupils typically behave well. Children in early years quickly learn the routines... and expectations for positive behaviour. They learn to manage their feelings and to use kind words to each other.

Older pupils are polite and respectful. The school provides a calm and nurturing environment, where all pupils can thrive.

Pupils appreciate the well-considered opportunities that broaden their understanding of the world.

They take part in clubs such as cookery and sports that widen their experiences. Learning is enriched through visits to museums and places of worship. Pupils understand the role that they play in their school and community.

They are committed to being active citizens.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and interesting curriculum with key knowledge identified for pupils to learn over time. In some subjects, this includes local knowledge to engage pupils further in their learning.

A number of pupils join the school at different times during the year, especially in upper key stage 2. These pupils have not benefited from the school's strong curriculum over time. This sometimes limits their attainment in national tests and assessments.

For example, pupils did not attain as highly as others nationally in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test in 2024. Nonetheless, pupils typically achieve well in most subjects from their varied starting points.

Staff use their strong subject knowledge to present learning clearly.

They choose appropriate activities to enable pupils to secure new learning. Staff revisit important knowledge and make regular checks on what pupils remember. However, in a few subjects, some activities do not support pupils to make connections with their earlier learning.

This limits their ability to understand key concepts in these subjects.

The school places a sharp focus on teaching pupils to read. This starts as soon as children enter the Reception Year.

Pupils practise their skills by reading from books matching the sounds that they know. If pupils struggle to keep up, the school quickly identifies and provides the support needed to help them to catch up. Most pupils develop fluency and a love of reading.

Pupils typically draw upon their strong reading knowledge in order to write well. However, the teaching of specific writing knowledge does not receive the same attention. For example, in the early years, children do not gain a secure enough grasp of accurate letter formation.

At times, common errors in pupils' writing across the curriculum are not addressed. This does not help pupils to write as accurately and fluently as they should.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly.

It engages well with external agencies to provide targeted support for the most vulnerable pupils. The school has provided effective training to staff to make adaptions to curriculum delivery for pupils with SEND. Staff support these pupils to access the same opportunities as their peers.

Children in the early years enter school happily. The enjoy positive interactions with staff, which builds their confidence in communication and language. Pupils across other year groups also demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

Outside, they cooperate and play together harmoniously. The school checks pupils' attendance carefully. Staff work closely with families to address any barriers to attendance.

An increasing number of pupils attend school regularly and on time.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They develop secure knowledge of fundamental British values through a well-considered wider curriculum offer.

For example, they understand concepts such as the rule of law and why we have rules in place. Pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe. They learn about online safety and understand healthy relationships.

Pupils confidently explain how they manage their own mental health using the strategies that staff have shared with them.

Leaders at all levels, including governors, have an effective understanding of what is working well at the school and what are the next steps for its continual improvement. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported.

Parents and carers are positive about the care and education that their children receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school keeps pupils safe.

However, at times, the school does not record some of the actions that they have taken in response to concerns with sufficient clarity. This makes it difficult for the school, including governors, to maintain an oversight of its effectiveness in keeping pupils safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's records about incidents relating to safeguarding sometimes lack sufficient information.

This means that there is a risk of the school missing vital information that is needed to keep pupils safe. The school should ensure that safeguarding records clearly and consistently demonstrate the appropriate action taken in response to any safeguarding concerns. ? In a few subjects, pupils do not have the opportunity to connect what they are learning with what they already know.

This limits their ability to deepen their understanding. The school should ensure that the delivery of the curriculum enables pupils to strengthen their knowledge over time so that they achieve consistently well across different subjects. ? On occasions, pupils of all ages do not write as accurately as they should.

At times, common mistakes, such as incorrect letter formation, are not addressed. When this happens, it makes their work difficult to read. The school should ensure that its expectations for pupils' writing knowledge are followed consistently from the early years to Year 6.