Burford Primary and Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

From the moment pupils enter the doors at this inclusive school, staff are warm and welcoming. Pupils' well-being is at the core of everything that happens at Burford. Staff develop positive relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe and happy. They know that trusted adults will help them if they have any worries or concerns. Staff have high expectations. They want pupils at the school to live out the school motto, 'attend, aspire, achieve'. In the main, pupils across the school achieve well. However, children in the early years do not consistently benefit from a well-designed or taught curriculum. Pupils behave well, and disruption to lessons is rare. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities, such as being part of the safety or eco crew, which enable them to support younger pupils. The school provides a broad set of experiences outside of the classroom. This includes trips to broaden pupils' horizons and extra-curricular activities so that they can develop their interests. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, such as axe throwing and bracelet making. They also have the opportunity to represent their school at different events, including as members of the pupil parliament.

What the school should improve

• The work provided for children in the early years is not always focused on the important knowledge that the curriculum outlines that children should learn. As a result, children do not build their knowledge as well as they should, and they are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they should be. The school should ensure that children consistently benefit from work designed to ensure that they develop their knowledge and understanding.
• When teaching phonics, there are occasions when staff do not check pupils' understanding. As a result, some pupils do not get the support they need and do not develop their phonics knowledge as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have.
• In a minority of foundation subjects, consideration has not been given to how pupils revisit their learning over time. This means that pupils struggle to recall their prior learning and connect it to their recent studies. The school should ensure that pupils are given opportunities to recall and revisit their learning over time in each subject across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)