Inspection of Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School

Oswald Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 0BN                                                               

Inspection dates:

4 and 5 March 2025

The quality of education

Outstanding

Behaviour and attitudes

Outstanding

Personal development

Outstanding

Leadership and management

Outstanding

Early years provision

Outstanding

Previous inspection grade

Outstanding

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an exceptional school. The school has a number of values that inform its work, including providing pupils with a ‘magical and awe-inspiring childhood’. This is realised through the impressive curriculum that pupils learn. From the early years, children receive an excellent start to their education. Pupils flourish throughout the school. By the time that they leave the school, pupils achieve an incredible depth of knowledge across the curriculum. Pupils are happy and excited by their learning. They find it utterly irresistible.

The school enhances pupils’ learning through an inspirational enrichment programme. Every pupil participates. For instance, pupils learn advanced computing, hone their physical education skills, compose music and learn dance routines. These additional opportunities extend beyond the national curriculum and significantly deepen and broaden pupils’ knowledge.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. Older pupils often support younger pupils. Pupils use the wide range of leadership opportunities provided to act as excellent role models for others. The foundations for pupils’ exceptional attitudes to learning are set in the early years. From this time on, pupils defend each other’s right to learn through their superb conduct. Pupils behave consistently well, whether adults are present or not. Pupils love being in school.

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

Pupils learn a very ambitious curriculum. Many children start school without the language skills and knowledge that they need. Teachers quickly check and address these gaps. By the time pupils leave the school, they are more than ready for the next stage of their education. While published outcomes are broadly average, the progress that pupils make from their starting points is exceptional.

Teachers routinely check that pupils remember what they have learned. Across the curriculum, pupils eagerly share what they know. In computing, pupils explain the difference between infinite loops and timed loops. In art and design, they explain the precise techniques needed to make different prints. Pupils’ work is of an exceptional quality.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and precisely. Teachers make sure that pupils with SEND practise applying what they have learned. This helps pupils with SEND to master the important knowledge and skills of the subjects they study. Pupils with SEND flourish with this support.

Pupils routinely connect their new learning to the things that they already know. In mathematics, pupils use their fluent knowledge of times tables to calculate fractions and decimals. In the early years, children rapidly master the knowledge that they need for future learning. They quickly learn to spot different mathematical amounts and shapes. When pupils leave Reception, they have the knowledge that they need for Year 1 and beyond.

In the early years, staff help children to use a wide vocabulary. Children in the early years develop a secure knowledge of phonics. They rapidly become fluent readers. If pupils have limited language, or are new to English, the school makes sure that they acquire speaking skills in an order that is right for them. Any gaps that children have are quickly addressed by teachers. Older pupils receive an exceptional reading curriculum. They read widely and often. Staff share well-chosen literature with pupils daily. They bring stories to life for pupils. This inspires pupils to read with expression and joy.

Pupils’ personal development is a golden thread that runs throughout the school. Pupils develop an impressive understanding of healthy relationships and the importance of consent. Pupils accept their differences and treat everyone in school with the utmost respect. This reflects pupils’ consistent and exceptional behaviour. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their sense of citizenship. Some pupils are elected to be ‘prime minister’ and ‘secretaries of state’. They use these roles to create action plans that improve their school. The experiences that the school provides significantly enrich pupils’ education. For example, some pupils grow plants in the school’s ‘Eden project’, while others create information videos using the school’s green screen. Pupils find these experiences inspirational. They leave school as well-rounded individuals with deep knowledge across a range of areas.

Those responsible for governance use their experience to challenge and support leaders. Governors check that the school is taking the right actions in the best interests of pupils. The school provides highly effective support and professional development for staff at all levels. Leaders carefully consider the workload of staff and support them well. Staff are very proud to work at this school. One member of staff summed up the views of others, saying, ‘I have found my forever school.’ 

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

How can I feed back my views?

You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route).

School details

Unique reference number

119257

Local authority

Lancashire

Inspection number

10348146

Type of school

Primary

School category

Community

Age range of pupils

4 to 11

Gender of pupils

Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll

423

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair of governing body

Anisa Bibi

Headteacher

Lisa Davison

Website

www.stoneyholme.lancsngfl.ac.uk

Dates of previous inspection

17 and 18 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

Information about this school

• The school does not currently use any alternative provision.
• The school runs an enrichment programme for pupils in the school.

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

• Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.
• Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.
• Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers.
• The lead inspector held a meeting with the governing body, including the vice chair of governors. The lead inspector also held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, computing and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of other documentation, including governor meeting minutes and leaders’ evaluation of the school.
• Inspectors also spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life.
• To gather the views of parents and carers, inspectors took account of the responses from Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also met with parents at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors took account of the staff survey and met formally with staff to gather their views.

Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector

His Majesty’s Inspector

Debbie Withey

Ofsted Inspector

Karen Morris

Ofsted Inspector

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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