Brook House Junior School

Brook House Junior School Inspection report

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Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 February 2012 Inspection number 377517 Unique Reference Number 107037 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 377517 Inspection dates 28–29 February 2012 Lead inspector Alan Lemon

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 318 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kay Dickinson Headteacher Mark Hinchliff Date of previous school inspection 6 November 2008 School address School Road Beighton Sheffield S20 1EG Telephone number 0114 2487754 Fax number 0114 2511948 Email address enquiries@brookhouse.sheffield.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Alan Lemon Lyn Field Edward Price Additional inspector Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Fifteen lessons were observed involving all 11 teachers. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body and staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school's work, and looked at school policy and procedures for safeguarding pupils, data on pupils’ performance, the school’s self-evaluation and external review of the school’s work. Inspectors scrutinised 77 parents’ and carers’ questionnaires, as well as questionnaires completed by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is low. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average. The school meets the current floor standard. It has Healthy School and Eco-School Green Flag status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Although features of a good school are emerging it is not better than satisfactory because pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching are satisfactory, even though by the end of Year 6 attainment is above average. The school has strengths in pupils’ behaviour and in aspects of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils start in Year 3 with above average attainment and make satisfactory progress over time. Good attention to writing and mathematics is accelerating progress in these subjects. However, reading has not had the same attention with the result that pupils’ interest and enjoyment are not being as vigorously developed. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. However, the school lacks a precise understanding of these pupils’ needs. This hinders the setting of relevant and challenging targets to tackle their specific learning difficulties and facilitate a better rate of progress.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning, enjoy school and their attendance is high. Some aspects of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good, although pupils have too few opportunities to learn about other cultures.

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Key Findings

 While teaching is satisfactory, it is undergoing intensive improvement resulting in some good teaching which sets high expectations for pupils. However, good teaching is not sufficiently widespread, although none is inadequate. While some marking helps pupils understand what they have achieved and how to improve their work, not all marking is of this quality.

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Key Findings

 Leadership and management have, to date, had a satisfactory impact on improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes. Leaders and the governing body are determined to improve these further. They have the capacity to improve the school and are implementing changes through increasingly effective management of performance. The impact of this is evident in improvements to teaching and the evaluation of pupils’ progress which are beginning to pay dividends, particularly in writing and mathematics. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in reading by promoting pupils’ interest and enjoyment in reading widely, particularly by improving reading resources and keeping a close check on each pupil’s reading development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the detailed planning, effective approaches to learning and high expectations already found in the school’s good teaching are shared and become embedded in all lessons, particularly in marking pupils’ work so that they are clear on what they have achieved and what they need to do to move to the next stage.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, in order that any learning difficulties they may have are clearly understood and effectively targeted for support.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the opportunities and resources to improve pupils’ cultural development and awareness and their appreciation of the diversity of cultures in Britain.

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Achievement of pupils

Achievement is satisfactory. Each year a significant proportion of pupils begins Year 3 having attained above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Almost all the parents and carers asked if their children made good progress agreed they did, although not all pupils who completed questionnaires were wholly convinced of this. Over time the large majority makes satisfactory progress and by the end of Year 6 their attainment in English and mathematics remains above average. Pupils also achieve good standards of work in art and information and communication technology (ICT). Recent improvements are beginning to increase rates of progress. This is seen in the broad scope of writing, where high expectations mean pupils invest good efforts into organising their thoughts, developing imaginative ideas and producing well-written and exciting work. Boys are positively engaged in writing and they are closing the gap with girls. Improvement and some

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Achievement of pupils

emerging good progress are also being seen in mathematics where a sharp focus on moving pupils to a higher level is challenging them, the most-able in particular. In Year 5 these pupils are already working above the level expected by the end of Year 6 in some areas of mathematics, such as coordinates and translation. Reading is less well-developed and the improvements seen in writing and mathematics are not currently evident in this subject. Attainment in reading by the end of Year 6 is broadly average. Pupils have daily time for reading and the support given to those whose reading skills are weaker than most helps them improve their skills. However, a record of what they read is not maintained and this hinders further planning for reading.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as similar groups nationally. In lessons, teachers plan work and provide support that meets these pupils’ needs. This ensures their work is at a level as close as possible to that of other pupils.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers think their children are taught well. While most pupils have a positive experience of teaching, a few feel it is not all good. Inspection evidence indicates that teaching is satisfactory and improving.

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Quality of teaching

In more lessons than not, teaching is planned well, giving a brisk pace to learning and setting high expectations. Planning, grounded firmly in the school’s curriculum, provides a clear direction for lessons, setting out unambiguously what pupils will learn and modifying this in the light of pupils’ different capabilities, even in a top mathematics set. Work builds systematically on what has gone before and is approached effectively by pupils being taught or revising the knowledge and skills they need to manage tasks independently. In Year 5, most pupils showed at the start of the lesson that they could add using three-digit numbers so no time was wasted in getting down to work on more challenging calculations in mathematics.

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Quality of teaching

It is clear that teachers are beginning to benefit from the training and support school leaders are providing. Good practice is becoming embedded, though it is not complete and professional development is on-going. Some lessons lack pace because teachers spend too much time talking, which pupils find hard to engage with. Pupils’ behaviour and attitude to learning are good in almost all lessons but occasionally, because expectations are not clear or effectively implemented, some pupils break off from work and chat to each other. The more usual high expectations for good behaviour and the often good opportunities for pupils to work together and help each other’s learning make positive contributions to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of teaching

In general, teachers use assessment to set an appropriate level of work but on a few occasions work has not been adapted for pupils’ different capabilities, with more-able pupils in particular not being sufficiently challenged. The quality of marking is uneven with some excellent practice involving pupils writing their evaluation of learning at the end of an exercise and teachers responding to this with their assessment and advice. However, other marking fails to get far beyond ticks, cursory praise and advice on what to improve.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour and the extent to which they feel safe are good. The majority of pupils say they feel safe in school. Parents and carers as a whole say their children are safe in school and most thought that their children’s behaviour is good. There are, over time, occasional incidents of verbal and physical bullying which staff are quick to respond to. These are carefully recorded and monitored. Opportunities to learn about all types of bullying and how to deal with these are provided in the curriculum and dedicated groups visit school to support the school’s anti-bullying policy.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ good attitude to learning means they usually behave extremely well in most lessons, focusing on working hard and achieving good outcomes, which are increasingly evident in writing and mathematics. Pupils make a significant contribution to the school’s calm and orderly routines. Attendance is high and punctuality good. Teachers elicit pupils’ good behaviour nearly all of the time by their high expectations and the well-embedded, prominently displayed code of conduct. Pupils are at ease with each other, get on well together in lessons and on the playground, and this reflects their good moral and social development.

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Improvements to teaching and in the evaluation of pupils’ progress show the school’s satisfactory capacity to sustain improvement. Members of the governing body have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are articulate, and resolute in ensuring that the school continues to improve. Moreover, they are rigorous in fulfilling their duties and along with school leaders ensure that procedures to safeguard pupils stay robust and that discrimination is not tolerated.

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Leadership and management

Since the last inspection there has been a steady but significant shift in approach, underpinned by a concerted drive on improvement and the embedding of higher expectations for staff and pupils. Teachers are now held to account for the progress of their pupils and are becoming increasingly engaged in evaluating progress. The monitoring of pupils’ progress is rigorous and data are being generated and given detailed analysis to show how each group of pupils is performing. This is strengthening the promotion of equality by ensuring that no individual or group is being left behind. Staff are beginning to work more effectively in teams to evaluate progress, plan teaching and the curriculum and decide on improvements. Improvements are planned systematically and current priorities are sharply focused on the most important areas for the school to move forward. Senior leaders recognise that the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational

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Leadership and management

needs lacks rigour in the identification and assessment of pupils’ needs which means targets are not specific enough to tackle effectively the causes of pupils’ learning difficulties. Targets focus in very general ways on the symptoms of learning difficulties which usually are low levels of literacy and numeracy.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum offers pupils a breadth of experiences that make school and learning interesting and enjoyable. The good opportunities for art, learning a musical instrument, after-school clubs and trips away from school and home are all significant factors. The provision made for writing, mathematics and ICT is increasingly effective. However, reading has been neglected by comparison and library stock is mostly old and outdated. Pupils’ cultural development has been given less consideration than other aspects of their personal development. This is reflected in the narrow range of library books available to promote pupils’ cultural awareness, understanding and appreciation of the diversity of cultures in Britain.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Brook House Junior School, Sheffield, S20 1EG

 Many thanks for your warm welcome during our visit to your school and special thanks to the pupils who read to us and those who met with inspectors. Your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. This is what we found from our visit.

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Inspection of Brook House Junior School, Sheffield, S20 1EG

 Overall, your attainment in English and mathematics is above average and you also do good work in art and ICT. The opportunities for writing and mathematics are better than those for reading.  The questionnaire you completed showed most of you think your progress is good, although we found it to be satisfactory. You could achieve more if teaching was better than satisfactory.  The headteacher, staff and the governing body know what needs improving and have been working hard to this end. There are positive signs of improvement and your progress is getting better.  Your behaviour is good and, as many of you showed in the questionnaire, you feel safe in school. You have too few opportunities to learn about the different cultures found in Britain.

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Inspection of Brook House Junior School, Sheffield, S20 1EG

I have asked the headteacher to:  ensure that all the features of good teaching we saw find their way into all lessons, which will increase your progress  develop more opportunities for you to widen your interest in reading and learn about the diversity of cultures in Britain  improve the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

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Inspection of Brook House Junior School, Sheffield, S20 1EG

You can help the school with its improvement by continuing to work hard and keeping up your good attendance. I wish you all the very best for the future.   Yours sincerely

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Inspection of Brook House Junior School, Sheffield, S20 1EG

Alan Lemon Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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