Brampton Village Primary School

PROTECT – INSPECTION

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 March 2012 Inspection number 381811 Brampton Village Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 135131 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 381811 Inspection dates 19–20 March 2012 Lead inspector Joy Richardson

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 389 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Hoy Headteacher Jacqui Watkins Date of previous school inspection 6 November 2008 School address The Green Brampton PE28 4RF Telephone number 01480 375063 Fax number 01480 398041 Email address office@brampton.cambs.sch.uk

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Registered childcare provision EY372635 The Brambles Pre-School Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 15 October 2009 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not

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exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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

Christopher Christofides Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 26 lessons, taught by 14 teachers, and heard a sample of pupils read. They held meetings with staff, pupils and governors. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and scrutinised information about pupils’ progress, the results of assessments and the school’s planning for improvement. They analysed responses on 205 parental questionnaires.

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Information about the school

The school is a larger-than-average primary school. It serves the village of Brampton and the surrounding area. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to the national average. A number of pupils come from military families stationed locally. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The Brambles Pre-School is a private, registered childcare setting that is managed by the school’s governing body and shares a building with the school’s Reception classes. The Poppies Children’s Centre, also on the school site, is separately managed and inspected. Brampton Kids Club Ltd is a registered provider of childcare offering wrap around care on the school site; it is separately managed and inspected. 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 good and improving school. It is led with vision and drive so that pupils receive a well-rounded education, make good progress, succeed in learning and thrive as members of the school community. It is not yet outstanding because teaching does not consistently challenge all groups of pupils to reach the highest levels they are capable of, particularly in writing.

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Key findings

 Pupils achieve well and attainment is above average by Year 6. Their progress has accelerated, particularly in mathematics, and good progress is sustained in all year groups. Pupils know precisely how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work. Good skills in reading are not fully matched by those in writing, and the school is focusing appropriately on raising attainment in writing. Music is a particular strength.

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Key findings

 Teaching is thorough, so that basic skills are well established. Strong foundations are laid in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Throughout the school, teachers engage pupils’ interest, hold their attention and motivate them to succeed. Able pupils are challenged, though not consistently so in all lessons.

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Key findings

 Pupils are friendly, considerate and respectful. They know and understand the school’s expectations and most behave extremely well. They are good learners who concentrate and persevere. Pupils are safe and happy at school, confident that any inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with swiftly and fairly. Their attendance is above average.

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Key findings

 The school’s leaders are highly effective in identifying where improvement is needed and working to bring this about. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored closely, and pupils’ progress is regularly reviewed. Quick action is taken if individuals or groups of pupils are at risk of underachieving. Teamwork is strong, and the school’s partnership with parents and carers is effective in supporting pupils’ learning. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Increase the rate of progress in writing so that more pupils exceed the National Curriculum levels expected for their age, by:  linking the teaching of reading and writing more closely  consistently ensuring accuracy in pupils’ independent writing  applying and extending writing skills in work across the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Ensure that the more-able pupils reach higher levels in their work, by:  planning and evaluating lessons more rigorously with reference to what individual pupils know, understand and can do  asking questions that extend thinking beyond just a correct answer  embedding basic skills in activities that challenge pupils to investigate, to solve problems and to think creatively and independently.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents and carers are confident in their knowledge that pupils learn effectively and make good progress in lessons. Half-termly assessments identify gaps in learning and any slowing of progress. Pupils are given clear targets to work towards, such as using joined handwriting, or making calculations with numbers to one hundred. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported effectively, and well-tailored interventions help them to keep up with their classmates. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Children start in Reception with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress, particularly in developing their numeracy skills, and this continues in Years 1 and 2, so their attainment is above average by the end of this stage. By Year 6 pupils have previously made uneven progress, particularly in mathematics and in Years 3 and 4, but expectations of progress from year to year have risen and good progress is now evident throughout Key Stage 2. As a result the attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 is above average in reading and mathematics, and more pupils are beginning to attain highly.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils develop their reading, writing, communication and mathematical skills well. Attainment in reading is above average at the end of Year 2 and by the time pupils leave. Most pupils read fluently and with good understanding. They make good progress in the early stages, understanding how to build words from sounds, although they do not make the link between reading and writing strongly enough. Pupils are becoming increasingly confident writers in response to a new school initiative. They become absorbed in writing stories, using words vividly, for example, to evoke an atmosphere of mystery, but do not always give sufficient attention to accuracy or build on their skills in the course of written work across the curriculum. 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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Quality of teaching

Teaching is good. Skills are taught thoroughly and systematically. Teachers manage classes well, guiding pupils to become responsible and determined learners who strive to do their best. Teachers have a termly discussion with each pupil about their goals for learning, and set targets that raise expectations for pupils. Work is marked regularly with comments to guide improvement, and pupils become skilled in evaluating how well they have met the lesson’s objectives. Homework is well organised and purposeful, though the home-school reading record is not used consistently to maximise support for regular reading at home by all pupils. Pupils are very positive about the way that their teachers help them to learn, and the vast majority of parents and carers consider their children to be well taught.

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Quality of teaching

Throughout the school, teaching is carefully planned to ensure good progress in the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills. The staff work together well in supporting disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Lessons take account of different abilities in the planning of tasks, though there is variation in the extent of challenge, particularly for the more able pupils. Planning and evaluation do not always consider the capacity of individuals to explore further, or to learn at a faster pace. Pupils sometimes lack opportunities to apply their skills creatively and independently in investigating and solving problems. In the best lessons, teaching inspires pupils to think for themselves. Skilful questioning leads learning beyond the obvious, and activities are imaginatively designed to secure the intended learning while fostering a spirit of enquiry. This was evident when, for example, pupils were

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Quality of teaching

encouraged to explore different ways of solving a mathematical problem before deciding which worked best.

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Quality of teaching

Music features strongly in the life of the school. Classes eagerly practise their ‘song of the week’ and many pupils participate in the school’s large choir and orchestra. Pupils delight in the wealth of activities offered by ‘Brampton University’ on Friday afternoons, from cooking and calligraphy to first aid and pet care. They learn much from these activities and appreciate the usefulness of the skills that they are developing. The quality of teaching in assemblies, in lessons and in other activities contributes strongly to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural dimensions of pupils’ all-round personal development.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils typically behave well, and feel safe at school. A few parents and carers and pupils have concerns about occasional disruptive behaviour, but most believe that standards of behaviour are high and pupils are kept safe. During the inspection pupils generally behaved extremely well and any minor incidents were dealt with rapidly, fairly and effectively. Pupils confirmed that this was the norm. Pupils are supported by the school’s clear and consistent expectations. They flourish in an atmosphere where adults and pupils alike are treated with courtesy, consideration and respect. 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are fully aware of the ‘Five Rs’ that spell out virtues, such as resourcefulness and resilience, that contribute to effective learning. This understanding shapes pupils’ behaviour in lessons, as seen in their strong focus on the task in hand. They recognise that different rules are needed in the classroom and the playground, for example about appropriate voice level. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility because they are listened to and they know that their contribution is valued. The school holds a regular ‘family council’, when children from different age groups meet together to raise any concerns about school life and to share ideas about how these can be resolved. Pupils care for each other, and they are environmentally aware. They help to look after the school by, for example, picking up litter and looking after the garden areas.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils understand that bullying can take different forms. They know that it is unacceptable, and what to do should it occur. They are confident that they can turn to adults for help and that problems will be resolved. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is above average. The school is active in sustaining and improving high levels of attendance in order to support pupils’ learning and progress.

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Leadership and management

The school’s leaders, with effective support from the governing body, have an ambitious vision for the school, and high expectations of pupils and teachers. The headteacher is strongly supported by a well-structured leadership team in working with staff across each part of the school to bring about improvement.

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Leadership and management

The quality of teaching and learning is evaluated through regular observations, leading to greater consistency in good practice. Visits by staff to other schools to see outstanding practice have raised expectations further. The pace of pupils’ progress is rigorously analysed, using all the assessment data available. Areas of underperformance are identified and action is taken effectively, for example to raise standards in writing, and to accelerate progress where it has been too slow. The school has good capacity to build on what it has achieved since the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools in 2007, and to continue to improve.

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Leadership and management

The broad and well-balanced curriculum is greatly enriched by activities beyond the classroom that promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The school has a strong partnership with parents and carers, most of whom are highly satisfied and strongly appreciative of the care provided for their children. The school takes effective measures to safeguard pupils and to ensure their health, safety and welfare. It promotes equality and tackles discrimination well across the school community. The school provides additional support in many ways to help pupils reach their potential. The leaders know pupils and their parents and carers well, and ensure high-quality care for any whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

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childcare provision

The Brambles Pre-School has close links with the school’s Reception classes, to which most children progress at the age of four. Children make good progress in their learning and development. They are happy, cooperative and sociable, and secure in the daily routines. They delight in singing and action rhymes and join in with enthusiasm. They enjoy books and stories and look out for letters, beginning to make a link with their sounds. They learn to count, and the setting is developing more activities to engage children in using numbers.

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childcare provision

The pre-school leader and key workers have a good understanding of the individual needs of each child, including disabled children and those who have special educational needs, and those at an early stage in learning English. They carry out careful assessments and adapt their planning in the light of the results to maximise children’s learning. A photographic record for each child is captioned with the child’s own words. A wide range of activities, both indoors and outdoors, encourage purposeful play and exploration. Children make frequent visits into the wider locality. Parents and carers are invited in, and visitors help children to learn about other places and languages.

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childcare provision

The staff take great care in promoting children’s health, safety and welfare. Good self-evaluation identifies suitable areas for improvement, for example in fostering imaginative play. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader liaises closely with the pre-school leader to ensure that children are prepared well for the next stage in their education.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

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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. 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 ). 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. 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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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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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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Brampton Village Primary School, Brampton, PE28 4RF

We enjoyed visiting your school and thank you for making us so welcome. We were interested to hear what you thought about the school, and some of you asked us what we thought, so I am writing to tell you.

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Inspection of Brampton Village Primary School, Brampton, PE28 4RF

The inspectors’ judgement is that the school gives you a good education. You do well in reading, and we are glad that many of you read regularly at home too. You behave well and work hard in lessons. We think that the targets you are set, and the discussions you each have with your teacher, help you to aim high and to make progress faster. In the questionnaire that older pupils filled in, most of you said that the school helps you to do as well as you can.

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Inspection of Brampton Village Primary School, Brampton, PE28 4RF

We were glad to hear about how you contribute to the school, for example by sharing ideas in the Family Council and helping to look after the environment. The school gives you many opportunities to learn new skills, in the choir and orchestra and other clubs, and in the University activities on Friday that you greatly enjoy.

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Inspection of Brampton Village Primary School, Brampton, PE28 4RF

We discussed with Mrs Watkins and the staff some ways of helping you to do even better. We would like you to practise writing in all the different subjects you learn, and to always check that your writing is accurate. At times, some of you should be given more challenging work so that you can apply your skills and investigate ideas for yourself.

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Inspection of Brampton Village Primary School, Brampton, PE28 4RF

Joy Richardson 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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