Clitheroe Brookside Primary School

Age group 4 - 11 Error! Reference source not found. Inspection date(s) 8 – 9 June 201 Inspection number 367417 Clitheroe Brookside Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 119321 Local Authority Lancashire Inspection number 367417 Inspection dates 8 – 9 June 2011 Reporting inspector Sarah Drake

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI) the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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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 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick O’Neill Headteacher Beverley Allan Date of previous school inspection 29 November 2007 School address Bright Street Clitheroe Lancashire BB7 1NW Telephone number 01200 425564 Fax number 01200 425564 Email address head@brookside.lancs.gov.uk 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

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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 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’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They observed 13 lessons taught by nine different teachers over a period of seven hours and twenty minutes. The inspectors listened to pupils from four different year groups reading, and talked with them about their enjoyment of books, over an additional period of one and a half hours. They held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school management, including the arrangements to ensure safeguarding. They also took into account the inspection questionnaires completed by 100 pupils, 22 staff and 59 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

The school, which serves an area close to the town centre, is smaller than the average size primary school. Few pupils belong to minority ethnic groups, speak English as an additional language or are known to be eligible for free school meals. A below-average proportion of pupils has special educational needs and/or disabilities but the proportion that has a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school holds National Healthy School status and the Eco Schools Bronze award. It achieved the Financial Standard for Management in Schools in February 2010. Government floor targets for pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 have been met during the past three years. The headteacher, who was the former assistant headteacher, was appointed in April 2008. Four new teachers have been appointed over the past two years.

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Information about the school

A privately run out-of-school club operates on the school site. This did not form part of this inspection but a report of its quality can be found on the Ofsted website. 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 2

Does the school adequately promote the pupils’ well-being? Yes Does the school adequately promote community cohesion? Yes Does the school provide value for money? Yes

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Key findings

This is a good school where pupils achieve well academically and grow in self- confidence. This is because, as one pupil commented, ‘all the adults really care about you. You can tell by the way they speak to you.’ Good-quality, determined leadership from the headteacher has effectively tackled former areas of weakness so that pupils’ progress has improved over the past two years and is now good. The current Year 6 group of pupils is working at above average levels in English and mathematics.

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Key findings

Teaching which is mainly of good quality underpins pupils’ good progress and enjoyment of learning. Teachers use a wide range of resources to help pupils understand what they are expected to do and to bring their learning to life. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong, enabling some of them to make outstanding progress. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to provide sufficient challenge for more-able pupils. Marking of pupils’ work does not consistently provide them with enough guidance on how to improve its quality. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They are polite, friendly and almost all consistently behave well. Attendance has been high for each of the past four years.

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Key findings

The senior leadership team and members of the governing body have successfully brought about much change over recent years. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development but are somewhat over-generous in their judgements of its quality. This relates to some lack of rigour in the school’s evaluations of, for example, how the teaching impacts on pupils’ learning, progress and attainment. Parents and carers are very appreciative of the school and many provide support in the classroom or through the generous Friends’ association. Typical of their comments are that, ‘the school has a lovely atmosphere and we are extremely pleased with how our child has progressed since starting.’ 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?

■ Improve the quality of teaching so that it is always good or better, by:  providing pupils with clear guidance on how to improve their work, including how to use their targets  increasing the challenge provided for more-able pupils in order to further accelerate their progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Increase the rigour of monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the school’s work, by:  further developing all school leaders’ ability to evaluate accurately the quality of teaching and learning and its impact on pupils’ attainment and progress  ensuring that the success criteria for actions identified in development plans are measurable and closely linked to their desired impact on pupils’ progress.

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Main report

Children generally join the school with skills that are broadly as expected for their age, although staff have noticed some reduction recently in children’s overall social and communication skills. Since the introduction by the current leaders of half-termly meetings with class teachers to discuss pupils’ progress, the school has been quick to identify individuals who are in danger of falling behind. This leads to extra support for those groups identified as facing barriers to learning and is proving very effective in increasing rates of progress, especially for pupils in Key Stage 2 whose achievement had been faltering. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is usually above average. From the Reception class onwards, all groups of pupils achieve well. Due to closely targeted support and small group activities, many pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities categorised as at School Action make

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Main report

outstanding progress from their starting points, helping to narrow the gap between their attainment and that of pupils nationally. Their progress is better than that made by more-able pupils. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the age of six is above average and they use well their knowledge of the links between letters and sounds to help them decode those words with which they are unfamiliar. Older pupils happily complete book reviews and talk positively about their enjoyment of reading. They do so fluently, expressively and with good understanding of the meaning, contributing to their above-average attainment in reading by the time they leave Year 6.

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Main report

Pupils’ high attendance is a good indicator of their positive attitudes to school. As well as the main curriculum they greatly enjoy learning French, which is taught to all age groups, the Year 6 residential experience and other visits, visitors and after- school activities, such as the gardening club, that bring their learning to life. Pupils mostly settle very well in lessons, show interest and are confident to volunteer their 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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Main report

thoughts or to admit when they do not fully understand something. They make good use of opportunities to discuss their ideas with each other and they thoroughly enjoy activities, such as being in the ‘hot seat’ to answer others’ questions. Teachers use humour well to make learning enjoyable and effectively separate lessons into different sections to help pupils sustain their focus. They consistently share the learning objective and success criteria with pupils so that they are clear about the purpose of the lesson. Teachers make good use of subject-specific language, interactive whiteboards, classroom display and ‘working walls’ to help pupils consolidate their knowledge and understanding. Teaching assistants provide discreet, good quality support that enables those who find learning more difficult to make overall good progress alongside their peers. Teachers generally question pupils well to encourage their thinking but, on occasion, miss opportunities to sufficiently

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Main report

challenge more-able pupils, especially in whole-group sessions. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults are skilled at moving among different groups of children engaged in self-selected play, helping to lead their learning forward. For example, using the telephone to explore the need to make a dental appointment or talking about numbers and time as displayed on the home-corner clock. Pupils of all ages have targets to aim for in reading, writing and mathematics but they are not always clear enough about what they mean or what they need to do to reach them. Some marking gives clear indicators of what pupils need to concentrate on to improve their work but this is not yet sufficiently consistent.

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Main report

The very large majority of pupils, parents and carers agree that pupils feel safe in school and that any instances of bullying are dealt with effectively. They also consider that behaviour is good in lessons and around school. Pupils generally behave safely, sensibly and form good relationships so that the school operates as a happy, cohesive community. The positive impact of recent enhancements to the curriculum, aimed at promoting pupils’ social and emotional development, is evident in the way that, for example, pupils volunteer to help tidy up the hall or reflect on those things that they can or cannot change about themselves. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and those who belong to different minority ethnic groups are fully included in activities and are among those who describe the school as ‘joyful, friendly and happy because people are nice to you.’

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Main report

Since the previous inspection, the school’s leaders have provided increasing amounts of information for members of the governing body so that governors are now fully able to hold it to account for pupils’ attainment and achievement. Governing body members visit lessons, are linked to different subjects and keep a very well-informed eye on matters related to finance, health and safety, ensuring that safeguarding procedures meet requirements and are well-promoted throughout the school. The headteacher, other senior leaders and all staff share a very ambitious vision for the school and a determination that each pupil should achieve their full potential. Careful monitoring and evaluation lead to actions that successfully remove barriers to learning. As yet, the analysis is not sufficiently rigorous to enable the school to improve at an even faster rate. For example, information about children’s attainment

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Main report

on entry is inexact, monitoring of the quality of lessons is largely generalised and the 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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Main report

success criteria for development planning are not linked precisely enough to pupils’ progress. However, due to the headteacher’s drive and ability to create a strong staff team, much effective work has been done and there is clear capacity to improve. Actions to raise pupils’ attainment in writing are bringing this much closer to that in reading and mathematics. The introduction of systems to assess pupils’ progress in lessons and on a regular basis, has led to significant improvement. Homework has been modified so that it links more closely to what pupils are learning in school and it is also available to parents and carers through the Internet. The curriculum is more creative, enhancing pupils’ enjoyment and eagerness to learn. With its inclusive atmosphere and improvements in the rate of pupils’ progress, it is understandable that parents and carers describe this as a school where, ‘every child is treated as an

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Clitheroe Brookside Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 12 statements about the school. The inspection team received 59 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 208 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % Q1 My child is happy at school 37 63 20 34 1 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q2 My child feels safe at school 42 71 17 29 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q3 The school helps my child to achieve as well as they can 31 53 23 39 3 5 1 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q4 The school meets my child’s particular needs 32 54 24 41 3 5 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q5 The school ensures my child is well looked after 44 75 15 25 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q6 Teaching at this school is good 38 64 19 32 1 2 1 2

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q7 There is a good standard of behaviour at this school 40 68 19 32 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q8 Lessons are not disrupted by bad behaviour 31 53 23 39 3 5 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q9 The school deals with any cases of bullying well 33 56 16 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q10 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 36 61 21 36 2 3 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q11 The school responds to my concerns and keeps me well informed 41 69 13 22 4 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q12 The school is well led and managed 39 66 14 24 4 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 48 6 0 Primary schools 6 47 40 7 Secondary schools 12 39 38 11

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 13 42 41 3 Special schools 28 49 19 4 Pupil referral units 14 45 31 10

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 December 2010 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be:  The achievement of all pupils.  Behaviour and safety.  The quality of teaching.  The effectiveness of leadership and management. and taking into consideration  how well the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

Thank you very much for the warm welcome that you gave to the inspection team when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed our time with you and are particularly grateful to those of you who spoke with us, helping us to understand what it is like to be a pupil at Brookside.

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

You go to a good school where, as you told us, the adults take good care of you and help you to enjoy learning. Your attendance is excellent and you behave well so that you make good friends and feel happy at school. You also told us that you feel safe and have good ideas about how to keep yourselves safe. You make good progress in your learning so that by the end of Year 6 you are working at above-average levels. Throughout the school, your reading skills are above average. Those of you who find learning more difficult also achieve well because the adults provide you with good- quality support. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have great fun as they learn and are well-prepared to move to Year 1.

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

Your teachers organise interesting things for you to do and adapt them to suit your different needs but we have asked them to make sure that they provide enough challenge for those of you who find learning easy. We have also asked them to give you clearer guidance about how to improve your work and to use your targets. Some of you told us that you were not entirely clear about what these mean.

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

We know that the school has changed quite a lot over recent years and this means that many of you, particularly older pupils, are making better progress than you have in the past. We have asked the leaders to keep checking that what they are doing really is having the effect that they intend it to, helping you to progress even faster.

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

This letter comes with our very best wishes for the future. We hope that you continue to enjoy learning, especially reading, as much as you do now!

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Inspection of Clitheroe Brookside Primary School, Clitheroe, BB7 1NW

Sarah Drake 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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