Broomgrove Infant School

Age group 4–7 Inspection date(s) 29–30 September 2011 Inspection number 378920 Broomgrove Infant School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 114756 Local Authority Essex Inspection number 378920 Inspection dates 29–30 September 2011 Reporting inspector George Logan

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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 section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Provan Headteacher Paula Wiltshire Date of previous school inspection 12 May 2009 School address Broome Grove Wivenhoe Colchester CO7 9QB Telephone number 01206 822141 Fax number 01206 827036 Email address head@broomgrove-inf.essex.sch.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’.

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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 inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They visited 13 lessons taught by seven different members of staff. Inspectors held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and with staff and pupils. They looked at pupils’ books, records of their progress, teachers’ lesson planning, playtime activities and the school’s documentation, which included records of teaching and the main improvement plan. Responses to inspection questionnaires completed by staff and by 85 parents and carers were also considered.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The team looked at the accuracy of the school’s evaluation of pupils’ starting points, the consistency of progress which pupils make and the current levels of attainment of pupils in writing.  It considered the extent to which staff use assessment information effectively to plan challenging work to enable all pupils, particularly those identified as more able or gifted and those with English as an additional language, to make good progress.  It explored the effectiveness of senior leaders and managers and the governing body in developing the school’s capacity to make improvements.

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Information about the school

Broomgrove Infant School is slightly smaller than the majority of primary schools. It shares a site on the edge of Wivenhoe with its partner junior school. The school serves a mainly White British community. However, it also provides for a significant minority of pupils from other ethnic groups, predominantly Arabic-speaking families from the nearby university. Most of these pupils are at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language. Almost all children who enter the Reception class have attended various pre-schools locally. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. Most of these have moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school offers breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs, all of which are managed by the governing body. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

Broomgrove Infant School provides a good education. The school has not stood still since its last inspection. The commitment of the senior leaders over the last two years has underpinned significant improvement to the outcomes in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Partnerships with parents and carers are outstanding. Parents and carers greatly value the excellent induction arrangements which the school provides for all new Reception children. Parents and carers also have good opportunities to find out how to support their children’s learning. Pupils are cared for well: they greatly enjoy school and feel very safe. Pupils are very well behaved and have positive attitudes to learning. Most have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles and actively participate in sport. Attendance is above average.

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Main findings

Pupils’ achievement and personal development are good. Children make increasingly good progress in developing their basic literacy and numeracy skills in Reception and now reach standards above those expected by the end of the year as a result of thorough assessment and effective teaching. Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been above average for several years. Although in 2011 neither progress nor attainment in writing in Years 1 and 2 were quite as good as in reading or mathematics, generally good teaching ensures that overall progress is good. Reading has been a particularly consistent strength of the school, with good teaching supporting consistently good progress and outcomes. Relatively high mobility levels and the arrival of several pupils with limited prior knowledge of English at a late point in the year had a particular impact on outcomes in writing. The school has a well- developed system for setting individual academic targets, while teachers’ marking

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Main findings

generally provides pupils with clear guidance as to the next steps in learning. This also supports good progress and outcomes for pupils identified as gifted or talented. Despite mostly good teaching, however, expectations of the quality of pupils’ written work are variable. Good extra-curricular and enrichment provision contribute well to pupils’ good personal development. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language, are effectively supported and make increasingly good progress.

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Main findings

Leadership and management are good overall. Senior leaders track pupils’ progress thoroughly, so maintaining a good oversight of their progress. The governing body has a secure understanding of its role and increasingly holds school leaders to account. School self-evaluation is thorough. While the governing body ensures that safeguarding procedures are satisfactory overall, the oversight and evaluation of some aspects of premises, health and safety are not rigorous enough. In addition, 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 findings

the governing body does not ensure that assessment and planning in the after- school club, while just adequate, are sufficiently rigorous in its focus on identifying specific provision to meet the needs of the youngest children. Overall, however, the school has good capacity for improvement because there is a strong shared commitment, school leaders have a convincing record of past success and there is a clear determination to sustain improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils make more rapid progress and attain more highly in writing by the end of Year 2 by:  developing more varied writing opportunities for pupils  building further on outdoor learning activities to inspire pupils to write  raising teachers’ expectations about the quality of pupils’ written work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the needs of Early Years Foundation Stage children in the after- school club are more fully met by:  undertaking more systematic observational assessments  using this information to plan and provide experiences appropriate to each child’s stage of development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the governing body maintains an independent oversight of all matters relating to health and safety, premises and extended provision.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Attainment on entry to Reception is in line with age-related expectations. Learning has improved, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as a result of initiatives to ensure that activities are matched well to identified areas of weaker performance. For example, staff have taken positive action in Reception to improve children’s attitudes to writing by concentrating on developing their grip and manipulation of pencils. This has had a positive effect on outcomes, particularly for boys.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Teachers’ high expectations in most areas and the well-judged deployment of staff and resources ensure that pupils make good progress. Where planning is sharply focused on pupils’ needs, learning is generally good. In a Year 1 mathematics lesson on place value, planning took account of the range of needs in the class. Challenging extension activities were provided for the most able and these contributed to the overall good progress. However, the many positive aspects of the planning and organisation, here as in some other lessons, were adversely affected by the over- involvement of the several adults present, so that pupils did not, as a result, build sufficient independence. In an ambitious cross-curricular Year 1 literacy lesson, learning was inconsistent, because, while the most-able pupils made good progress, less-able pupils found the work difficult and required adult support before they could

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

proceed. As a result, progress was relatively slow for this group. However, the good 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

pace of a Year 2 dance lesson, which allowed pupils scope to make decisions and judgements independently, ensured that learning was particularly good. The setting of small, ongoing targets really helped pupils to focus on the next steps to improve their performance.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their behaviour, is good. They have good social skills and treat each other, and adults, with courtesy. The school council gives pupils a good awareness of the democratic process. Good social skills, above-average basic skills and good transition arrangements ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. While links with the local community, including the partner junior school, are good, national and international links are not so systematically developed. As a result, pupils are less aware of the challenges and opportunities of living in different social contexts.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 3 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching and learning are good, and particularly so in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Relationships are a significant strength and pupils are highly motivated to learn. Staff make good use of interactive whiteboards to enhance learning. They use good questioning techniques to explore pupils’ understanding and extend learning. The curriculum is generally well adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the impact and effectiveness of support staff has been extended by specialist training. All staff, for example, have had recent training in the

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low 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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How effective is the provision?

management of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. Pupil progress meetings, rigorous tracking systems and the further development of assessment practices are contributing to more effective evaluation of pupils’ learning needs. Planning to meet individual needs is generally accurate. While there is outline planning to meet the needs of Early Years Foundation Stage children in the after-school club, this is not thorough enough, nor based upon sufficiently systematic observational assessments to ensure that their needs are fully met. Individual learning targets have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own writing, and that of others, have been developed but expectations of the quality of pupils’ written work are variable.

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How effective is the provision?

The restructured curriculum offers a good range of learning experiences. Newly- developed topics promote cross-curricular skills effectively. For example, in one literacy lesson, with a focus on directional language, elements of mathematics and geography were seamlessly integrated. There are good opportunities for art, music and physical development. Personal, social, health and citizenship education has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development. External partnerships contribute well to extending pupils’ learning. A good range of special events, visits, enrichment activities and good extra-curricular provision make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning and enjoyment. They also contribute to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The Friday afternoon activities programme provides a diverse range of opportunities for pupils and the school is currently extending scope

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How effective is the provision?

All staff are responsive to pupils’ needs. Transition arrangements are thoroughly planned, particularly in supporting pupils identified as potentially vulnerable. The school works well with external agencies to support pupils who need additional help. There is consistently good practice, as evidenced in several case studies, in supporting the health, social and behavioural needs of pupils in challenging circumstances.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

Senior leaders have a clear view of the school’s strengths and areas for development, supported by regular monitoring of lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work and detailed analysis of performance data. Thorough tracking systems support staff in monitoring pupils’ progress. Accurate self-evaluation ensures that the priorities identified in 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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How effective are leadership and management?

school development plan are appropriate. Key subject leaders are fully involved in monitoring progress and checking the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility. Effective actions by senior and middle leaders have led to improving outcomes for pupils. The school promotes equality of opportunity well. Good leadership of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language ensures that most of these pupils make good progress. Occasionally, the monitoring of lessons is not rigorous enough, with insufficient focus on identifying those features which would support even more effective learning.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body is very committed to the school. Its members have defined responsibilities and a high profile in school. Governors’ knowledge and skills in the interpretation of school performance data are improving. However, the minutes of their meetings suggest that they could, at times, be more even more challenging in holding the school to account for its academic outcomes. Statutory responsibilities are met, including those for safeguarding. However, the governing body is not proactive enough in keeping an independent oversight of the school’s work, especially in relation to some aspects of health and safety, the after-school club and to the more active promotion of the community cohesion agenda.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school works outstandingly well with parents and carers, whose views are regularly sought and acted upon. Links and partnerships with agencies ensure good support for pupils who have specific needs. Community cohesion is satisfactorily promoted in relation to diverse faiths and lifestyles through the curriculum. However, while local links are well established and the school is, internally, ethnically diverse, there are few established links at national or international level.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 3 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

Most children have had pre-school experience when they join the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well-prepared for entry to Reception. Children’s progress and their attainment at the end of Reception have continued to improve in recent years. Outcomes in the last three years have risen steadily and are now above average across most areas of learning, with an increasing proportion of children attaining at the highest level. A key strength of the provision is the exceptional, extended induction programme which establishes a secure bond with parents and carers. This ensures that children enter school confidently and, from the beginning, feel extremely safe. Welfare is given a high priority, and children build very effective relationships with adults and with other children. They behave well and engage confidently with others, happily talking to visitors. Rapidly developing skills in reading and writing are well supported by an effective programme for teaching sounds and

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Focused teaching and support ensure that children successfully extend their skills. Sessions of direct teaching provide good challenge and successfully meet children’s needs across the ability range. Children have some opportunities to make choices, both indoors and outside, but, at this early stage in the term, this is not yet a strong feature. Adults are sometimes over-eager to intervene, thereby constraining children’s opportunities to develop independence. The school has been working to extend opportunities for children to engage with the wider outdoor environment. The classroom provides a well-resourced learning environment and the outdoor area is used effectively. All areas of learning are planned for appropriately. Accurate and thorough day-to-day assessments provide good information on children’s progress and this information is used well to guide the planning of future work. The leader has

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Early Years Foundation Stage

a good understanding of the strengths of the provision and has a clear awareness of the remaining areas for development. Data are used effectively to enable staff to identify the next steps in children’s learning.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

For the small number of Early Years Foundation Stage children in the breakfast and after-school clubs, both the rigour and recording of assessments and the planning of activities appropriate to the age and needs of the children involved, are not given sufficient priority. Provision made for these children is, therefore, no better than satisfactory.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage 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 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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Views of parents and carers

Almost all of those parents and carers who responded to the survey are happy with the school and with the care it provides for their children. They feel that the school engages well with parents and carers and that their children greatly enjoy attending. One said, ‘The school deals well with children from different cultures. We are all very lucky to have this school here.’ Parents and carers are particularly positive about the extensive induction programme for children due to enter Reception. Several also identified particularly effective practice in the support given to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A few parents and carers raised concerns about issues specific in relation to their children, although often indicating that these related to past events.

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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 Broomgrove Infant 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 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 85 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 171 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 % My child enjoys school 70 82 15 18 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 65 76 20 24 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 51 60 31 36 1 1 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 50 59 33 39 1 1 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 55 65 28 33 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 58 68 25 29 1 1 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 60 71 24 28 1 1 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 53 62 20 24 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 52 61 28 33 2 2 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 47 55 25 29 2 2 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 41 48 35 41 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 55 65 26 31 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 64 75 20 24 1 1 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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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 08 April 2011 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 school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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 Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you, hearing your views and spending time in lessons. We found that yours is a good school. These are the things we liked best.

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Inspection of Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

 You have good attitudes to learning and make good progress.  Those of you in Reception make good progress and are well looked-after.  Teaching and learning are good in most lessons. As a result, those of you in Years 1 and 2 also make good progress.  You feel very safe in school and you behave well.  You undertake lots of jobs and make a good contribution to the school, and have good links with the local community.  Staff care for you and support you well.  You understand the importance of eating healthily and staying fit.  The provision for visits, clubs and after-school activities is good.  The leadership of the school, partnerships with other schools are good.  The way the school works with your parents and carers is outstanding.

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Inspection of Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

So that you do even better, we have asked the school to do the following things:

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Inspection of Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

 to help you to make as good progress in writing as you do in reading and mathematics  to make sure that the activities for Reception children in the after-school club are planned carefully  to make sure that the governors keep a close eye on your safety and on the after-school club.

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Inspection of Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

All of you can help by continuing to work hard and doing your best. We hope that you will have every success in the future.

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Inspection of Broomgrove Infant School, Colchester, CO7 9QB

George Logan 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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