Bradwell Village School

Age group 7−11 Inspection date(s) 12−13 October 2011 Inspection number 375358 Bradwell Village School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 110369 Local Authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 375358 Inspection dates 12–13 October 2011 Reporting inspector Paul Scott HMI

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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 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 255 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Peter Vigurs Headteacher Mrs Jan Kennington Date of previous school inspection 9 February 2010 School address Walgrave Drive Milton Keynes MK13 9AZ Telephone number 01908 318088 Fax number 01908 319910 Email address Admin@bradwellvillageschool.org.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 at no notice by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an additional inspector. Teaching and learning in 15 lessons were observed. Meetings were held with pupils, a member of the governing body, a local authority representative and school staff. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents including school policies and procedures and progress-tracking information. Evidence gathered during previous monitoring visits was also considered for the inspection.

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Information about the school

Bradwell Village School is an average-sized junior school serving the Bradwell Village area. Around one in eight pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Pupils from a wide range of ethnic heritages attend the school, with a large majority from White British heritage. There are higher proportions of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities than found nationally. This includes pupils with moderate learning difficulties and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. There are slightly more pupils than found nationally who are believed to speak a first language other than English. There is out-of-school provision on the site managed by an outside provider. This incorporates a breakfast club, after-school club and school holiday childcare.

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Main findings

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Main findings

There is now a clear focus on school improvement resulting in a rising trend in pupils’ attainment. Leaders in the school have developed increasingly analytical approaches to the school’s work. Tracking of pupils’ progress is now effective in informing planning in classrooms and identifying interventions and their impact. Pupils now make good progress overall. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the effectiveness of personalised interventions that the school provides. Pupils make excellent use of the wide range of opportunities to contribute to the school and the wider community. There is a high rate of participation of pupils in the many sports teams and other clubs, such as cheerleading, film making and drama. The school is very active in the local community and is developing wider links both nationally and internationally. The school promotes community cohesion locally very well but does not have a fully

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Main findings

developed approach to wider community cohesion aspects.

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Main findings

Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning, and behaviour in the school is good. They work well with the teachers and support staff, engaging in learning activities with enthusiasm. The quality of teaching is good as teachers know pupils well and plan carefully for each individual. Teaching at its best is inspiring and innovative with pupils leading learning and teachers challenging pupils with exciting lessons that encourage pupils to think about their place in the wider world. The rapid pace of progress at times is not always sustained particularly for the most able pupils. Pupils’ creativity is developed well and the school’s creative week has blossomed into an event that is enjoyed by all who participate. Parents and carers have been encouraged to come into the school particularly during the creative week and work alongside pupils on a wide range of tasks, with some outstanding pieces of artwork

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Main findings

produced. Pupils use the school environment well and, during one lesson, were encouraged to develop creative pieces of abstract art, inspired by natural objects they had collected and influenced by Kandinsky.

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Main findings

Pupils told inspectors how well they settled into the school and felt that they were valued, challenged, supported and cared for in the school. There are now high expectations in all year groups and pupils are rising to the challenges set and developing confidence. Reading is encouraged and supported whatever level pupils work at. By the end of Year 6, attainment is broadly average overall. In reading and mathematics, it is above average. In writing, it is broadly average and the school has effective systems in place to develop writing further. Members of the governing body have worked tirelessly over the past year to establish a well-informed active and knowledgeable governing body with clear systems in place to challenge the school and hold it to account. It has had to make a significant change to the way it works and has made incredible progress in putting things into place to ensure it can meet the high standards it has set. Governance is

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Main findings

satisfactory now and is improving at an extremely high rate. Its impact on school improvement is now starting to be felt and a wider long-term strategic view of the school is emerging. The improvements in attainment and the progress pupils make as well as the rise in the quality of teaching demonstrate the good capacity the school now has for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make further improvement in attainment of pupils through refining teaching and ensuring:  individual pupils are challenged even more so that the pace of learning is increased  pupils’ writing skills are developed further  more independent learning strategies are promoted.  Ensure that the governing body moves from establishing good systems to implementing and embedding them securely and communicating the wider long-term strategic direction of the school.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy school. Attainment has risen and is now broadly average overall. Attainment in mathematics and reading is above average. The school’s progress-tracking data are now much more reliable indicators of pupils’ achievements and show a rising trend in the National Curriculum levels that pupils achieve in all year groups. Inspectors’ lesson observations confirmed that pupils now make good progress overall and have compensated for underperformances in the past. Pupils now make a much more secure start to learning in Year 3. They settle well into school life and build well on these foundations. There are no significant differences between the achievements of different groups of pupils.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Behaviour throughout the school is good. Pupils feel safe and are willing to ask questions in lessons. If they have any problems, they feel there is someone they can talk to. Pupils explained to inspectors that the school deals quickly and effectively with the few occasions when pupils do not behave at their best. Some pupils lack confidence and so need more encouragement to engage in lessons.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils eagerly participate in the range of sports and clubs that the school has. They have an excellent understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle. There are many opportunities for pupils to record interviews for ‘Bearwaves’, the school radio. They are keen to contribute in assemblies and work in the school garden areas. Pupils develop their cooking skills well and make use of the produce they grow to great effect with, for example, some delicious pumpkin pies produced.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The school has worked hard to ensure that attendance improves and it is now above average. The increasing success of pupils encourages attendance and the range of opportunities builds confidence and is raising aspirations for all. Pupils have a strong sense of fairness and what is right and wrong. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The range of artistic, sporting and cultural experiences in the school is very good which encourages pupils to look beyond the local community.

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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 1 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 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?

The best teaching has a clear focus on learning by challenging pupils with individual support and learning opportunities. Assessment has been refined and is now an effective part of each lesson, with teachers having a very clear idea of the strengths of pupils and the next steps for each individual pupil. There are innovative approaches spreading across the school with teachers planning interesting and different ways of looking at things and developing pupils’ skills. There are times when pupils need even greater challenges, particularly the more-able pupils who finish work quickly. Opportunities for developing independent working are not always seized upon. When opportunities are available, pupils take them with great enthusiasm and the pace of learning is outstanding. During one lesson, pupils discussed moral dilemmas and developed good skills in debating. They demonstrated good speaking skills and listened carefully to the points of views of others, using the

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How effective is the provision?

skills developed through the ‘Building Learning Power’ work very well.

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How effective is the provision?

The school is in a strong position now to broaden even further the range of curricular opportunities and subjects that pupils cover. Pupils are enthusiastic about 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 opportunities available, including drama, outdoor activities and sports, which help to ensure they have a wide range of experiences.

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How effective is the provision?

The care, guidance and support of pupils are real strengths in the school. There is a great deal of thought put into the transition of pupils from infant schools and how they move on to secondary schools. Pupils explained to inspectors their worries about starting a new school and how they settled quickly because the school staff were so welcoming and supportive. There is a wide range of partners and trained staff who support pupils to grow and develop a positive outlook on life. There is a systematic approach to identifying individual support needs and making sure these needs are very well catered for so that pupils can access the opportunities they have now and in the future.

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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 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school leaders now have a clear focus and are effective in bringing about school improvement. There is a clear sense of teamwork through the school, with staff in all roles contributing well to school development. The governing body is now in a position to hold the school to account and develop a strategic plan for the future of the school. Members of the governing body have worked hard and are very committed; they have undertaken a wide range of training in order to ensure that they possess a range of appropriate skills to move the school forward. They are developing monitoring processes very well. They have had to make many changes in a very short period of time and processes are starting to become embedded.

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How effective are leadership and management?

There are many strengths in the quality of teaching and leaders now have good systems to develop the spread of best practice and ensure that the experience of pupils is even better. School staff feel supported and are able to contribute a great deal to the development of the school. The learning support assistants are now more focused in their work and so intervention work and support in the classroom are more effective. Safeguarding arrangements in the school are good and meet the national requirements. The school is inclusive and tackles issues of equality of opportunity and challenges discrimination very well.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school has developed community opportunities locally very well and is in a strong position now to develop its work in this area nationally and internationally. The school communicates well with parents and carers, and looks for opportunities to improve this further. Many parents and carers attend assemblies and events during the school year, such as creative week and regular parents’ and carers’ evenings. The school uses these opportunities to ensure they understand what is going well and how they can improve things further.

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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 2 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 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Views of parents and carers

The school undertakes surveys of parents and carers and keeps in touch with them through class tutors effectively. This inspection did not include a parental survey. The school’s surveys indicate that parents and carers are happy with the school overall and feel the school is well led. The school’s survey findings agree with the findings of the inspection.

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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

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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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 Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

I would like to thank you for the very friendly and warm welcome you have given me over the times I have visited your school. I have looked forward to seeing how the school has grown and am pleased to see the good progress you now make in your studies.

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Inspection of Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

Your school is good because you have teachers and support staff who care for you well and work hard along with the governing body to improve things. Your teachers plan exciting opportunities and understand the things you do well and the things you find more difficult. You are challenged most of the time and you rise to these challenges. You could make even more progress if you work a little more independently, particularly those of you who find things easier. You already reach impressive levels in reading and in mathematics and your continued improvement in writing will secure further success in this area as well. We think that teachers should focus on developing your skills in these areas further. You have an excellent understanding of how to live healthily. You feel safe in school and behaviour is good.

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Inspection of Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

I was most impressed to see some of the Year 6 pupils teaching their peers and really challenging themselves. It is opportunities like these that help you to make the best progress not just in mathematics and English but in your personal skills, empathy for others and in building confidence. It was good to see how effectively you all used your understanding of the ‘Building Learning Power’ strategies.

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Inspection of Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

You all appreciate the outstanding care, guidance and support the school provides. The governing body has made some very impressive changes to the way that it operates. It has worked incredibly hard to make things better for you all and is having an increasing impact on improving the school. Members of the governing body are aware that there is still a great deal that can be done. They have shown a determination, however, to make a difference for you and will look at how they can move the school forward further and make things even better with the work they do to monitor the school’s progress.

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Inspection of Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

You have an important role in the school to make sure you work hard with the adults in the school and to support each other as a strong school community. I wish you well in all that you do; with continued hard work your success will follow.

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Inspection of Bradwell Village School, Milton Keynes, MK13 9AZ

Yours sincerely Paul Scott Her Majesty's 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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