Brandesburton Primary School

Brandesburton Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 December 2011 Inspection number 379481 Unique Reference Number 117831 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 379481 Inspection dates 12–13 December 2011 Reporting inspector Lesley Clark

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

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 166 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Stacey Headteacher Jo Ledingham Date of previous school inspection 20 April 2007 School address Main Street Brandesburton Driffield YO25 8RG Telephone number 01964 542472 Fax number 01964 542472 Email address brands@eastriding.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 rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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.

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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors observed 11 lessons taught by six teachers. They held meetings with governors, staff and four groups of pupils. The inspection team observed the school's work and looked at a range of documentation including: assessments of pupils’ progress; the school’s monitoring of teaching and learning; the school improvement plan and documentation relating to safeguarding pupils. The team analysed questionnaires returned from staff and pupils, and 121 questionnaires from parents and carers.

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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.  The reasons why comparatively few higher-attaining pupils reach the higher Level 5, especially in mathematics.  The extent to which the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to become independent learners with well-developed problem-solving, reasoning, number and communication skills.  Whether partnership working is a key strength of the school.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It serves the local village and some outlying rural areas on the eastern edge of the Wolds. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. An average proportion is known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average but the number with a statement of special educational needs is above average. There have been several staffing changes within the last three years.

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Information about the school

The school has Healthy School status and holds a number of awards including the Active mark and the Eco-silver award.

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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

This is a good school. Pupils clearly appreciate all the school has to offer them. They say ‘lessons are fun’ and ‘there is nothing we want to change.’ The school has several outstanding elements. Behaviour is outstanding and is fully reflected in pupils’ keenness to do well. Pupils make an excellent contribution to the community and they are proud to be members of this school. The engagement of parents and carers is first rate. They are fully consulted and involved in the school’s decision- making. The school takes outstanding care of pupils and gives them excellent support and guidance. This is why pupils have excellent safety awareness.

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Main findings

Achievement is good. From starting points that are typical of their age, children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress overall. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to challenge children and encourage them to be independent learners. Progress is good in Years 1 to 6 because pupils are taught well in every class and they follow an interesting and engaging curriculum. A larger proportion of higher-attaining pupils reaches the higher levels in English than in mathematics. This is because they have extensive opportunities to use and apply their literacy skills in other subjects whereas in mathematics this is not happening to the same extent.

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Main findings

Good leadership, management and governance have ensured the school has continued to perform well since the last inspection, building on its strengths and adopting some innovative practice. The curriculum is vibrant, assessment is more rigorous and pupils’ achievement in reading and writing has strengthened. Self- evaluation is accurate and the school has identified the right priorities for improvement. It has, for example, taken swift action to strengthen provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by putting in extra support and is aware that there is more to be done. The result is an exceptionally happy school, which pupils, parents, carers and staff hold in high regard. The school demonstrates its good capacity for sustained improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of higher-attaining pupils in mathematics by: - providing more opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills in other subjects - ensuring that activities are consistently closely-matched to pupils’ attainment levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Give children in the Early Years Foundation Stage more challenges and opportunities to be independent learners so that they make more progress by: - ensuring activities indoors and outside are thought-provoking and productive - providing a good range of problem-solving, reasoning and number activities that enable children to learn through discovery and investigation - giving children more opportunities to speak for themselves and to make choices - using data more efficiently to give clear information about children’s progress in order to plan for children’s next steps both on a daily basis and over time.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils achieve well. They thoroughly enjoy their learning. They arrive promptly and quickly settle to their morning tasks. They behave sensibly and maturely, using the time productively to catch up on corrections or to complete the ‘Good Morning’ challenges. Lessons typically begin with a brief recap, which pupils say ‘helps you to remember.’ Pupils know what they have to learn and consult ‘success criteria’ to check whether they are doing what they should do. They explain, ‘Teachers listen to you and tell you if you have forgotten something.’ This is why they are confident learners. Pupils are taught to be self-critical. For example, a group of higher-attaining pupils explained they liked a particular poem but: ‘We’re still puzzling about why he used so many ‘w’ words. He might have used them for dramatic effect or the rhythm.’ They read and write well, as confirmed in national tests over the past five

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

years. Their attainment is weaker in mathematics. Sometimes in mathematics lessons, higher-attaining pupils whiz through the work and then have to wait for something that is more challenging. They say that ‘oral starters are sometimes too easy’ but agree that ‘teachers push you but help you at the same time.’ Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they know what they are good at and what they need to do to improve. As a result, the majority reaches nationally-expected levels.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the community through their roles as school and eco-councillors and road safety officers. These entail real leadership and management responsibilities. They are clearly used to discussing important issues, including those relating to moral and emotional development. They are confident but respectful of other people’s needs and difficulties. Their enthusiastic attitudes together with enterprise activities, which introduce them to the world of work and money management, help them to be well-prepared for their future lives.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

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

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is consistently good with common strengths across the school. These include good use of interactive technology to make teaching points clear and many opportunities for pupils to use computers. A major strength is that teachers give pupils plenty of time to work independently. They encourage pupils to discuss ideas with a partner, to check each other’s work and to keep a weather eye on their targets to see whether they are meeting them. As a result, pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to reach the next level. Occasionally, the learning of higher-attaining pupils slows when the activities they are set are too easy. To compensate, teachers give them extension tasks but as pupils explained this means ‘we do more work’ rather than harder tasks.

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How effective is the provision?

The lively curriculum offers exciting challenges such as the current topic ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ which has involved pupils in making animations and analysing films. Educational visits and visitors to school are well planned to complement the termly theme. Recent adjustments have sharpened the development of skills and the impact is seen in pupils’ good-quality writing and use of technology for research. By contrast, pupils have few opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills. Higher-attaining pupils explained, ‘We did some spreadsheets and data handling last year and we think we’ll do it this year.’

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How effective is the provision?

The school’s work with families and individual children is exceptionally good. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are vulnerable because of their circumstances receive excellent support and guidance, including enhanced support to enable a smooth transfer to the next stage of their education. Parents and carers have every confidence in the school. The support they receive, which includes signposting to different agencies, enables children to gain in confidence and have high self-esteem. The result is a welcoming learning environment where everyone is valued.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The leadership and management are ambitious. They drive improvement at a good rate because they have the confidence of the staff. After a period of change, teamwork is now strong. Senior leaders are tackling key areas of weakness and have made significant changes within the Early Years Foundation Stage; they are well aware there is more to do. Middle leaders’ improved use and understanding of data and effective monitoring are key factors behind pupils’ sustained good progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. This has had a major impact on raising attainment in English. Target-setting is realistic. Gaps between different groups are closing because the school takes effective steps to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities. It tackles discrimination well and pupils are highly sociable and friendly as a result.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body is influential in determining the strategic direction of the school. It is rigorous in ensuring that pupils are safe. It both challenges and supports the school effectively because it knows the right questions to ask. The quality of the school’s safeguarding of pupils is good. Staff are vigilant in ensuring adults are safely recruited. It is proactive in ensuring that the school site is safe. Good quality policies and procedures underpin this good practice.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school has highly positive relationships with parents and carers. Weekly ‘open classrooms’, signing reading diaries at least three times a week as well as contributing to major school decisions are just some of the ways in which parents and carers are extensively engaged. Other partnerships to promote pupils’ learning and well-being are good. Community cohesion is strongest within the school itself and the immediate area with very effective links with local organisations. While there are national and global links these are less well developed.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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driving improvement

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make satisfactory progress in Nursery and Reception. By the end of the Reception year, they are broadly in line with national expectation in most areas of learning. Children make relatively slow progress in aspects of their personal development and problem-solving, reasoning and number skills. This is because staff sometimes miss opportunities to let children speak for themselves and make choices because they are keen to guide them rather than letting children lead their own learning. Activities to promote problem-solving, reasoning and number skills do not always offer scope for children to learn through exploration and discovery. Staff set out a wide range of resources indoors and outside but do not always consider productive learning outcomes when setting up activities. For example, children were puzzled what to do with the tray filled with brightly-coloured feathers and straws.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

When teaching is effective, staff follow children’s lead, questioning appropriately, as when children were building bunk beds outside making imaginative use of large cardboard boxes and other materials to do so. Children have lots of opportunities to practise early reading and writing skills and often choose these activities. A strength of the provision is the good range of educational visits and visitors to enrich the children’s learning. The children set up a vet’s surgery in the role-play area, for example, after one such visit. Staff meet together weekly to share observations of children’s learning. These observations are recorded, but not enough use is made of this information to plan the next steps in children’s learning and so children do not make progress as quickly as they should. The co-ordinator has a great deal of assessment information but this is not collated or analysed sufficiently well to give

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Early Years Foundation Stage

clear information about children’s progress over time. Parents and carers are closely involved in their children’s learning.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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 in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The overwhelming majority of parents and/or carers responded to the questionnaire. Their views are extremely positive. They particularly praise the help and support that the school gives their children and themselves. They are in complete agreement that their children are safe and happy and that the school keeps them well-informed about their children’s progress. The inspection team saw many examples of these positive points.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Brandesburton 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 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 121 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 166 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 104 86 17 14 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 104 86 17 14 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 90 74 29 24 2 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 96 79 22 18 3 2 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 100 83 19 16 1 1 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 100 83 19 16 1 1 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 97 80 21 17 2 2 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) 88 73 28 23 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 95 79 26 21 0 0 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 94 78 23 19 2 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 97 80 22 18 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 112 93 9 7 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 109 90 10 8 2 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

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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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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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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is 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 ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 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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Inspection of Brandesburton Primary School, Driffield – YO25 8RG

Thank you for your warm and friendly welcome. A special ‘thank you’ goes to the four groups of children who spent time with me and my colleague, showing us their work and talking to us about your school. You go to a good school. It does some things exceptionally well. Your behaviour is excellent and you have an outstanding understanding of safety. You make an excellent contribution to the community through your school and eco councillors and road safety officers. Your school takes outstanding care of you all. It supports and guides you extremely well. It also involves your parents and carers exceptionally well in all that it does.

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Inspection of Brandesburton Primary School, Driffield – YO25 8RG

You make good progress in your lessons and clearly have fun. You read and write well. Those of you who find it easy to do mathematics sometimes do not reach the highest level that you should. So we have asked you school to make sure that you always do work at just the right level and to give you more opportunities to use and apply mathematics in other subjects just like you do with your literacy skills. The new curriculum is exciting and you have lots of opportunities to use computers. You also have many interesting educational visits and visitors. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have interesting visits and visitors too but some of their activities both indoors and outside are not as interesting as they should be. We have asked your school to make sure that they have lots of challenges and opportunities to speak for themselves, learn independently and make choices, just like you do.

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Inspection of Brandesburton Primary School, Driffield – YO25 8RG

You can help by continuing to come to school, keen to learn, just like you do now. You could also help your teachers by telling them when you find some work in mathematics too easy.

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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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