Broadmayne First School and Nursery

Age group 4–9 years Inspection date(s) 30 April–1 May 2012 Inspection number 378738 Broadmayne First School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 113661 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 378738 Inspection dates 30 April–1 May 2012 Lead inspector Rowena Onions

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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 First School category Community Age range of pupils 4–9 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 127 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Avril Harrison Headteacher Melanie Austin Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2008 School address Knighton Lane Broadmayne Dorchester DT2 8PH Telephone number 01305 852471 Fax number 01305 852167 Email address admin@broadmayne.dorset.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 You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspector saw eleven lessons and five teachers and some teaching assistants were observed. Meetings were held with pupils, governors, and staff. The inspector took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at data about pupils’ progress. In addition, she considered the school improvement plan, reports from the local authority, and a range of other documentation. The inspector received and analysed 72 responses to the parents’ and carers’ questionnaire.

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Information about the school

This smaller-than-average-sized school serves its local area. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average, but a below-average proportion is at the school action plus stage or has a statement of special educational needs. Pupils’ special educational needs include behaviour, emotional and social, speech, language and communication and moderate learning difficulties. Pupils, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage, are taught in single-age-group classes. There is a breakfast club operated by the school, which was included in this inspection. There is also an after-school club that is not managed by the school’s governing body, which was not part of the inspection. There is a pre-school and a children’s centre on the same site.

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Information about the school

These facilities are subject to separate inspections. Over the last two years, retirements mean there have been a significant number of staff changes in the school, including in key leadership positions. The school has gained several awards, including an award as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. Teaching is good and promotes successful learning so pupils make good progress and many are working beyond national expectations in English and mathematics by the end of Year 4. Pupils also develop well personally. The school is not yet outstanding because pupils’ skills in writing fluently are not well developed and some aspects of teaching and the curriculum are not yet supporting outstanding achievement.  Throughout the school, teachers are adept at planning lessons that interest and motivate pupils so that they try hard and concentrate well. However, there are times, particularly when pupils are working independently, when what they are expected to learn or achieve is not sufficiently explicit to maximise their learning. Teaching assistants play a significant role in helping pupils to learn in class and in additional activities. Well-targeted school improvement work means

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Key findings

that the teaching of writing has improved and achievement in writing is accelerating well. However, some pupils are currently hampered by their lack of ability to write neatly and at speed.  The vast majority of pupils behave well. Pupils feel very safe and secure because of the great care that is taken of them.  The curriculum provides many exciting, stimulating experiences and promotes pupils’ achievement well. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to accelerate pupils’ achievement because activities which allow practice of writing and mathematics skills in different subjects are not identified explicitly in planning.  Leadership of teaching and the management of performance are good. The headteacher provides strong leadership and has successfully improved the quality of teaching. Supported by a relatively new leadership team and the governing body, the headteacher has ensured that improvements have been

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Key findings

made since the school was last inspected, in spite of the changes in staff. There is a clear, shared vision for further improvement. 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 pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  increasing pupils’ ability to write neatly and at speed through giving them opportunities for frequent practice  ensuring that all activities in lessons have a clear purpose and an expected outcome, especially when pupils are working independently  making explicit the link between skills and knowledge taught in English and mathematics lessons and activities planned in other subjects.

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Achievement of pupils

Throughout the school, pupils achieve well. From starting points that are broadly at the expected level for their ages, children make good progress in the Reception class. Of note is the way children learn to work and play in different contexts, for example cooperating in singing about a caterpillar as a class, rewriting a caterpillar story with the support of an adult, or independently ‘bug hunting’ in the sand tray.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make strong progress in learning to read and, by the end of Year 2, they attain standards that are well above average. By Year 4, many pupils are working beyond national expectations in reading. They are able to read in a wide variety of contexts, for example when they researched Ancient Greece on the internet to answer their teacher’s questions successfully. Pupils show good ability to think and talk mathematically. For instance in Year 3, they were able to discuss the links that can be made between the two, four and eight times-tables. School improvement work has successfully improved pupils’ ability to structure their writing and to understand how to tailor it to a specified audience. However, it is noticeable that a significant number of pupils find it difficult to write at speed and this inhibits their fluency and, for some, their enjoyment of writing. In addition, some pupils’ untidy handwriting mars the overall quality of their work. Pupils use their speaking,

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Achievement of pupils

listening, and reading skills well in a wide range of subjects. There are fewer opportunities for them to practise their writing and mathematics skills in a similar way. Pupils are not, therefore, able to learn to apply those skills to the same extent.

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Achievement of pupils

Good use of data to identify pupils in danger of underachievement and to intervene to ensure this is rectified means that pupils from all groups, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve well. The school is particularly successful in promoting the progress of pupils with more complex needs. Parents and carers are very positive about the progress their children are making. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

Pupils are taught well. Teachers plan lessons that have a good balance of direct teaching and pupil activity. They engage pupils by building on their interests and experiences, for example exploiting the current interest in the Olympic Games. There is good attention paid to motivating pupils by choosing exciting activities. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, a well-paced introduction included the telling of the first part of a story. The teacher stopped at a well-judged ‘cliff hanger’ and left pupils eager to complete the story for themselves. Overall, pupils are managed well in class and thus they are able to focus on the work in hand. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and this means that pupils wish to please and try hard as a consequence. Pupils are actively encouraged to work together cooperatively and this has a very positive effect on their personal development. Much has been done since

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Quality of teaching

the school’s last inspection to improve pupils’ ability to work independently successfully. There are, however, occasions, when teachers do not make sufficiently clear their expectations for the outcome of independent activities to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching assistants have good skills and their thoughtful deployment accelerates pupils’ learning very successfully. They make a valuable contribution to the good teaching of less-able pupils and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure that the teaching of reading is very successful. Handwriting skills are taught and opportunities provided for pupils to practise these skills. However, such opportunities are not sufficiently frequent to develop pupils’ stamina to sustain writing at speed, or to ensure their handwriting is neat.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils are aware of how well they are doing at school and termly targets help them to know how to improve their work. Teachers’ marking is, in its content, helpful in showing pupils what they have done well and how they could improve. However, teachers are not always sufficiently careful to ensure that their own handwriting is clear enough for pupils to read and understand what they have written. Pupils are very positive about the quality of teaching they receive and their parents and carers agree with this view. These views are supported by the inspection evidence.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

An emphasis on the nurture and care of individuals ensures that pupils are safe and secure in school. Parents and carers confirm that their children feel safe in school. In conversation and in the inspection survey, pupils report that there is very little bullying of any sort in the school and that any that occurs is handled well. They are well aware of the different forms that bullying can take. A very small minority of parents and carers, however, are not sure that this is the case. Inspection evidence shows that the school has robust anti-bullying strategies and takes appropriate action when bullying or unkind behaviour is identified or reported.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The vast majority of pupils behave well in class and around the school. Behaviour in Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

class is positive in promoting better learning. Through the work to gain accreditation as a Rights Respecting School, pupils are well aware of their own rights, but also of the need to respect the right of others to be happy and to be able to learn. A wide range of strategies has been introduced to assist a few pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties to learn to improve their behaviour. These are having a positive impact in the classroom and pupils report that their lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. A few pupils and a few parents and carers, however, feel that playground behaviour of a very small minority is, at times, less positive. The school has already acted to improve the playground environment by installing an all- weather grass surface to separate ball games from other play and by updating the training of meal-time assistants. No significant issue was observed during the

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

inspection and there is no evidence that the situation extends further than a very small number of pupils with particular difficulties. However, the school is right in seeking to allay any remaining concerns and had already made the further improvement of the playground environment a key action on the current school development plan. Very successful action to improve attendance means that, over the last two years, attendance has risen and is now well above average.

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Leadership and management

Since the school’s last inspection, well-planned and targeted school development work has ensured improvements, for example in writing and attendance. The headteacher drives the school forward with energy and determination. Staff professional development is linked well to individual and school needs and has accelerated pupils’ progress. Governance has very successfully supported school improvement. The governing body is knowledgeable, shows initiative and uses a wide range of skills to good effect. Through the allocation of responsibilities to both teachers and teaching assistants, all staff are successfully encouraged to feel a sense of shared responsibility for the success of the school. Effective systems of performance management support the development of all staff. Safeguarding procedures are strong. The school has good links with others, including the on-site children’s centre, to help ensure this.

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Leadership and management

There is robust monitoring of the school’s performance. Careful checking of the progress made by each individual means that interventions are appropriately matched to need. The success of this strategy ensures that there is good equality of opportunity and all groups of pupils achieve well. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and this is reflected in the harmonious atmosphere in the school. Over the last two years, the leadership of most aspects of the school has changed hands. The headteacher has ensured this has not affected pupils’ progress negatively and already the new team has a strong commitment to further development. This, together with the track record of past improvements, means the school has strong capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

The school curriculum is successful in ensuring good progress in English and mathematics. Children in the Reception Year are provided with a well-balanced programme of indoor and outdoor work. The curriculum supports pupils’ spiritual, 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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Leadership and management

moral, social, and cultural development very well. Whole-school activities, such as a weekly singing lesson, bring home to the pupils the value of working within a community. These occasions are also used very effectively to promote pupils’ sense of being part of a wider world community. Work is planned well to include a wide variety of experiences. However, although pupils have some opportunity to apply skills learned in English and mathematics lessons in a wider context, the lack of explicit planning for this means this method of accelerating progress further is not exploited fully.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

Thank you for helping me to enjoy my time in your school. One of the highlights was talking to you about what you think. You will be pleased to know that I agree with you that yours is a good school.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

These are some of the things I liked best.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

 You make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and, by Year 4, attain above average standards.  You are taught well. Your teachers are successful in making you interested in your work so that you want to learn.  You are learning the rights and responsibilities of living in a community.  You behave well, work hard in class and want to succeed.  Staff take very good care of you. This makes you feel safe and secure.  Your headteacher, other staff, and the governing body are working hard to make sure that your school gets better all the time.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

To help you make even better progress, I have asked your headteacher, governing body, and teachers to:  help you to write more quickly and more neatly by giving you more opportunities to practise  make sure that you are learning as much as you can in every lesson, especially when you are not working with an adult  give you more opportunity to use your writing and mathematics skills when you are learning in other subjects.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

You can help by working hard to improve your handwriting. I wish you every success in the future.

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Inspection of Broadmayne First School, Broadmayne DT2 8PH

Rowena Onions 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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