Brampton Primary School

Brampton Primary School Sawmill Lane, Brampton, Cumbria, CA8 1BZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achievement is good. It has improved rapidly, following a decline since the previous inspection.  The majority of pupils make good progress in all subjects. Progress in reading is particuarly good as a result of an intensive effort to improve results in that area.  The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good.  Teaching and learning across the school are good and some are outstanding. Teachers are enthusiastic and have good subject knowledge.  Teaching assistants provide good support in lessons and, as a result, those pupils who have additional needs make good progress.  Pupils enjoy school and behave well. They are polite and courteous and engage well in their learning.  The new headteacher is a very effective leader and is forming a strong leadership team, many of whom are relatively new in post. Robust action has been taken to address weaker teaching and this is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

making a significant difference to the outcomes for the pupils.  Staff are very positive about all aspects of the school and are very keen to keep the school moving forward.  The governing body is very supportive of the school and offers an increasing degree of challenge.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons, teachers do not always give work that stretches pupils, check often enough how well they are learning or guide them sufficiently so that pupils know how well they are learning.  Middle leaders are not fully enough involved in monitoring and evaluation in their areas.  Governors do not hold the school to account rigorously enough for the pupils’ academic achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 teachers and 18 lessons, two of which were joint observations with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, including analyses of pupils’ work. They also looked at a number of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, child protection, development planning, the monitoring of the quality of teaching and the teachers’ continuous professional development.  Meetings were held with school leaders, governors and pupils.  A telephone conversation was held with the local authority.  Analysis was carried out of the 26 responses on Parent View and of the 13 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alison Thomson, Lead inspector Additional inspector Barbara Redhead Additional inspector Jim Hall Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Brampton is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is lower than average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action and the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are lower than average.  The school met the current government floor standard, which sets the minumum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics in 2012, but not in the previous year, 2011.  Since the previous inspection there have been significant changes in staffing, including that at senior leadership level.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure more teaching is outstanding by:  giving all pupils work that is appropriately challenging to improve their progress  assessing as frequently as possible in lessons how well each pupil is learning  providing clear ways for pupils to be able to judge for themselves how well they are learning.  Improve aspects of leadership and management by:  developing the roles of middle leaders to monitor and evaluate effectively the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress in their areas  providing governors with clear summaries of the progress pupils are making so that they can hold the school more rigorously to account for their achievement.

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Inspection judgements

 Children enter the Nursery with skills that are in line with those expected for their age and they leave in Year 6 with attainment that is above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ achievement rose considerably during 2011/2012, compared to the previous two years. Many more pupils reached the expected Level 4 and Level 5 by the end of Year 6 than before.  The progress of pupils in each year group is good and has greatly increased in most subjects.  Progress in reading is particularly good. This is a result of a greater emphasis on reading throughout the school and of one-to-one support for those who are behind the expected level for their age. Listening to pupils read during the inspection confirmed that attainment in reading in Key Stage 1 is at least average and sometimes higher.  Inspectors saw good progress in most of the lessons they visited and sometimes it was outstanding. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson pupils made outstanding progress in

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Inspection judgements

their descriptive writing. It is not often that pupils of that age can distinguish clearly between alliteration and assonance.  Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs make good progress in line with their peers. This is because of the good proactive support they receive from teaching assistants, which allows them to access their work well.  Pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium also make good progress.  Basic skills of literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology (ICT) are integrated well into many lessons. Inspectors saw many instances of this during the inspection where all the lessons had a pirate theme for the week, based on the book, The Night Pirates by Peter Harris.

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Inspection judgements

 The quality of teaching is good and in some lessons it is outstanding. Teachers are very enthusiastic and create a very purposeful learning environment. Lessons generally proceed at a good pace and there is a wide range of interesting activities to engage pupils, from using telescopes and compasses on pirate ships in Reception, drawing pirates and their ships on the computer in a Year 3 and 4 lesson to making paper mâché models of treasure islands in a Year 5 and 6 lesson.  Teachers plan their lessons well with work that is modified for the pupils’ different abilities. At times, however, some of the work lacks enough challenge to accelerate their progress.  Teachers usually share with pupils what it is they should be able to do in lessons and they check how well they are learning. In a few lessons, individual pupils are not visited often enough during the lesson to gauge this. Occasionally, pupils are not given clear enough

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Inspection judgements

guidance to be able to tell how well they are learning. Thus, their achievement is not as as good as it could be.  Many lessons contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Time is built in for reflection, such as Year 3 and 4 being asked to consider the moral aspects of piracy.  Teachers mark the pupils’ work thoroughly, especially in literacy and in mathematics. As well as correcting mistakes and giving praise, there are many comments to help pupils know how they can improve their work.  The Parent View responses showed that parents agree that their children are well taught. The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

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Inspection judgements

 Pupils behave well, are very polite and courteous and enjoy school very much. This was very evident throughout the inspection. This view is supported by staff and by parents and carers.  Good behaviour was seen in almost every lesson during the inspection. Pupils’ very positive behaviour impacts on their learning well. When given the opportunity, they relish checking their own work and that of others. Around school, at break times and during lunchtimes pupils are considerate of each other.  Pupils are confident to talk about their experiences and enjoyed sharing their views with the inspectors. They particularly appreciate the rewards for good work and for good behaviour. They say that this encourages them to work hard and behave well. Older pupils said that although behaviour has improved, it has been good for some time.  Responsibility roles, such as school council, play leaders and lunchtime helpers are much

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Inspection judgements

coveted. One Year 6 pupil explained that it was good to help younger children carry their lunch trays, because they were ‘only little’.  Pupils told the inspectors that their school is a very safe one. Every parent who expressed a view through Parent View said that the school keeps their children safe.  Pupils show a good knowledge of how to stay safe. This was evident in many lessons where pupils were seen using scissors and glue safely. They understand different risks, such as internet safety and they actively promote safety for others. They say that bullying is rare and that if anyone is not being nice to someone else, adults deal with the situation right away.  Attendance has improved and is securely in line with national averages. There are no exclusions.

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Inspection judgements

 Although only in post for just over one year, the headteacher has been instrumental in leading her leadership team to secure substantial improvements, particularly in the pupils’ academic achievement.  The leadership and management of teaching and learning have improved the quality of teaching and thus the progress that pupils make. There is good performance management of individual staff and this has ensured that each teacher has been clear about areas for development in their teaching. Those areas for development have been followed up well.  There has been a considerable turnover in staffing and in responsibilities within the school. Many middle leaders are new in post and there has not yet been time for their roles to be developed fully, particularly around monitoring and evaluating the progress that pupils make and the quality of teaching in their areas.  Staff questionnaires given during the inspection revealed that all members of staff are

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Inspection judgements

positive about all aspects of the school. Talking to staff reveals that there is a common purpose about driving the school forward.  Gaps between groups of pupils’ performance are closing rapidly, reflecting the inclusiveness of the school and the good equality of opportunity.  Senior leaders know the key strengths and areas for development well. Tracking of pupil progress is increasingly robust, underachievement is identified early and appropriate strategies put in place to redress this.  All statutory requirements relating to safeguarding are met.  The local authority has provided appropriate support for the school.  The governance of the school:  is fully involved in the work of the school and is helping to bring about improvements  knows the school’s strengths and areas to develop well  is proactive and challenges the school in a number of areas  is not always given clear enough summary information about the progress of pupils to

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Inspection judgements

be able to challenge the school as well as it might do regarding the pupils’ academic achievement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 112405 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 401262

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 305 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Winterburn Headteacher Sally Geary Date of previous school inspection 8 December 2009 Telephone number 01697 742158 Fax number 01697 742157 Email address sally.geary@brampton.cumbria.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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,

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School details

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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School details

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

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