Brentnall Primary School

School report Brentnall Community Primary School Northumberland Street, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 4RP

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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 make good progress from their starting points and, by the time they leave school at the end of year 6, reach standards in English and mathematics that are in line with those expected for their age.  Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved. In most classes teaching is good.  The support for pupils who are learning to speak English as an additional language is of high quality.  A wide range of extra activities and trips enrich pupils’ learning, broaden their horizons and boost their confidence.  Pupils and parents say that behaviour at the school has improved. Most of the time pupils are attentive in lessons, play happily together at break times and they feel safe and secure. Bullying is rare.  Leaders do their jobs well and know how well pupils are doing. They make sure that all groups get the help they need in order to make the most of their time at school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including governors, focus their attention on improving teaching and learning. They regularly check the quality of lessons and give teachers guidance about how to improve their teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is still some teaching that requires improvement.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 do not make as much progress in their early reading as they could.  Some pupils miss too much school, and some pupils arrive too late, too often. This means that they miss lessons and make slower progress than other pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons, five of which were joint observations with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also visited a concert rehearsal and the breakfast club, observed break times and listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body. A telephone conversation with the school’s educational consultant took place and the returns from the staff questionnaires were also analysed.  Inspectors took account of four responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s own parental questionnaire. They also talked to parents on the school playground.  A number of school documents were examined. These included information about pupils’ progress, school-improvement plans and records of governors’ meetings. The work in pupils’ books and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, Lead inspector Additional inspector Pamela Davenport Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Brentnall Community School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Since the last inspection, the number of pupils at the school has increased.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is similar to that found in most schools. The proportion supported at school action is higher than that seen in most other schools.  A large proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and many pupils speak, or are learning to speak, English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the additional pupil-premium funding is above average.  Brentnall Community Primary School meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is always good and increase the amount of outstanding teaching by making sure:  the work given to the more-able pupils is not too easy  that pupils always know what they learning and why, and are more involved in checking their own work and progress  that teachers do not use unnecessary worksheets that stop pupils from thinking for themselves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Boost Key Stage 1 pupils’ progress in reading by:  making sure that lessons about letter sounds always give pupils meaningful tasks that help them to blend letter sounds together  providing pupils with more time and opportunity to read in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work with parents in order to improve the attendance of pupils who miss too much school or are too frequently late.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress at Brentnall Primary School, with progress in Key Stage 2 being faster than progress in Key Stage 1.  Many children start school with skills and knowledge that are below average or, in some cases, well below average for their age. The well-organised routines in the Nursery and Reception classes, together with the high quality teaching they receive, helps them to settle in quickly and to make good progress in all areas of learning. Nevertheless, by the time they start in Year 1, most pupils are still working at standards that are below average.  Across Key Stage 1, pupils make steady progress and reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are still below, but getting closer to, age-related expectations. Their progress in reading is not as fast as it could be because lessons about letter sounds do not always help pupils to blend sounds together. In addition, pupils do not read as regularly as they could.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 2, pupils’ progress accelerates, with the fastest progress being in the older classes. At the end of Year 6, their standards in English and mathematics are at the same level as those seen in most other schools. The more-able pupils do better in mathematics than they do in English.  The high-quality support for pupils who are learning to speak English as an additional language is a strength of the school. Specially trained staff work with every class in order to make sure that these pupils do as well as possible. Consequently, these pupils make strong gains in their learning and, in many cases, make faster progress than other pupils.  Pupils with disabilities or special educational needs also make good progress, as do those pupils supported through the use of pupil-premium funding. The school has used this additional money and other funds to pay for extra support staff and small-group teaching sessions that

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The achievement of pupils is good

help pupils to catch up with their learning.  The school makes an effort to take pupils beyond the classroom. Outdoor activities, such as camping trips, build self-esteem, confidence and an interest in the wider world. This promotes positive attitudes to learning which help pupils to achieve in many different subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching seen during the inspection was good and some was outstanding. Nevertheless, there is some teaching, particularly in the middle of the school, that requires improvement.  In the best lessons, teachers ask questions to check what pupils already know. They then refine and adjust their lessons to make sure that each new task builds further on pupils’ current understanding. In a very effective English lesson, for example, brisk, purposeful teaching and focused questioning allowed pupils to share ideas and check each other’s understanding. Time was used well because all were actively engaged; thinking hard and making decisions for themselves, consequently, their learning pushed on at a rapid pace.  When teaching is weaker, pupils’ progress is slower. In some cases this is because teachers’ explanations are not clear, or go on for too long. When this happens, pupils are not sure what they are learning, so they lose interest or become confused. At other times, teachers use

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The quality of teaching is good

worksheets that do not help pupils to think or make choices for themselves.  While most teaching helps pupils to make good progress, some of the more-able pupils could do better, particularly in English. In a few lessons, the brighter pupils have to wait too long before starting new learning or are not given enough to do in order to really stretch their thinking.  The support provided to pupils who need extra help with their learning, or speaking English, is effective. Whether receiving additional teaching in a one-to-one session, in a small group, or within the main classroom, pupils receive the help and guidance that they need. This ensures that all have an equal chance to do as well as they can in every subject.  All work is marked regularly and teachers make comments that help pupils to improve their work in the future. However, pupils are not given detailed guidance about how to check their

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The quality of teaching is good

own work to understand how well they are progressing

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is a busy, but orderly place where routines and expectations are clearly understood by all. Good behaviour is recognised and rewarded, and any poor behaviour is stopped. This means that pupils’ enjoy school and feel safe.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and, most of the time, they pay attention in lessons and get on well together.  Pupils know about different types of bullying and they say that it does not happen at Brentnall School. They feel confident that, if it did happen, the staff would stop it. They do report some rough play at break times, but also say that the occasional fights that used to occur do not happen anymore.  While pupils’ attendance at school has improved so that overall it is the same as that seen in most other schools, some pupils still miss too much school and some are late too often. This means that they miss lessons and do not learn as quickly as other pupils.  Year 6 pupils are proud of their different coloured uniform and act as good role models to the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

younger pupils. One older pupil explained that, ‘We are easy to spot, so it important that we set a good example, and others can easily find us if they need help on the playground.’  Members of the school council meet regularly to consider pupils’ views and to have a say in how things are done.  All staff pay proper attention to the procedures that keep pupils safe. Consequently, pupils feel well cared for at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has improved since the last inspection because of clear-sighted and well-organised leadership. The headteacher has high expectations, which he communicates clearly. He is an efficient leader and manager and knows what the school needs to do next in order to improve further. He expects everyone to do their best, and has made some tough decisions in order to improve the school’s performance.  There is a strong and capable leadership team. They organise training and regularly watch lessons, so they are able to give teachers advice about how to improve the quality of their teaching.  Leaders, including governors, know how much progress pupils are making. They use this information to help them check the impact of teaching and to make decisions about teachers’ pay and the jobs that they do in school.  The local authority does provide some training for staff but the school has employed an educational consultant to monitor the school’s performance and give advice about areas for

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The leadership and management are good

improvement. The increase in the rate of pupils’ progress seen over the last two years indicates that this support has been effective.  Learning in different subjects is enriched by many trips to places near and far and the use of specialist teachers, for example, musicians and artists. Links with a village school in Cumbria, visits to local and national museums, art workshops, and the rich mix of cultures and languages within the school stimulates pupils’ curiosity about the world and helps them to learn more about themselves and others.  Pupils are taught about right and wrong. All are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. The school has used some of its additional funding to help pay for school trips so that no-one is left out.  Only a few parents responded to the online questionnaire. However, comments made to inspectors during the inspection, and the findings from the school’s own consultations, indicate

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The leadership and management are good

that parents find the staff approachable and helpful. The school works hard to make sure that parents get the information that they need.  The school meets statutory requirements relating to safeguarding and equality of opportunity.  The governance of the school: The governing body is fulfilling its role better than it used to. This is because governors now have the information they need in order to ask the right questions. They receive clear, jargon free information about the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils are making. They use this information to make decisions about the deployment of staff. The governing body manages funds well, including the use of the pupil premium, to pay for the staff, activities and resources that help to boost pupils’ progress and sense of well-being.

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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 105893 Local authority Salford Inspection number 405012

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Dudley Headteacher Stephen Lawler-Smith Date of previous school inspection 24 November 2010 Telephone number 0161 7924317 Fax number 0161 7928969 Email address brentnall.primaryschool@salford.gov.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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