Brockmoor Primary School

Brockmoor Primary School Belle Isle, Brockmoor, Brierley Hill, DY5 3UZ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Although the school’s leadership team has improved the quality of teaching it is still too inconsistent, particularly at Key Stage 2. Results are broadly average by Year 6 but a few pupils do not reach the levels they should, particularly in mathematics.  Progress in mathematics requires improvement because the support provided by middle leaders is not specific enough to tackle the inconsistencies in teaching number at Key Stage 2.  Too many teachers do not expect enough of pupils and they do not always challenge them in their thinking or encourage them to use difficult vocabulary, particularly in mathematics.  In too many lessons, teachers do not plan activities that allow pupils to apply their skills in practical situations.  Pupils are not given enough opportunities to work on their own or in groups so that they can become more independent learners.

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The school has the following strengths

 The leadership team have improved teaching substantially in the short time since the last inspection, particularly in reading and writing. Leaders have set targets for teachers and checked that they are doing the right things to make lessons enjoyable so that pupils improve their learning.  The progress of pupils in Years 1 and 2, which was typically as expected at the last inspection, is now good in reading, writing and mathematics because teaching is good and the school works closely with parents.  Pupils behave well and feel safe. They enjoy the good opportunities to participate in sport, music and drama.  The school’s leadership team has developed good partnerships with other schools and these have been effectively used to improve teaching and to help the school be more accurate in checking pupils’ progress.  Pupils enjoy coming to school so that attendance has improved significantly and is now above average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. Each teacher was observed at least once. In all, 19 lessons were observed. The inspection team also attended assembly and observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and round the school.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the Chair of the Governing Body, the school improvement committee, a representative of the local authority, members of the senior leadership team, all other teaching staff and various groups of pupils.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentary evidence including the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress, documents relating to safeguarding and special educational needs, the school’s self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.  Teachers’ plans and pupils’ written work were scrutinised.  Inspectors spoke to several parents. The views of the 13 parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Roisin Chambers, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anthony Green Additional Inspector Patrick Walsh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average primary school.  The majority of pupils are White British but approximately a quarter are from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds, particularly Pakistani and Black African, and speak English as an additional language.  Almost half of pupils receive funding through the pupil premium, a high proportion. This is additional government funding provided for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in care, and those from armed services families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is well above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Remove the inconsistencies in teaching at Key Stage 2, particularly in mathematics, so more is good or outstanding by:-  ensuring that the middle leaders provide specific support to improve the teaching of number so that it is taught systematically and consistently by all teachers.  improving the way number is taught, so that all lessons have more pace and activities provide pupils with a greater degree of challenge, so that they can become more confident and accurate in using calculation for different purposes.  requiring pupils to use more demanding language, particularly mathematical language, and to extend their vocabulary by asking them to justify their answers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all teachers plan interesting and demanding activities that:-  allow pupils to apply their mathematical skills in practical situations  give pupils more opportunities to work on their own or in groups, so that they become more independent learners.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and abilities that are well below those expected. Their language, communication and numeracy skills are particularly low. When talking about stories, children can only provide a few words and few can write their names or join in common rhymes. Their knowledge of number is similarly weak.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress across Key Stage 2 requires improvement. Although teaching has now improved, previous weak numeracy levels in the past have slowed down pupils’ learning. The amount of progress that pupils make in the different year groups is variable. Too few pupils make rapid progress because of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in mathematics. Results are broadly average by Year 6 but they are a lower in mathematics than in English.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The attainment of those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is a little lower than that of similar pupils nationally in English and mathematics but the gap is reducing to some extent with other groups in the school. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are making good progress in English and mathematics because they are particularly well motivated and have positive attitudes to learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of the majority of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs requires improvement. However, recently some pupils are making almost two terms progress in one term because of the good teaching and individual help they receive.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well resourced and learning is well planned, relevant and purposeful so that children apply their skills effectively in everyday situations, For example, children in Reception were making pet-carriers and taking imaginary pets to the vets, exchanging money and using bandages. Children make good progress, particularly in language and social skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress that pupils made at Key Stage 1 was as expected at the last inspection and is now good because the quality of teaching has improved. Although pupils start in Year 1 with skills below other pupils of the same age, by the end of Year 2 their attainment is typically expected.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Parents and teachers work closely to encourage pupils to read and write. When reading, pupils use their understanding of the sounds that letters make to tackle unfamiliar words with increasing confidence to help them read fluently.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is particularly inconsistent in mathematics at Key Stage 2, where too much of the teaching offers little challenge and the pace of lessons is too slow to generate pupils’ interest and enthusiasm.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where progress is not good enough, it is because teachers give too much help or provide pupils with answers. In these lessons, pupils spend too long passively listening and not actively learning and applying new skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of number is improving but not rapidly enough. Where teaching is good or better, pupils make rapid progress; this is because pupils master one skill at a time and then apply it to a wide range of situations so developing in accuracy and confidence. In weaker lessons, the teaching of number is too general and pupils, who have not yet mastered the basic skills of addition, subtraction and multiplication, are introduced too early to the next skill.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff encourage children to develop their independence. They select their own equipment, work singly or in groups helping each other form letters and shapes, read labels and numbers so that they quickly grow in confidence and are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons where progress is good or better, it is because activities are relevant and practical. For example, teachers require pupils to demonstrate how they have arrived at their answers and to justify why they have selected a particular method or approach. In these lessons pupils are encouraged to use more demanding vocabulary and reading skills successfully which means that they understand new concepts and ideas.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking is thorough and regularly done. In exercise books, teachers and pupils exchange comments about the work they have done and what they need to do next. Marking is good and pupils say that teachers are always ready to help if they are in difficulties.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work with parents is paying dividends as attendance levels have significantly improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils respond enthusiastically to their teachers and co-operate well with each other. Almost all know their targets and like having them because, ‘...they remind you of what you need to do’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In lessons and around the school, pupils behave well. They are courteous and helpful. In whole- school assemblies, they contribute with pride and take it in turns to prepare the hall.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Many pupils contribute to the school community by undertaking roles of responsibility. The views of pupils are taken seriously and there is an active school council. Pupils have helped to plan the adventure playground, chosen play equipment and colour schemes for their classrooms. Many are playground buddies and monitors. Older pupils regularly read to younger ones and help them to improve their reading and develop their social skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show a good concern for others by giving generously to charities. The choir regularly perform in public and many pupils represent the school in sporting events.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand the difference between bullying and ‘falling out’. All agree that bullying is extremely rare and, if it occurs, it is promptly dealt with by staff. A few parents expressed concern about the way the school deals with bullying but these views were not supported by the views of pupils, staff or governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership team evaluate effectively the work of the school. They have accurately identified the school’s strengths and priorities. The school improvement plan is ambitious. The governing body and the senior leadership team have set the school challenging targets for the year ahead.  The school has improved teaching and achievement in Key Stage 1 in a relatively short time. It is taking appropriate steps to remove remaining inconsistencies in teaching at Key Stage 2, particularly in mathematics. Senior staff provide good models of teaching and support underperforming staff by coaching and providing additional training. This has been more effective in English than in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers say that the support they receive is effective and has made them think more carefully about how they plan activities that will contain the right level of difficulty for all pupils in their class. However, planning is not yet consistent, particularly in mathematics, where the skills of using and applying number are not taught systematically enough. This is because middle leaders do not always work successfully to develop the teaching of mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding the school receives has been used to employ a specialist teacher of mathematics and English, so that pupils in Year 5 and Year 6, where there is a high proportion of pupils eligible for additional funding, can be taught in smaller classes each morning. These pupils in these classes are making more rapid progress than previously.

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The leadership and management are good

 A good system is in place for tracking pupils’ progress and is used to inform discussions between senior leaders and class teachers at termly meetings, when teachers are held to account for the progress of pupils. Teachers’ pay is closely linked to performance and any underperformance is monitored by the governing body so that it is tackled.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has developed a good range of helpful partnerships with local schools and uses their help and advice to make sure that progress checks are accurate and to provide specific training to teachers if this cannot be done within the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has built and maintains good links with a wide range of agencies, in particular services providing specialist advice in teaching pupils with English as an additional language, and in supporting pupils who have communication, emotional and behavioural difficulties. These partnerships are used especially well to prepare pupils for the next stage in their education and to make sure that the change to the next school is successful.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has successfully promoted spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the subjects taught and through the increasing variety of parents from other faiths and cultures who visit the school and contribute to assemblies and lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils meet requirements. The school carries out the necessary checks to ensure that all adults are suitable to work with children. The school improvement partner from the local authority provides support and guidance to the headteacher and gives the governing body detailed and accurate reports regarding pupils’ progress. These are rigorously used by the governing body and the headteacher to contribute to the evaluation of the work of the school, the identification of school priorities and plans for action.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and managed; it provides good support and realistic challenge for school leaders because governors have a good understanding of school data and of how well groups are progressing in relation to others in the school and those nationally. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching across the school and have fully supported the school’s leadership in tackling underperformance and the rewarding of good teaching. All staff, including the headteacher, have targets for their performance which are linked well to pupils’ progress and school priorities. The governing body receive reports on the use and impact of additional funds provided through the pupil premium which help then to challenge the headteacher on how well funds are being used.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 103777 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 404903

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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 371 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Malcolm Kendall Headteacher Brad Jones Date of previous school inspection 8 June 2011 Telephone number 01384 816635 Fax number 01384 816636 Email address bjones@brockmoor.dudley.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, please

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School details

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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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