Brockley Primary School

Brockley Primary School Clowne Road, Shuttlewood, Chesterfield, S44 6AF

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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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This is a good school

 Pupils achieve well in all subjects in Years 1 to 6. Lessons are motivating. They capture pupils’ imagination and interest. This ensures that they enjoy their learning.  Most teaching is at least good, and it is occasionally outstanding. Teachers use their assessments of what pupils can do well to plan their next steps in learning.  The activities and additional adult support provided for pupils who find learning difficult are very effective in helping them to achieve well.  Pupils behave well. They are considerate, kind and very cooperative. All feel safe in school.  The headteacher provides highly effective leadership, and together with other leaders is making sure that teaching and pupils’ achievement continue to improve.  Senior staff carefully check the progress made by pupils of all abilities and backgrounds, and respond swiftly if it slows.  The governors are dedicated and committed to the work of the school. They are well informed

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This is a good school

about the school’s performance, and are increasingly confident to seek out information from staff and parents and act upon it.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement. Children do not have enough opportunities to develop their communication skills or to write on their own. The Reception class and outdoor area lack stimulating activities for children to explore and investigate in order to develop key skills.  More able pupils are not always given hard enough work, particularly in mathematics.  Although the proportion of outstanding teaching is increasing, there is not yet enough to support exceptional progress.

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Information about this inspection

 All five teachers were seen teaching eight lessons. Almost all of these observations were carried out with the headteacher. The inspector also observed an assembly and listened to pupils read.  Pupils’ books in all year groups were examined, including their mathematics, English and topic work. Records of observations made of children in the Nursery and Reception and their work were studied.  Meetings were held with several governors, a representative of the local authority, teaching staff and the headteacher. The inspector met with several pupils formally and had informal discussions with pupils about their work and school life.  The inspection took account of 24 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Questionnaires from 16 members of staff were analysed.  Documents scrutinised during the inspection included the school’s summary self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, information on pupils’ performance and progress, and records of staff

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Information about this inspection

training, aspects of pupils’ behaviour, teachers’ planning and governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Mary Hinds, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for whom the school is receiving additional income (the pupil premium) is very high compared to most schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have a statement of special educational needs, or are supported at school action plus, is above average. The proportion supported at school action is below average.  More pupils than average leave or join the school partway through their primary school education.  No pupils are taught in alternative provision away from the school site.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Pupils are taught in five mixed-age classes.  Since the previous inspection the school has appointed two new teachers. The senior leadership

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the amount of outstanding teaching by:  sharing outstanding practice more widely across the school  providing all teachers with training that is precisely matched to their individual needs  giving governors precise information on how well teachers are performing, so they can contribute more to setting the targets to improve teachers’ work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress so that it is consistently rapid in all year groups by:  making sure that pupils’ learning is moved on more quickly so they are able to work on more demanding tasks, particularly in mathematics  regularly reviewing pupils’ understanding in lessons by asking probing questions, so that activities can be adjusted and the pace of learning quickened for all groups  developing the steps to success so that pupils are able to identify their own targets.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve children’s learning experiences so that all make at least good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  using the classroom and outdoor area more effectively to provide exciting and relevant opportunities for children to learn at a faster rate, especially in communication and writing  giving children more opportunities to explore, investigate and extend their early mathematical and scientific skills through well-chosen resources and displays.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils make good progress as they move through Years 1 to 6. Pupils leave with above- average attainment in reading and mathematics, and average attainment in writing. They are well prepared for secondary school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Major improvements in teaching since the previous inspection have led to a rising trend in attainment. The 2012 national test results showed that most groups of pupils had made more progress than expected nationally in reading and mathematics. School information shows that pupils are now making similarly good progress in writing as a result of a strong focus on writing. Although there is little variation in the progress different groups of pupils make, not enough more-able pupils reach the higher National Curriculum levels in writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement. Most children join the school with skills and understanding below the levels expected for their age. They often make good progress in the Nursery, but it slows in reception and they still have weaknesses in language, communication and writing when they move into Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are confident and fluent readers because reading is taught very well. They have an excellent understanding of the sounds letters make and use this to decode unfamiliar words well. The school is successful in developing pupils’ love of reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. It provides focused support in classes, and ensures that pupils are able to go on educational visits. The homework clubs, particularly those which use information and communication technology (ICT), are targeted at these pupils. The national test results show that pupils known to be eligible for free school meals achieve as well as other groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 High levels of adult support, wide-ranging help and guidance and extra activities ensure that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress that is similar to, and sometimes better than, that of their fellow pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan carefully so that activities are suitably matched to the different needs and abilities of all pupils. Pupils are keen to learn and have good levels of concentration.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a mathematics lesson, pupils made exceptionally progress as they measured different types of angles. They applied their subtraction skills to work out problems confidently. The teacher regularly asked if anyone was on the ‘stuck wall’ in order to identify any pupils who were finding learning hard. He used this technique and well-chosen questions to assess pupils’ understanding, to prompt them to think deeply about their learning, and to adjust the activities or the level of adult support to move their learning on quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 This is not always the case in other classes. Furthermore, pupils’ understanding was sometimes assessed using the ‘thumbs up’ approach, which gave only a superficial indication of pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ books show that teachers give them good feedback on how to improve their work. Teachers carefully comment on what pupils have done well and what they need to do next to get even better. Pupils are given time to respond to this marking.  Teachers identify different targets in lessons to tailor work to different abilities. However, pupils are encouraged to choose the level of difficulty to start at, and they sometimes choose work that is too easy. When this is not picked up by the teachers learning slows, especially for more- able pupils in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes more-able pupils repeat too much undemanding work, and their learning is not moved on to harder work quickly enough. Pupils are not always given the opportunity to generate their own targets so that they are fully involved in their own learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 When teaching requires improvement in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children do not get enough chance to talk about their learning. In the Reception class and outside, there are few stimulating activities to encourage children to write on their own, to develop their speaking and listening skills through role play, for example, or to investigate and experiment using a wide range of resources.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good on-to-one and group support from adults who have an excellent understanding of their individual difficulties. They ask searching questions that encourage pupils to them to think for themselves, and adjust activities according to their responses to ensure that these pupils succeed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are an important factor in their success. They are keen to learn and are becoming increasingly able to work on their own.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships are strong. Pupils respond well to each other and to adults. They are thoughtful, caring and kind to one another.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Almost all pupils respond positively to the school’s rewards to encourage good behaviour. When behaviour is occasionally less than good, teachers do not always change the activity to better suit the needs of the pupils and some become distracted.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved as a result of effective action taken to encourage good attendance, and is now average. Most pupils are punctual. Leaders, including governors, reward pupils on a daily basis for arriving at school on time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils take their extra responsibilities seriously. They enjoy being assembly monitors and look out for the younger pupils. School records show that there are very few incidents at play- time. The play leader, funded by the pupil premium, provides positive encouragement so that all pupils engage in purposeful play activities and cooperate well together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a clear understanding of the different kinds of bullying, including cyber- and prejudice-based bullying. They say that instances are very rare and they are confident that staff would deal well with any situations that arose. The school conscientiously records these very rare occurrences and the action taken.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school. Parents and carers agree that the school keeps their children safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads the school’s continuing improvement very effectively. All the other staff and the governors share her high expectations and commitment to ensure that all pupils have an equal chance to succeed. She is supported well by the two senior leaders. Their roles have been strengthened through careful delegation of responsibilities and appropriate training. They are now fully accountable for pupils’ achievement and for improving the quality of teaching in their respective key stages.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders accurately monitor the work of the school and identify the right priorities for improvement. They check the progress made by different groups of learners each term, and identify specific strategies to prevent any pupils from falling behind and boost their achievement, such as the daily phonics and spelling sessions where for different ability groups. The successful track record since the previous inspection shows a good capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Some considerable improvements to the quality of teaching have been due to rigorous monitoring and well-targeted training. However, leaders have yet to review teachers’ subject knowledge in order to provide individual tailored training. Although some effective practice is shared across the school, this is not yet extensive.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are held suitably accountable for the progress made by their pupils, and the subject areas they lead. Their pay rises have to be earned.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is good because it meets the needs of a wide range of pupils and builds effectively on their previous learning. The school has links with a school in Kenya. Other cross- curricular activities promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development well. For example, in a recent ‘Hollywood to Bollywood’ theme pupils learned about Asian languages, food, customs and clothing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school fosters good relations with parents and other agencies. The recent appointment of a family support worker is helping the school to reach all groups of parents, especially those who may be experiencing difficulties.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority plays a useful role in providing support for new governors. It has also helped governors to develop their strategic role, for example through learning walks focused on school development priorities and analysing how effective leaders’ actions have been in addressing them. It currently provides ‘light touch’ support because the pupils make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have an in-depth understanding of the school’s performance, and are crystal clear about the school’s priorities and what needs to be done to achieve them. They are well informed and seek out their own information through their own direct observations and asking probing questions of leaders. They are active in the school community and regularly seek out parents’ views, and in response ensure that parents are well informed via their own newsletters. Governors have a good grasp of the quality of teaching. However, they do not have specific information on how targets are set for individual teachers, the extent to which these targets are met or how this links to individual teachers’ pay rises. They manage the budget well, and use funding such as pupil premium money prudently to bring about improvements in pupils’ achievement. They make sure that the school meets all current

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The leadership and management are good

national requirements for safeguarding children.

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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 112510 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 401278

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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 132 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Fidler Headteacher Erika Thornhill Date of previous school inspection 1 October 2009 Telephone number 01246 823344 Fax number 01246 823344 Email address headteacher@brockley.derbyshire.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

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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