Breckon Hill Primary School

Breckon Hill Primary School Breckon Hill Road, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, TS4 2DS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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. All groups of pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Pupils who stay at the school from the Reception class to the end of Year 6 do better than this.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers have good, friendly relationships with pupils and plan exciting lessons which help pupils to learn well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils enjoy learning and are keen to do well. They have a thorough understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strong. Pupils view their school as a real community, and they are courteous and respectful at all times to adults and to each other.  Leaders and governors are very ambitious for the school and pupils and have built upon the good performance at the time of the previous inspection.  The headteacher provides determined leadership. She is ably supported by senior

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

leaders and other staff. Together they have successfully raised the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching across the school.  Occasionally, teachers do not plan work to help pupils move on quickly enough. This means that work is sometimes too easy for some and too hard for others.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but their comments do not always help pupils to improve their work.  The outdoor area does not provide children in the Early Years Foundation Stage with the same rich activities as indoors, which help them to develop their early reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 23 lessons, of which two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  They held meetings with two groups of pupils, including members of the school council. They listened to pupils read in Years 2 and 5.  Meetings were held with four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also held discussions with senior leaders and staff with responsibility for subjects and other aspects of the school’s work.  Inspectors took account of 23 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and of the 53 questionnaires completed by the staff. They also spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school at work and looked at a range of documentation, including internal and external data relating to pupils’ progress, pupils’ workbooks, school improvement planning and the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance. They

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Information about this inspection

also considered minutes of governing body meetings, reports written by the local authority and safeguarding and child protection documents.

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Inspection team

Peter Evea, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christopher Jeffrey Young Additional Inspector Sue Smith Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much larger than average size primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average and the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is significantly higher than average. There is a significant number of pupils who are from the Gypsy Roma community.  A significant number of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the start of the school

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Information about this school

year, and some rejoin and leave on more than one occasion. The proportion of pupils who begin their schooling in the Reception Year and who stay at the school until the end of Year 6 is well below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching to be outstanding overall in order to raise pupils’ achievement further by:  sharing the best practice more consistently across the whole school  making sure that the marking of pupils’ work always helps pupils know how to improve and giving pupils opportunities to respond to their teacher’s comments  ensuring teachers always plan different activities that help pupils move on quickly from their varied starting points.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the range of activities provided in the outdoor area for the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure children make even better progress in developing their early reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well from their varied starting points. Evidence from lesson observations, examination of pupils’ workbooks and the school’s own data confirms this.  Children start Nursery with skills that are much lower than those typical for their age. In particular, their communication and mathematical skills are much weaker than is typically found.  The caring environment in the Early Years Foundation Stage, good teaching and the wide range of activities help children to talk, play and learn to share together. They make good progress. The outdoor area is used regularly, but there is not the same exciting range of activities or equipment as those found indoors to help them make even better progress in developing their early reading, writing and mathematical skills.  In Key Stages 1 and 2, all groups of pupils make good progress from their different starting points. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards overall are below those expected for their age.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Those pupils who attend the school from the Reception Year to the end of Year 6 often make very good progress and by the time they leave, reach standards that are at least in line with national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.  Rigorous systems are in place to check on pupils’ progress throughout the school. Consequently, the school is able to identify swiftly any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. Rapid action is taken to boost pupils’ learning by providing extra support in small groups or individually.  The progress of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is also good and the gap between their performance and the performance of other pupils in the school has narrowed. This is because of the extra support provided for them through pupil premium funding, such as the small group sessions and individual one-to-one work.  The school provides effective additional support for disabled pupils, those with special

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The achievement of pupils is good

educational needs and those from the Gypsy Roma community so they too make the same good progress as others in the school. Some teaching assistants are able to provide support in pupils’ home languages and this enable those who speak English as an additional language to better access their lessons, enjoy learning and make good progress. There is evidence of the school’s success in giving all its pupils equality of opportunity to succeed.  Pupils say that they enjoy reading. Younger children are taught well how to link letters to the sounds they make to help them read unfamiliar words. Pupils develop well as readers so that by the end of Year 6 they read confidently and fluently. By the end of Year 6, many pupils can write in a variety of styles and express their ideas and they correctly solve mathematical problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding in its impact on pupils’ progress and achievement over time.  Teachers plan interesting lessons which enthuse pupils. This was evident, for example, in a Year 1 class where pupils were completely absorbed in creating a magic potion from dragon’s blood, squashed spiders, unicorn’s tears and mashed up frogs as they learnt about measuring weight, volume and capacity.  The assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment is rigorous, accurate and is based on a detailed knowledge of the performance of each individual pupil. This allows teachers to use the information to plan activities that meet the needs of their pupils. However, occasionally teachers do not plan work to help pupils move on quickly enough, as a result, some pupils find their work too easy and others too hard.  Teaching assistants and other adults are deployed well and have a very clear understanding of

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The quality of teaching is good

the needs of the different pupils. They work closely with teachers and are skilled in meeting the particular needs of different groups of pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds including those who speak English as an additional language and those from the Gypsy Roma community. This is why the achievement of all these groups is good.  Teachers expect a lot from pupils because they want them to do their very best. Good relationships are typical and pupils typically say, ‘Our teachers are really nice and help us to learn’. Pupils are keen to succeed and try their hardest. On the very few occasions where this is not the case, it is usually because the tasks are too hard or too easy for them.  Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly and give lots of praise but written comments do not always help pupils know what they have to do to improve their work. Pupils do not always have

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The quality of teaching is good

the chance to respond to their teachers’ comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ good behaviour and enjoyment of learning makes a significant contribution to their successful learning and achievement. The school provides many interesting experiences for them and pupils are keen to take advantage of these.  Pupils say that their views are sought, valued and acted on by the school.  Pupils are invariably polite and courteous and show great respect towards each other and to adults. Different groups of pupils provided excellent company for an inspector during lunchtime and made sure that he was looked after extremely well. Pupils have a strong sense of community and support one another extremely well.  Pupils have a good understanding of different forms that bullying can take. They say that bullying is rare, and when it does occur, pupils and parents are confident that staff will deal with it quickly and effectively. Parental surveys carried out recently by the school confirm this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils and parents agree that the school is safe and pupils also understand how to keep themselves safe in many different situations, including when using the internet.  The school has effective systems for managing pupils’ behaviour and disruption to learning is uncommon. Pupils value the ‘Brainy Bears’ rewards system where pupils are given ‘Brainy Bear’ tokens which are then entered into a weekly prize draw.  Attendance has improved since the previous inspection because the school is rigorous in following up any absences. However, the mobile nature of a significant number of pupils’ families impacts on overall attendance levels. The school is working very closely with families to address this.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is very well led by a determined headteacher who is ably supported by an equally effective senior leadership team. All staff promote high aspirations for pupils and adopt a relentless approach to ensuring that each pupil is able to achieve their best. Other leaders, for example those with responsibility for subjects, are effective and give strong direction in their areas of responsibility.  The school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance are thorough and all key staff are involved. As a result, the school has an accurate picture of its strengths and where improvements need to be made. Areas for improvement are prioritised and reflected in the long- term plans. These actions are monitored carefully to see if they are proving successful.  There is a robust approach to the monitoring of the performance of staff. Teachers are accountable for the progress their pupils make and any increases in salary are closely linked to

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The leadership and management are good

these outcomes. Appropriate training to improve teachers’ skills has helped to improve the quality of teaching. However, opportunities for all staff to learn from the exemplary practice that exists within the school are not yet shared widely enough.  Systems for checking on pupils’ progress are sophisticated and robust. This enables leaders to identify swiftly any gaps in pupils’ learning and to put rapidly in place arrangements to help them catch up.  The school provides many varied opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and these are real strengths in this happy and friendly school community. One such opportunity is Islamic studies.  The curriculum meets pupils’ differing needs and pupils value the opportunities it provides for them to develop their creativity. It also prepares pupils well to live in a diverse society and for their next stage of education.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and all pupils have equal access to the different after-school clubs and activities and to the residential visits organised by the school, which they say they enjoy.  Safeguarding and child protection policies and practice meet current requirements.  The local authority provides appropriate support which is valued by the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about all aspects of the school’s work and in particular about what the data provided for them is telling them and about the quality of teaching and pupils’ performance. They regularly challenge the senior leadership team in relation to the targets that have been set. Governors are familiar with national Teachers’ Standards and use them to help manage teachers’ performance. They are aspirational for the school to become outstanding and actively support leaders in their drive for further improvement. Governors

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The leadership and management are good

manage the budget well and check that the pupil premium funding is used appropriately and are aware of the difference this is making to pupils’ achievement. They receive training to help them fulfil their roles increasingly effectively.

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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 111587 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 411868

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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 468 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Mawson Headteacher Cherry Diemoz Date of previous school inspection 1 February 2010 Telephone number 01642 243044 Fax number 01642 354418 Email address breckonhillprimary@middlesbrough.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, 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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