Brabins Endowed School

Brabins Endowed Primary School Longridge Road, Chipping, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 2QD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils are making exceptional progress and are achieving very high standards by the time they leave school.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They are confident, articulate and happy at school. Their manners and conduct are commendable.  Teaching is at least consistently good and often outstanding. Pupils enjoy all lessons and strive to achieve in all areas. Teachers develop not only the academic skills but also the creative and community spirit of the pupils exceptionally well.  In the best lessons teachers allow time for pupils to respond to marking and to make corrections and improvements to their work. This good practice is not yet fully consistent.  Pupils who have special educational needs make progress at least equal to that of their peers and quickly close any gaps in their attainment.  Leaders and managers have secured improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and in the levels of pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievement through innovative, well-targeted actions.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well provided for, and the school holds national awards for its coverage of environmental, international and health topics.  Governors are well-informed, have high expectations and manage finance and staffing well.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 11 lessons, of which four were joint observations with the head teacher.  The inspector met with subject leaders, representatives of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and with groups of pupils.  The inspector took into account the 20 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspector took account of a wide range of documentation, including assessment data, minutes from meetings, policies and safeguarding documents.  The linked on-site pre-school did not form part of this inspection.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Lawton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There were no pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or the pupil premium at the time of the inspection.  The proportions of pupils supported by school action, school action plus and those with statements of special educational needs are all lower than the national average.  There were no pupils for whom English is an additional language, and a very small proportion who describe their heritage as minority ethnic.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, so that all is outstanding, by increasing the time given to pupils to respond to feedback and make improvements to their work.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils enter the school with skills and abilities above those expected for their age. The majority of pupils exceed national expectations for progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and the standards attained by the end of Year 6 are exceptional, although this does occasionally vary depending on the size and prior attainment of the cohort.  In Key Stage 1 pupils make at least expected progress and most exceed national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. The proportion of pupils attaining the required standard in the national phonics (letters and the sounds they make) check at the end of Year 1 is well above the national average. Every pupil in Year 2 has achieved the required standard, a minority having taken the check a second time.  Those pupils who have special educational needs make progress that it at least equal to that of their peers. The school is committed to equality of opportunity and supports all pupils to achieve

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

well.  Across Key Stage 2 there is occasionally a single child whose progress is not as rapid due to specific educational needs. These needs are supported well by bespoke individual programmes, and this gap is closed during their time in Key Stage 2.  In national assessments this year at the end of Year 6 unvalidated data indicate that the majority of pupils attained the higher Level 5 in reading and writing, with some pupils attaining a Level 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils read exceptionally well at all stages of school. They have access to a large and varied library and read with expression and meaning. Pupils’ communication skills are very well developed; they are articulate, confident and have a keen desire to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Over time, teaching is at least consistently good and often outstanding. Due to this excellent teaching pupils make rapid and sustained progress in all subjects and achieve well in all areas.  Teachers have very high expectations, and are often teaching content well above that expected for pupils’ ages in order to meet their accelerated abilities. Pupils are supported to explore topics at levels appropriate to their needs through well-planned tasks and open, problem-solving style activities that enable them to work independently at a speed appropriate to their own stage of development.  The teaching of mathematics and English is particularly strong, and pupils are challenged to achieve very high levels. Pupils enjoy reading and writing and respond enthusiastically to challenging topics. Their communication skills and vocabularies are especially well developed, and they are highly creative.  The work in pupils’ books shows they are making excellent progress in all areas of the

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

curriculum. Teachers celebrate success with good marking; for example, the recent improvement to the marking in mathematics, where teachers clearly explain the ‘next steps’ to each pupil, has helped pupils understand their targets well. However, there are not enough opportunities in all subjects for pupils to correct work or to respond to comments from their teachers in order to make improvements.  Teachers use excellent, well-planned and interesting resources to inspire pupils. For example, one class was taken out onto the field to see the rabbits and chickens in order to explain food chains in science. Due to these exciting approaches pupils are enthusiastic about their learning in all subjects.  Homework is a particular strength: ‘We love doing our homework because we get to choose!’ Pupils respond to the innovative homework structure by working hard and producing exceptional extended pieces of writing and creative work to support their topic work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are enthusiastic learners and play an active part in all lessons. They question and challenge staff and each other and have a keen desire to succeed.  Behaviour within and outside of lessons is exemplary. Pupils have excellent manners, make friends easily and are happy at school.  Attendance and punctuality are high compared to the national average, and improving.  Pupils are well informed about all types of bullying, although incidents are very rare. Pupils are confident in teachers’ ability to quickly address any incidents that might occur.  Staff manage the few incidents of weaker behaviour immediately and effectively, although in practice these minor incidents are usually due to overenthusiastic participation in activities than to any misbehaviour.  Pupils report that they feel safe at school and on the wide variety of trips and excursions they participate in. They understand risk and manage their own behaviour well.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 School leaders are continually revising and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Regular sharing of data and tracking of achievement in all subjects, not only English and mathematics, enable subject leaders to see where improvements can be made and the impact of any training or actions taken.  Recent updates to the school’s monitoring of pupils’ progress have enabled leaders and teachers to have a deep and accurate understanding of the progress of all pupils and for early support to be given to any at risk of not achieving their full potential.  Pupils’ literacy levels are exceptional. Highly effective policies and practice ensure all pupils achieve very well in reading and writing.  The school’s curriculum is broad and enriched by regular visiting experts and trips. The school holds several national awards, including for eco-school status, health, sports, international work and learning outside the classroom.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strong. Regular worship and themes that link into the curriculum support equally good progress in academic, creative and social areas.  Safeguarding procedures meet requirements.  The local authority has provided additional support to the new headteacher during her first year in post, and is providing external validation of the quality of standards and teaching.  The governance of the school:  Governors manage finances well. They are well-informed through their understanding of data relating to pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching, and are able to challenge school leaders to maintain the highest levels for pupils.  Governors manage safeguarding well, and are ensuring that performance management arrangements are linked to pay through rewarding good teaching and effectively tackling any potential underperformance.

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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 119395 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 412176

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 71 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Clare Compton Headteacher Rachel Wallace Date of previous school inspection 7 May 2009 Telephone number 01995 61596 Fax number 01995 61596 Email address head@brabins.lancs.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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