Brabourne Church of England Primary School

Brabourne Church of England Primary School School Lane, Brabourne, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5LQ

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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 make good progress, especially in writing and mathematics.  Most teachers consistently plan engaging activities and check pupils’ understanding regularly.  Teaching is consistently good in Reception and Years 5 and 6 and pupils in these classes continuously make good or better progress.  Throughout the school, there is a very inclusive environment; pupils are polite and they behave well around the school and in lessons.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is promoted well through relevant topics in assemblies that allow deeper thinking and reflection.  Pupils enjoy many sports activities during the school day and at after-school clubs.  Leaders, including governors, have high ambitions for pupils achieving well and monitor the quality of teaching regularly. Consequently, the quality of teaching is good.  Governors continuously challenge leaders to ensure that all groups of pupils make

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in reading is not as good as in writing and mathematics.  A few teachers do not use assessment information effectively to plan tasks and activities that match the needs of all groups of learners.  There are some inconsistencies in the quality of feedback and guidance that teachers provide to pupils in their marking.  A few teachers do not provide sufficient time for pupils to read and respond to their comments so that they can improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 11 lessons, of which all but one was jointly observed with the headteacher.  A telephone conversation took place with the local authority’s Senior Improvement Partner and there was a meeting with seven members of the governing body. There were also other meetings with staff.  The inspector considered parents’ views of the school through discussions with them and the 46 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector also interviewed some pupils at lunchtime and break time to get their views about the school, observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and listened to them read.  The inspector examined a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress and monitoring documentation, and looked at pupils’ work, behaviour records and attendance figures.

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Inspection team

Janice Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Approximately 8% of the pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, additional funding provided for looked-after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and children of service families. This figure is well below the national average. In this school it applies to pupils who are eligible for free school meals.  Most of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is similar to the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standard, which sets minimum expectations for attainment and progress. None of the school’s pupils is taught in any alternative provision.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher joined the school in April 2010 and five new

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by:  ensuring that assessment information is used more consistently to plan tasks and activities that match the needs of all groups of learners  ensuring that feedback in teachers’ marking provides clear guidance to pupils on how they can further improve their work  providing pupils with more time to read and respond to teachers’ comments in their marking.  Accelerate pupils’ progress in reading by:  providing pupils with more opportunities to explore how the structure and organisation of texts can convey different meaning to readers  creating more opportunities for pupils to explore the way that a writer’s use of words can convey layers of meaning and influence the reader.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils make good progress in English and mathematics, although pupils’ reading skills are slightly weaker than their writing skills.  Most children enter Reception with skills that are in line with expectations for their age in all areas of learning, and a few have skill levels that are above expectations. They make good progress because the teacher and supporting adults plan lessons that are engaging and their probing questions challenge the children to think intensely before responding.  Most pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1. In 2012, their attainment in the Year 1 linking of letters and sounds check was similar to the national average. At the end of Year 2, most pupils make better progress in mathematics and writing.  Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2. However, because of the small cohort size and a few pupils joining at different points during the school year, attainment overall is broadly average in

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The achievement of pupils is good

English and mathematics at the end of Year 6. Attainment in mathematics is slightly higher than the national figure.  Throughout the school, pupils’ progress in reading is not as strong as in writing and mathematics because in lessons, there are sometimes insufficient opportunities for pupils to examine and explore how the organisation and structure of texts helps to convey meaning. In some reading lessons, pupils do not get enough opportunities to explore a writer’s use of words and the effect these words may have on a reader as well as conveying different meanings.  Most pupils, especially those in Years 5 and 6, make good progress in writing because teachers creates interesting scenarios in the classroom that stimulate pupils’ interest and engagement.  In other classes, pupils make good progress in writing because there is a strong emphasis on pupils using a range of sentence structures and punctuation to make their writing more

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The achievement of pupils is good

interesting.  Pupils, including the most able, make good progress in mathematics because they are given many opportunities to explore different solutions to a concept and they often discuss and explain the method used to solve the problems.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make better progress than their peers in reading and mathematics, but they make similar progress to their peers in writing.  In most classes, pupils eligible for the pupil premium are making better progress than their peers in English and mathematics. In 2012, the attainment of Year 6 pupils known to be eligible for free school meals was approximately a year ahead of their peers in English and mathematics. These pupils make better progress than their peers because of the additional guidance and support that they receive.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good because most teachers consistently plan engaging activities, check on pupils’ understanding regularly during lessons and provide challenging tasks that make pupils apply their knowledge to solving different problems.  Teaching is consistently good in Reception and Years 5 and 6. In Reception, children are given many activities to stretch their imagination and develop their literacy and counting skills.  In a Reception numeracy lesson, the activities were planned well and matched children’s different abilities. Some children were given two-digit numbers to put in the right order; others walked around the school finding numbers, while a few more-able children were given the opportunity to form their own three-digit numbers and examine which was larger. All children made good progress because they were fully engaged in the activities and were continuously asked questions that made them apply their counting skills in different scenarios.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Year 5 and 6 English class, the classroom was designed with a rainforest theme. As pupils entered the classroom, there were leaves, twigs, a log fire design on the ground and a variety of sound effects from the forest. Pupils were then challenged to listen to the sounds and construct a poem. All pupils were confident in identifying and using different language features to make their writing more interesting. Consequently, all made good progress in constructing their sound poems.  In a few lessons, teachers do not use pupils’ assessment information regularly enough to plan activities that match the different abilities of all pupils. Consequently, in a few lessons some pupils do not make as good progress as their peers.  In many lessons, additional adults offer good guidance and support to pupils who have special educational needs and all lessons are planned to meet the needs of hearing-impaired pupils. As

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The quality of teaching is good

a result, they often make good progress in lessons.  In some books, the teachers’ comments in their marking are detailed and provide good guidance for pupils to improve, but in others the comments do not provide sufficiently good advice so pupils know how to improve. In books where teachers provide more detailed and helpful comments, this guidance is sometimes not acted upon by pupils because they are not given enough time to read and respond to the teachers’ advice.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very polite and caring. Throughout the school, there is a very inclusive environment where older pupils look after the younger ones.  Around the school, pupils are friendly and very helpful but in a few lessons, some pupils become a bit restless when lessons are not sufficiently engaging.  At break times, older and younger pupils play well together. They enjoy using the playground equipment and take great care when using the climbing frames.  All pupils are treated equally and they say everyone knows each other. Pupils say they feel safe and many say there is no bullying. One pupil said, ‘I have been in this school 50 days and I have already made 10 friends.’  Pupils praise the resources in the school and say that they like moving to a new class because they make friends with other pupils. One pupil said, ‘We are like a huge family. We get excited when new children join the school.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy the many after-school clubs and participate in fundraising events for charity. They also say they like themed days such as ‘Language And Culture Days’ .  The Year 5 and 6 pupils describe themselves as ‘trustworthy’ because they are given many opportunities to handle a range of equipment such as utensils in cooking club.  Pupils take on many roles of responsibilities. Some enjoy being table monitors at lunchtime because they get to look after pupils who are sitting on their table. Others like being corridor monitors.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe while using the internet. They know that they do not respond to unknown invitations and they should report such incidents, if they happen, to an adult. Pupils also know how to keep safe when they are not in school. A few cycle to school and know how to ride safely on the roads.  the majority of the parents who were interviewed and those who responded to Parent View say

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that their children are safe and happy and make good progress at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good because pupils are now making better progress in writing and mathematics and the quality of teaching across the school is mostly good.  The school’s self-evaluation is mostly in line with the findings of the inspection.  Since the headteacher has been in post, he has amended the behaviour policy. There is now a system of praise and rewards for positive behaviour. There are now clear sanctions for negative behaviour and this is known by all. He has also introduced the three core values of respect, responsibility and courage. Consequently, pupils are friendly and respectful towards their peers and adults.  The headteacher has improved the performance management systems and there are now clearer targets for teachers that are linked to their professional development and efforts to improve pupils’ progress.  There are many training courses identified for teachers and leaders to do additional training.

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The leadership and management are good

Recently, there has been tablet computer training for teachers. As a result, in many small-group sessions and in Reception, pupils are now using this technology confidently to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.  The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social skills well. Assemblies are organised with topics that are of interest to all pupils and they are very attentive during the reflective periods. Pupils enjoy many clubs that build their confidence and promote their social development. They enjoy cooking and many after-school sports activities.  The new sports funding is being spent on employing sports coaches who provide training for teachers to improve their skills. The funding also provides many additional sports clubs and after-school activities which are well received by pupils. In physical education lessons, pupils are often excited to participate in activities and they enjoy the many physical activities. As a result,

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The leadership and management are good

they are more aware of the importance of keeping healthy.  The pupil premium funding has been used effectively to employ an extra teacher to teach specific groups of pupils, provide additional support from additional adults and assist with funding for trips, swimming lessons, or any other school events.  Leaders have worked well with the local authority, which has provided ‘light-touch’ support for this good school; the most recent support has been to verify the accuracy of teachers’ marking of pupils’ writing assessments in Years 2 and 6.  The governance of the school:  Governors continuously challenge leaders to ensure that all groups of pupils are making accelerated progress. They have attended training courses to enhance their skills. They know how the school’s performance compares with other schools’ nationally and each governor is linked to a subject. They know that pupils’ progress in reading is not as good as in writing and

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The leadership and management are good

are rigorously monitoring pupils’ progress through new termly visits and discussions with class teachers and the headteacher. Governors set challenging targets for leaders to monitor pupils’ progress thoroughly. They are aware of the quality of teaching and can accurately identify classes where further support and development is needed. Governors are aware of the performance management systems in the school and the way pay is linked to performance.  Governors know that the sports funding is spent on employing sports coaches and purchasing extra sports packages from a local secondary school. They know that pupils enjoy attending the many sports clubs and activities. They know that the pupil premium funding is used mostly for small-group support and extra tuition. As a result, eligible pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing has improved. Governors ensure that safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 118663 Local authority Kent Inspection number 429556

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 98 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bruce Claridge Headteacher Vincent Chan Date of previous school inspection 14 January 2009 Telephone number 01303 813276 Fax number 01303 813276 Email address office@brabourne.kent.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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