Bressingham Primary School

Bressingham Primary School School Road, Bressingham, Diss, IP22 2AR

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. Some pupils make outstanding progress.  Children get a good start to school life in the Reception class. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s learning and have regular opportunities to work alongside them in the classroom.  Almost all teaching is good or outstanding. Lessons are lively and interesting and teachers plan work which is well-matched to pupils’ different abilities.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They are enthusiastic about their learning and work well together and independently in lessons.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of staying safe in different situations. They have contributed to ensuring the playground is a safe and enjoyable place for all ages of pupils.  Leadership and management are outstanding. The strong leadership of the headteacher has ensured that the quality of teaching has

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improved considerably since the last inspection, as has achievement.  The senior leaders regularly check how well pupils are doing and make sure that all pupils are making good progress. They quickly identify where support is needed and make sure it is effective.  Governors are very supportive and visit regularly to make sure that improvement priorities are being addressed. They ask challenging questions to hold the headteacher and senior staff accountable for improving the school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is particularly good and underpins their extremely positive attitudes to learning and good achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 While most teaching is at least good, it is not yet outstanding across the school.  Occasionally, teachers do not realise quickly enough that some groups of pupils already understand a task and are ready to move on to more challenging work.  Some pupils are working at levels well above that expected for their age. Not all staff have had the opportunity to develop the skills to support them.  Homework is not checked and marked as rigorously as work done in school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons or parts of lessons, all of which were seen together with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other staff, a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, and with a representative of the local authority.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers.  The inspector took account of the 29 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 13 completed staff questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school’s work and reviewed a range of documentation including the school’s checks on its performance, its analysis and tracking of pupils’ progress, records of behaviour and safety, school improvement plans, records relating to classroom observations and the management of staff performance, safeguarding arrangements and records of meetings of the governing body.  She also looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and checked information on pupils’

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Inspection team

Susan Hughes, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, which is additional funding for certain groups such as pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care, is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion of those supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs, is above average.  Most of the teaching and support staff have joined the school since the last inspection. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader started in September 2013.  The governing body has changed most of its membership since the last inspection. The Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body took up post in September 2012, and four new governors have joined in the last year.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding by ensuring that:  all teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons so that they can quickly identify how pupils can be rapidly moved forward in their learning  all staff have the opportunity to develop skills to support pupils who are working well-above the level expected for their age  homework is checked and marked to the same high standards as work done in school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills that are typical for their age, but this differs from year to year. Some children start with weaker literacy and numeracy skills but all children make good progress in the Reception class and start in Key Stage 1 with skills that are broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. The results of the national screening check on how well pupils know the sounds that letters represent in words (phonics) in Year 1 were above average. Pupils use these skills well to read unfamiliar words. For example, during the inspection, a Year 2 pupil was able to read ‘creatures’ and ‘instance’ confidently and fluently, helping her enjoy the humour in her book.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium make good progress in English and mathematics. There is no significant difference between their achievement and that of other pupils in school and they do better than other similar pupils nationally. The premium funding is used effectively to enable them to be taught in small groups or individually, as necessary, so that they learn well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and achieve well because support for them is well-matched to their specific needs. Additional adults in the classroom are well-briefed and receive good training, enabling them to give high quality support. The school ensures that pupils who receive substantial one-to-one support work with different adults during the week to encourage independence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In all years, pupils work with enthusiasm and sustained interest. They have positive attitudes to learning which underpins their good achievement. For example, a Year 6 pupil explained that she chose her reading book to challenge herself as this would help her develop her reading skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment can vary between different cohorts because of their different skills when they start. For example, attainment for Years 2 and 6 in 2013 was slightly lower than in the previous year but pupils had made good progress from their individual starting points. Standards were broadly average by the end of Key Stage 2. In the past, weaker teaching has hampered achievement but over the last two years pupils have made good and outstanding progress which has closed gaps in attainment. Some pupils are now working well-above the level expected for their age.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is at least good and some is outstanding because lessons are lively and interesting. Work is well-matched to pupils’ abilities. For example, in a mathematics lesson, some more-able pupils were tackling increasingly complex equations and plotting them as line graphs while others were identifying co-ordinates in four quadrants of reflected shapes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning because all teachers consistently encourage good learning behaviour and independent learning skills. They provide pupils with self-help strategies and encourage pupils’ to use their initiative. For example, in the Reception class, some children independently chose to write down details of their band, while others wrote a plan of which instruments would best fit the story they were working on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who receive help from the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are all well supported. They receive a good balance of small-group and whole-class teaching where the tasks are well matched to their specific needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking in books is thorough and helpful. All teachers give pupils good guidance as to how they can improve and pupils are routinely given the opportunity to respond. Homework, however, is not so rigorously checked and marked. While is it varied and interesting, teachers do not always make sure that the correct amount is completed or give helpful guidance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pace of lesson is usually brisk and little time is wasted. Occasionally, however, teachers do not notice quickly enough when pupils have shown that they understand a task. They are not moved on to the next step in their learning as quickly as they could be.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Other adults in the classroom are very well-briefed because teachers share and discuss their planning and what they expect pupils to learn. This means that all adults are aware of how best to support pupils. However, not all staff have developed the skills necessary to support those who are working well-above the level expected of them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They show great respect for adults and each other, are courteous and well-mannered. For example, during the inspection, pupils automatically stood back for others to go through doors, were overheard apologising for any minor incident and politely asking each other for equipment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 On the playground, there is plenty of space for pupils to run around and develop their physical well-being. However, as a result of pupils’ own suggestions, areas have been designated for the younger pupils and for quiet play. Older pupils keep a thoughtful and caring look out for younger ones, supporting them in their play. Recent training as play leaders is designed to extend this support to more organised pupil-led games. The youngest pupils value their older ‘buddies’ who help them settle in when they start school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have a very good understanding of what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They described types of emotional bullying as well as physical and cyber bullying. They were adamant that this did not happen in the school but that any problems were swiftly dealt with by adults. Pupils new to the school said it was much safer and happier than those they had come from.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Internet safety is given high importance in the school. Pupils have a very good awareness of staying safe when they use the computer and in other situations, including road safety, dialling the emergency services and being safe when cycling.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and are enthusiastic about their learning. They concentrate well on tasks and persevere when faced with work that they find difficult. All pupils show a pride in their work and are eager to share their accomplishments with other pupils and adults in school. Those few who find behaving well difficult have been supported by sensitive staff who provide consistent strategies for good behaviour. This has resulted in great improvements and all pupils are now able to participate fully in lessons with no disruption.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say they greatly enjoy school and parents agree that it is a very happy place to be. This is reflected in their above-average attendance.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The strong leadership of the headteacher has resulted in considerable improvements in teaching and achievement since the last inspection. A legacy of weaker teaching and poor progress in the past has been addressed and most pupils are now working at or above the level expected for their age.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has ensured that the senior leaders in the school have the skills required to rigorously check pupils’ progress often enough to quickly identify any pupils in danger of falling behind. These pupils are then helped to keep up through well-planned support, the impact of which is always measured.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The appraisal system introduced last year contributes to improvements in teaching. Leaders’ judgements about teachers’ performance are based directly on how much progress their pupils make and how well they fulfil their different roles in the school. Individual targets are used by senior leaders and the governing body to measure whether promotion up the pay scale is justified by results. A similar system has been introduced for other adults working in the school to make sure that all staff have professional development opportunities whilst providing high quality support for pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The curriculum is well planned to help pupils develop literacy, numeracy and communication skills in different subjects. Pupils were asked about the lessons they enjoy and how they learn best. This information was used by senior leaders to reshape the curriculum which provides a good range of practical and exciting activities for pupils, while ensuring that they develop the skills they need.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Physical education is taught well and many additional clubs provide sporting and creative opportunities to help pupils to lead healthy lifestyles. The school has robust plans to develop this further over the coming year using the primary school sports funds. Good use is made of links with other local schools to provide wider sporting and competitive opportunities.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school communicates well with parents. They are invited to themed days and special weeks when pupils share their learning. Parents of Reception children are notified every week of what their children have learnt and are invited in every Friday to help compile their children’s ‘Learning Journey’ for the week.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school rigorously promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination. All pupils are fully involved in activities regardless of need or ability. They make good progress and some pupils from all groups make outstanding progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is particularly good. Pupils develop very strong social skills through contributions to the local food bank, performing at local care homes and nurseries and participation in village events. An understanding of the wider world and different cultures is also well developed through visits from Belarusian children each year, and strong links with a school in Malawi.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has accurately identified the school’s strengths and so provides minimal support. However, the school has accessed a wide range of training courses provided by the local authority which it has found very useful.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Although relatively new in its current form, the expertise and experience of individual governors strengthens the work of the governing body, which is highly supportive of the school. The Chair meets with the headteacher every week and governors visit regularly to check how well the school is doing. Visits are routinely reported to other governors and areas for further questions or discussion are identified. During meetings, when presented with data about pupils’ progress, and other information about the school, governors ask searching questions which challenge the headteacher and senior leaders, holding them accountable for the continued improvement of the school. They understand how achievement has improved over the last two years and have high aspirations for it to improve even more. Finance is managed very well. Governors check that funding, such as the pupil premium and primary sports funding, is spent appropriately and make

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The leadership and management are outstanding

sure that it helps pupils. Governors have ensured that an appraisal system for teachers and other staff is in place and fully understand its impact on the quality of teaching and support. Governors regularly check their own performance and identify how the governing body can improve its support and challenge. Governors have made sure that national requirements for safeguarding and child protection are fully 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 120789 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 425266

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 97 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sam Howard Headteacher Mr Gavin King Date of previous school inspection 9 November 2011 Telephone number 01379 687318 Fax number 01379 687385 Email address office@bressingham.norfolk.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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