Brookland Junior School

Brookland Junior School Elm Drive, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN8 0RX

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school. In 2013, they reached broadly average standards at the end of Year 6.  Progress is accelerating in all year groups. As a result, attainment is rising rapidly.  A large majority of teaching and learning is good or better. Teachers give pupils plenty of opportunities to take part in lessons.  Teaching is good because realistic, but challenging, targets are set for teachers and those new to the school are supported well.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils say they feel safe and are considerate in their actions to others.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through a wide variety of activities.  Leadership and management are strong and effective. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement.  The information gained from self-evaluation is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

used effectively in the school development plan. Sustained improvement has taken place and is continuing as the school focuses on the next priorities.  The effective governing body and the headteacher ensure that all leaders and managers make a strong contribution to school improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet sufficient outstanding teaching because the pace in lessons occasionally slows. Teachers do not always ensure that all work is at the right level for all pupils throughout the entire lesson.  Progress in writing is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 15 lessons, of which two were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspectors spoke formally with a group of pupils and informally with others during lessons and at break times. They carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ written work.  The inspectors visited assembly, listened to pupils read and discussed their learning in class.  They observed the school’s work and considered a range of documentation, including data about pupils’ achievement, minutes of governing body meetings, records relating to attendance and behaviour, the school’s self-evaluation of its work and information on the setting of targets for teachers.  Meetings were held with the members of the governing body, staff, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 31 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the schools’ own survey, which has been carried out recently. They spoke informally with

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Information about this inspection

parents and carers as they brought their children to school.  An evaluation was made of the views of staff expressed in 15 questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Terrance Mortimer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The majority of the pupils come from White British backgrounds. A quarter come from a variety of other backgrounds, mainly African, White and Black Caribbean, and any other mixed background.  A minority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is in line with the national average. This is extra government funding for particular groups, including pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, and looked after children.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special needs supported through school action is well above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school shares a site with the partner nursery and infant school and Rainbow Pre school,

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Information about this school

which are inspected separately.  School provides a breakfast club, which was included in this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ rate of progress and improve attainment in writing to match those in reading and mathematics by:  clearly focusing on the specific writing skills that pupils need to reach the next level.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that they are always good and better by:  ensuring that all lessons are delivered at a good pace  planning work matched to the needs of all pupils, especially the most-able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enter school with attainment that is similar to expected levels. Progress through the year groups has not been consistently strong enough in the past therefore in 2013 pupils in Year 6 did not make good progress in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Current information shows that pupils throughout the school are now exceeding the nationally expected rate of progress. Evidence shows that attainment continues to improve and is currently higher than it was last year. School assessments and moderation by the local authority show that the current Year 6 is on track to make more than the expected progress from Year 3 to Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards have been rising since the last inspection, although there was a dip in results in 2013 in reading and writing. The rise is due to the improvements in teaching led by the headteacher in the last two years. The school’s data, confirmed by the findings of this inspection, show that as pupils move through the school their progress accelerates. However, progress in reading and mathematics is faster than in writing, which is now the priority focus in the school’s plans.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Improvements in writing are filtering through the school and pupils are doing well. This is because the school ensures pupils have interesting things to write about.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school promotes reading well so pupils develop a love of books and read widely and often. They are given opportunities to apply their skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics across the curriculum, but these are not systematically planned for the more-able pupils to ensure progress is as good in writing as in the other areas.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 An improved focus on solving problems and applying what they have learned in mathematics is showing through in pupils’ science and some topic work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has used assessment information very effectively in recent years to adjust teaching to ensure that there are few variations in progress between different groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, both in comparison with their peers and with national expectations. This is because adults successfully use appropriate resources and ask questions that help to excite them and sustain their concentration and learning in lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported with pupil premium funding in 2013 made progress at a rate similar to other pupils as a result of the support they receive in lessons and targeted teaching. The progress of these pupils has accelerated this year and the gap in attainment between pupils eligible for pupil premium funding and other pupils is closing quickly. In 2013 they were approximately a term behind their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Approaches brought in by the headteacher to improve the quality of teaching are increasing the rate of pupils’ progress. The school’s effective promotion of teaching has ensured that teaching in most lessons, including English and mathematics, is good.  Common strengths are teachers’ good subject knowledge, which has developed especially in mathematics. Staff have good relationships with pupils and high expectations of good behaviour. The good or better lessons have very good pace. Teachers engage the pupils well and use good questioning to reshape tasks through and challenge the needs of all groups. They provide a variety of activities that ensure good development of skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson observations, pupils’ work, school monitoring records and discussions show teaching to be good. Relationships are positive and supportive. Pupils are well behaved and keen to learn. In the most successful lessons, teachers captivate pupils’ interests by making them think for themselves and keep them actively learning throughout the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers give pupils plenty of chance to share their ideas, developing reasoning and thinking skills well. Pupils are often encouraged to explore their own ideas in an open-ended way during these lessons. For example, in a science lesson pupils in Year 4 were investigating conducting and insulating materials. The more-able pupils were challenged to ‘make an insulating glove’ giving reasons for the materials to be used, to act as a team and record their experiment. The result was of immense depth and logic.

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The quality of teaching is good

 While the pace of much teaching is good, time is not always used to the best effect. Sometimes, introductions to lessons take too long, which mean that conclusions to lessons can be rushed. This gives too little opportunity for pupils to reflect on and consolidate their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, communication and mathematics skills are taught effectively, but teachers do not always provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop specific writing skills. This is particularly the case for the more-able pupils and in other subjects of the curriculum.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is particularly good and consistent throughout the school. A genuine dialogue exists between teachers and pupils who respond to the comments made. Pupils have a firm grasp of the standard of their work and what they should do to make improvements.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good support by teaching assistants for disabled pupils with those who have special educational needs helps these pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils cooperate well in lessons and teachers give pupils time to reflect in lessons and reshape their own learning. This was seen in a physical education lesson where pupils Year 6 worked in groups to create a movement piece linked to ‘Hall of the mountain King’. The result was demonstrated to the rest of the class, who critically commented on it for improvement in a supportive manner.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils and the large majority of those parents and carers who responded to the school’s survey or spoke to inspectors recognise that teaching is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In lessons pupils behave well, reflecting teachers’ good management of their behaviour. Systems for managing pupils’ behaviour have improved since the last inspection, reflecting improvements to both leadership and teaching. As a result, there have been no exclusions in the past two years.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other with respect. They cooperate well in lessons and help each other. These characteristics make a very positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are courteous and well-mannered, helped by the excellent examples of conduct set by staff. Around the school, including in the breakfast club, after school and during lunchtime and break, there are many examples of good behaviour and of pupils being sensitively aware of the needs of others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are interested in their work, try hard and concentrate well. They grow in confidence to put forward their ideas and pose questions. Behaviour is not outstanding because in a few lessons, some pupils’ attention wanders when they are not expected to do enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils respond very well to learning in lessons. They are keen to answer questions or contribute to group or class discussions. For example, pupils in one of the classes in Year 5 were energised and thrived on the opportunity they were given to offer or share information about an international event of ‘domino tumbling’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Intervention programmes and the support provided by teaching assistants are very well managed, making best use of funding provided for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium. Most of the money from the pupil premium is spent on additional support staff who are particularly effective in supporting those pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour or who have emotional and learning difficulties.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s behaviour and exclusion records indicate that bullying seldom occurs and pupils know what to do if it does. Each class has its own behaviour log which goes with them throughout the school. All of the pupils spoken with during organised discussions or during lunchtime believe that staff deal very well with any rare disagreements, incidents of name-calling or times when pupils upset others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school fosters good relationships and is successful in tackling any form of discrimination in its cohesive and supportive school community. Pupils feel safe in school, understand about staying safe including dealing with cyber bullying. They enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in attendance rates that are similar to those of most schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has worked tirelessly in the last two years in a strong drive and commitment for the school to become outstanding. All leaders, staff and governors share an ambitious vision of how the school can improve and what they need to do to bring this about. The large majority of parents and carers who responded to the school and spoke to inspectors agree that the school is led and managed well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Rigorous procedures for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching and are in place. Senior leaders have redesigned their approach to tackling improvement through a better understanding of the data. Through the subject leaders, they provide good guidance to teachers on how to plan and deliver more effective lessons. They ensure that professional development is linked closely to performance management. The school makes effective use of the local authority to provide good quality support for new and established teachers. This is improving the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum ensures that strong links are made between subjects and a great focus is placed upon learning key skills. Strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development can be seen clearly in pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Topic themes and ventures such as participation in the NSC Schools’ Shakespeare Festival give pupils good opportunities to reflect upon moral and social issues, show curiosity and creativity and develop their imagination.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school takes great care in its commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination. The progress and attainment of all pupils are monitored rigorously by senior leaders to ensure that they are all making at least good progress. The information is used effectively to target extra support. This has been particularly effective in ensuring the achievement of those pupils supported by the pupil premium.

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The leadership and management are good

 The improvement of the last few years is being sustained. Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have accurate information on the school’s performance. Areas for development are clearly identified and the school development plan provides clear direction on bringing about sustained improvements in teaching and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Procedures for safeguarding children are secure and meet requirements. Training in safeguarding and child protection is up to date for staff and governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors consult regularly with parents and carers, staff and pupils and listen to what they have to say to guide school improvement. Effective systems for monitoring the work of the school enable the governors to understand where improvement is required. They use data effectively to evaluate how well the school is performing in relation to other schools.  Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and check thoroughly that the headteacher is using performance management to tackle any underperformance to improve further the quality of teaching. This is linked well to the performance management of the headteacher.  The governing body checks rigorously upon the impact of spending decisions especially those relating to monies allocated through the pupil premium and the new sports funding. It ensures that teachers’ pay increases are linked to good performance. All statutory

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The leadership and management are good

requirements are met and good use is made of local authority training courses for governors to improve their skills and knowledge.

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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 117233 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 425252

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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 Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Tucker Headteacher Sharon Strank Date of previous school inspection 19 September 2011 Telephone number 01992 624487 Fax number 01992 623223 Email address admin@brooklandjm.herts.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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