New Brighton Primary School

New Brighton Primary School Vaughan Road, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 1LH

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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.  All pupils, whatever their individual starting points, make at least good progress at this school and achieve well.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs, including those who attend the specially resourced provision, achieve well because of the high-quality support and care they receive.  Pupils who join the school at other than the usual times are helped to settle in exceptionally well because of the warm welcome provided by adults and pupils.  Teachers expect the best of pupils. They plan tasks which are interesting, engaging and lead to good progress.  The range of enrichment activities available to all pupils is a real strength of the school and contributes well to their learning and enjoyment.  Pupils are very proud of their school and report they feel safe and happy. Pupils attend regularly and standards of behaviour are good.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of all

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

aspects of the school’s work. They believe that this is a good school and inspectors agree.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide strong leadership for this improving school. They are well supported by other leaders, all staff and the committed, well- informed, governing body.  School leaders regularly check on the quality of teaching. Information gained is used to bring about ongoing improvements. As a result, the quality of teaching is good overall and includes some that is outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small amount of teaching requires improvement and not enough is yet outstanding.  Pupils do not always have the opportunity to correct and improve their work after it has been marked.  The quality of marking is inconsistent.  Individual targets set for pupils to help them improve their work are not specific enough.  Sometimes pupils do not have enough opportunities to work things out for themselves. On occasion, pupils rely too heavily on teachers to answer their questions rather than thinking for themselves.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 24 lessons or parts of lessons.  The inspectors also looked at examples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read. They observed the teaching of reading skills and talked to pupils about the books they have enjoyed and those that they are currently reading.  Meetings were held with three groups of pupils and inspectors spoke to pupils about their work. Inspectors held meetings with three governors. They spoke to a representative of the local authority, the independent School Adviser who works with the school and met with members of the school staff.  The inspectors visited the ‘Bright Sparks’ before- and after-school club to talk to pupils and observed the early morning and after-school sports sessions.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day. They took account of the school’s own questionnaires to parents and pupils and the 52 responses to the online questionnaire

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Information about this inspection

(Parent View). Forty-seven responses to staff questionnaires completed during the inspection were also considered.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including safeguarding documents, records of current standards and progress, the school development plan and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Minutes from governing body meetings were also considered.

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Inspection team

Lyn Pender, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maureen Coleman Additional Inspector Terry Bond Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 New Brighton is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The number on roll has risen by 65 pupils since the last inspection. The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school, particularly in Key Stage 2, is above average.  The nursery has places for 52 children and is fully subscribed. A further intake of around 40 children joins the school’s Reception classes each year.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds with a very small proportion from other heritages. Almost all pupils speak English as their home language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average. An above average proportion of pupils is supported at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through pupil premium funding is above the national average. (This additional funding is provided for those pupils who are known

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Information about this school

to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The local authority provides additional resources for a 12-place unit in Key Stage 1 for pupils with expressive language difficulties and also provides a 10-place unit in Key Stage 2 for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Pupils attending these provisions are drawn from across the local authority.  The ‘Bright Sparks’ breakfast-and after-school club is provided each day during term time for pupils at the school.  The school holds the International Schools award.  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?

 Raise pupils’ achievement further by improving teaching so all is at least good and more is outstanding by:  improving the quality of marking so that all is as good as the best practice that exists in the school and by making sure that pupils act on their teachers’ advice  ensuring that the individual targets set for pupils show them the small steps they need to take to improve their work  making sure that teachers provide more time for pupils to work things out for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The majority of children join the nursery with skills typical for their age, although some aspects, including communication and reading, are lower. Children make good progress and most move up into the school’s Reception classes. Here, they are joined by around the same number of children, many of whom have attended other pre-school settings. Most children who start school in the Reception classes enter with skill levels that are typically lower than those expected for their age.  Good teaching ensures children settle well into the Early Years Foundation Stage and they become happy, interested and busy learners. Most children make at least good progress from their individual starting points and, although there are some variations from year to year, skills are usually close to expected levels for their age by the end of the Reception Year.  Progress from Year 1 to Year 6 is good. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are broadly in line

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The achievement of pupils is good

with the national average overall and in writing and mathematics. Attainment in reading was below the national average in 2013. However, school data and inspection evidence show that changes to the teaching of reading made by school leaders are leading to rapidly rising standards in reading across the school.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly average, although some years they vary. For example, attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2013 was below the national average. However, a higher proportion of pupils in this group than usual started school with achievement levels typically lower than expected. They made at least good progress during Key Stage 1.  Pupils who join the school at other than the normal times achieve well. The gap between these pupils and those who have been in the school for most of their primary education closes as they move up through the school. They make at least good and sometimes rapid progress from their

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The achievement of pupils is good

starting points, which are often lower than those expected for their age.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those who attend the two classes which provide the resourced provision, make at least good progress because their needs are identified quickly and carefully targeted support is provided.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, including those eligible for free school meals, make as good progress as other pupils. By the end of Key Stage 2 these pupils are around a term behind their peers in the school but the attainment gaps are narrower than those seen nationally.  Standards in reading are rising increasing quickly across the school. Letters and sounds are taught successfully and in 2013 the proportion of pupils who met the required standard in the Year 1 reading assessment was broadly as expected. There is some variation linked to pupils’ starting points and abilities, but overall pupils make good progress in reading, reflecting the

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The achievement of pupils is good

good teaching of reading across the school.  Pupils say how much they enjoy reading and like the range of books provided for them. They particularly enjoy the way that their teachers link much of their literacy work to whole-class texts. Many pupils read at home regularly and older classes use the school’s virtual learning environment (VLE) to help with literacy homework activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A calm, welcoming and well-organised learning environment exists throughout the school.  Teaching is mostly good and sometimes it is outstanding, particularly in the Key Stage 2 class which includes the resourced provision. As a result, the majority of pupils achieve well.  Teachers plan lessons which capture the interests of children well. For example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s imaginations were captured as they used their senses to find out about different fruits. They were excited about the trip they were to take to the local greengrocers.  The excellent relationships that exist in the school are a key factor in helping pupils to learn well. Teaching assistants are well trained and deployed, and make a particularly good contribution to supporting the learning of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and those whose circumstances make them vulnerable. Pupils receive good quality in-class support and

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The quality of teaching is good

benefit from well-taught intervention programmes tailored to meet their specific needs and promote their confidence and belief in themselves as learners.  Adults make learning exciting for pupils, such as in a Key Stage 1 class where pupils were learning about animals that live in very cold climates. The adults helped them to take turns visiting the ‘cave’ that had been created in the classroom. Great questioning by the adult enabled pupils to use their imaginations to feel as if they were in the cold place with the animals.  Teachers plan lessons well and use their good subject knowledge and their understanding of how well pupils are doing to ask effective questions and demonstrate new concepts. A Year 6 class was preparing scripts for the filming session planned for the following day. Their teacher asked searching questions which encouraged pupils to think carefully about how they were going to use their time on camera to present their arguments about the need to protect wild

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The quality of teaching is good

animals.  Lessons begin quickly and move at a pace that means no learning time is lost. Some teachers are successful in striking the right balance of time for pupils to listen and answer questions and to discuss ideas with others. Usually teachers ensure that pupils have time to think hard about what they are learning. However, sometimes teachers answer pupils’ questions too readily. This stops pupils thinking for themselves.  Teachers regularly check pupils’ learning in class through questioning and ongoing checks on pupils’ understanding. Although books are marked regularly, teachers’ comments do not always show pupils how to improve. Even where marking provides good guidance, gaps in learning are not always made up quickly enough because pupils do not have enough time to act on the advice given or make the suggested corrections to their work.  Individual targets are set in English and mathematics. However, these are sometimes too broad

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The quality of teaching is good

to enable pupils to see the small steps they need to take to improve.  Homework is set regularly and provides effective support for pupils’ learning, for example, when planning for lengthier pieces of writing.  Decisive actions by the school have resulted in improved teaching of reading and led to an increase in pupils’ enjoyment of books. Pupils read regularly and standards in reading are improving. Younger pupils benefit from a firm grounding in learning about letters and the sounds they make, and they use this well to tackle new words.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Behaviour in lessons and around school is good. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated and individuals are well supported to overcome any barriers to learning. Equal opportunities are promoted well, discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and harmonious relationships are evident around the school.  Pupils, including those who attend the resourced provision, say they feel safe in school and their parents overwhelmingly agree that their children are safe and well cared for. Pupils understand different forms of bullying including cyber-bullying. They say that incidents are rare and trust the adults to resolve any problems quickly and fairly.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school very carefully considers pupils’ social and emotional development. The learning mentor and family support worker work very closely with parents and other agencies. They work relentlessly to make sure that any pupil

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

or members of their family experiencing a period of difficulty receive the support they need.  The school is rightly proud of the ‘Tranquillity Room’ which is situated in the heart of the school. This calm and peaceful space offers a safe place for pupils to explore their feelings and to help them recognise how they feel about themselves and others while also learning strategies to help them improve their social and relationship skills.  Pupils enjoy contributing to the life of the school, for example, as school councillors and play leaders.  Pupils arrive at school on time. Attendance is above average and reflects pupils’ enjoyment of school as well as their parents’ support.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff and leaders, including governors, share the headteacher’s ambition for the school. All are committed to providing the best possible care and education for pupils. The school has good capacity to continue to move forward.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s performance. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and these are reflected in the school’s plans for improvement.  Increasingly secure systems are in place to track the progress of pupils. Leaders take careful note of the pupils who are new to the school, including those who attend the resourced bases, as well as those who have attended the school since the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where there are gaps in pupils’ achievement or if any pupils start to fall behind, staff take prompt action to help them catch up.  Senior leaders have an accurate picture of the quality of teaching. They ensure staff have access

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The leadership and management are good

to a wide range of training to improve their skills. Best teaching practices are shared across the school and teachers’ targets and pay awards are securely linked to the progress that pupils make.  The resourced bases are managed very well. Pupils learn in their bases and some regularly join their peers in the other classes for parts of the day.  Subject leaders are highly motivated and passionate about the subjects they lead. They know about the performance of the subjects they lead and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. All of this is helping to improve the quality of teaching.  Pupils’ learning is enriched by a wide range of visits, including a number of residential trips. Plenty of opportunities are provided for pupils to practise reading, writing and mathematics skills through other subjects. Teachers make the best use of the school’s limited outdoor space by using the local beach and parks for learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 An extremely varied, well-attended programme to develop sporting skills is offered at the beginning and end of each day through the primary sports funding. This is developing sporting skills very well, including those of swimming, and is engaging pupils in regular, active and fun sessions which are promoting a healthy lifestyle effectively.  School leaders have the confidence of parents. Regular communications with parents ensure that they are informed about and actively involved in their children’s education.  The school works closely with a cluster of local primary schools. A teacher in the school helps other schools in the local authority develop their teaching of information and communication technology.  The local authority provides an appropriate level of support for this good school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body thoroughly reviews the school’s work. Governors hold accurate views of

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The leadership and management are good

the quality of the teaching and effectively check the management of the school’s performance. They regularly visit the school and are linked to year groups and school subjects. Governors ask searching questions of senior leaders and request additional information if needed. Valuable support is provided for the headteacher. Governors set her challenging targets and ensure teachers’ pay is linked to pupils’ achievement. Governors have a secure understanding of the allocation of pupil premium funding and the primary sports funding and check the impact of this additional funding carefully. Governors ensure that their strengths and expertise are used effectively to support the school and have undertaken relevant training to enable them to fulfil their roles. Finances are managed well and safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. The chair is a member of the local authority’s Governors’ Forum.

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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 104992 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 440359

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 592 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ken Frost Headteacher Coleen Hibbard Date of previous school inspection 7 April 2011 Telephone number 0151 6393869 Fax number 0151 6389102 Email address schooloffice@newbrighton.wirral.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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