Berrywood Primary School

School report Berrywood Primary School Maunsell Way, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 2TL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement as it is not yet good. This is because teaching over time has not been good enough.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve nor do they provide work that is well enough matched to their learning needs to enable good progress.  Inconsistencies in the quality of teacher feedback and a lack of opportunity for pupils to respond mean that they do not all benefit from clear guidance on how to improve their work.  Teachers do not sufficiently question pupils in a way that extends or deepens their understanding.  In mathematics, progress is barely adequate in some year groups at Key Stage 2. Work is not well enough matched to pupils’ needs and there is not enough emphasis on encouraging pupils to think mathematically, or solve practical problems, and this slows progress.  Senior, subject and aspect leaders, some of whom are new, are not yet fully effective in

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The school has the following strengths

 Progress is accelerating across the school, with evidence of good progress in some year groups, particularly in reading.  An exciting, well-organised learning environment and excellent relationships ensure that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get a good start to their education and achieve well.  The school is a caring, supportive community and pupils respond with good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to learn and are thoughtful, kind and caring towards each other.  The introduction of a project-based approach to pupils’ learning is engaging their interest and raising their achievement. Project celebrations involving parents showcase this well.  Strong, inspirational leadership by the new headteacher has ensured all staff and governors are fully committed to making sure that the school improves quickly after a period of significant decline since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 32 lessons or part lessons, of which four were joint observations with senior staff.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and five other governors, the headteacher and other senior staff. Additionally, a meeting was held with a local authority officer.  The inspectors took account of the 162 responses to the online Parent View survey. Inspectors also spoke to several parents when they brought their children to school. The inspectors took account of the 33 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ current progress, planning and checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, the sports premium action plan and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors listened to pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read.

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Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Westall Additional Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector Cliff Mainey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Berrywood is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care, from armed forces families, or those known to be eligible for free school meals) is low.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A new headteacher was appointed in April 2013. The deputy headteacher is currently on secondment to a local primary school as acting headteacher.  There is a breakfast and after-school club which were looked at as part of this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement overall, but especially in mathematics at Key Stage 2, by ensuring consistently good or better teaching through:  ensuring work is challenging for all pupils  ensuring questioning extends pupils’ understanding and deepens their thinking  raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve so that they more frequently work to their potential  improving the quality of feedback, so that all pupils are clear about how to improve and are involved in setting the next steps for their learning  providing work in mathematics that does not put a ceiling on pupils’ learning but encourages them to think mathematically and solve practical problems.  Build the capacity of leadership and management to drive improvement by:  continuing to develop senior, subject and aspect leaders so that they play an increasing role in supporting the headteacher in ensuring rapid school improvement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Although pupils’ attainment is above average, their progress in, writing and mathematics mainly requires improvement. Progress is beginning to accelerate due to the huge focus by the new headteacher on improving the quality of teaching and learning across the school.  Children start in Reception with skills and abilities that are mainly better than those expected for their age. They make good progress and mostly meet or exceed the Early Learning Goals on entry to Year 1.  Recent improvements in writing are linked to more opportunities for extended writing in project work such as Afrikids and Tomb Raiders. However, inconsistencies in marking and insufficient attention to meeting pupils’ differing learning needs slow down pupils’ progress.  Achievement in reading is better than in other subjects. Daily ‘reading roundabout’ sessions ensure the development of key skills as well as promoting interest and enjoyment. Pupils who

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

read to the inspectors were confident and successful. Key Stage 1 pupils used their phonic skills well to decode unknown words.  Pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening assessment. This is due to the effective teaching of letters and sounds both in Reception and Key Stage 1.  In mathematics, numeracy is covered well, but pupils have too few opportunities to try out new methods and make deductions. Additionally, work is not always pitched at the right level for pupils, particularly more able pupils, and this limits their progress.  The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs requires improvement. It is now, however, more closely aligned with other pupils in the school due to recent improvements including the appointment of a new coordinator and training for support staff. Pupils say they enjoy the small group work as they get help more quickly than they do in whole-

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

class sessions.  Careful checks on pupils’ progress ensures that those falling behind are identified and given additional support. This is helping to ensure that the gaps in the performance of different groups are closing and there is greater equality of opportunity.  Pupils who attract the pupil premium because they are eligible for free school meals, are looked after or are from services families reached average standards in the national tests in English and mathematics in terms of their attainment. Last summer their results showed that their progress was similar to other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics. The attainment and progress of pupils in the current Year 6 who attract the pupil premium are broadly average in all three subjects. The school provides well for these pupils and consequently there is very little gap between their performance and other groups in the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement as it has not been good enough over time to ensure pupils learn effectively. Although it is improving, inconsistencies in practice remain and this limits pupils’ overall progress.  In mathematics, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to solve mathematical problems or question them in a way that develops their mathematical understanding. Occasionally, such as in a lesson in Year 4 and in the mathematics exhibition, pupils had good opportunities to solve problems and make deductions enabling them to make good progress in their mathematical thinking.  In some lessons, a lack of challenging questioning means that pupils do not get enough opportunities to extend their ideas or develop their skills.  Although teachers mainly give regular feedback to pupils, they do not always give pupils clear guidance on how to improve or involve pupils in responding or setting the next steps in their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

learning and this limits pupils’ involvement in making their work better.  Teaching is improving, with some good teaching seen during the inspection. Where lessons are effective, questioning challenges pupils and deepens their understanding, work effectively meets the needs of different groups, tasks are interesting and resources are well used.  Good teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures children learn well. For example, exciting role-play areas stimulate discussion and staff interactions with children extend their knowledge and understanding.  Teaching assistants provide appropriate support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is clearly targeted at their specific needs.  Teachers mainly make sound use of homework, including research for topics, spelling and regular reading. They do not always mark it carefully and this limits its impact.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers use topic work well to provide opportunities for pupils to write in other subjects. For example, pupils write about the importance of families in religious education, and ancient Egyptian farming in history.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Only occasionally, when lessons do not engage them do they become fidgety and lose interest, but mostly their behaviour for learning is better than some lessons warrant.  Over time, there are few recorded incidents of poor behaviour. There are clear sanctions in place and pupils say that these are effective. Pupils also contribute to their class charters where they set their own expectations for behaviour.  Pupils respond well to learning opportunities with positive attitudes and attentiveness. They readily take on responsibilities both in class and as school councillors.  Pupils are clear about what bullying is and found anti-bullying week helpful in this context. They say that there is very little bullying of any kind and they mainly get on well together. There are few recorded incidents of bullying and none of racist behaviour.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel very safe in school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and are confident of adult support should they need it. They are pleased that there is a buddy bench in the playground so no one needs to be lonely at playtime. Staff ensure pupils develop safety awareness through, for example, e-safety, stranger danger, fire and road safety talks. Policies and procedures for behaviour and safeguarding are fully in place.  The school ensures that lunchtimes, although busy, are calm and well organised. School meals are good and packed lunches are wholesome. Several teaching staff eat with the pupils and this supports the calm atmosphere and contributes well to pupils’ behaviour and well-being.  Attendance is high. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.  The school’s breakfast and after-school clubs provide a good range of activities for pupils, healthy food and a safe environment enabling pupils to start and end the day well.  Parents who responded to the online Parent View survey agree that behaviour is good and the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher has worked tirelessly to bring about improvement and with the support of governors, the deputy headteacher and staff has created a positive climate for learning and a staff culture more clearly directed at meeting the needs of pupils. This demonstrates secure capacity for improvement.  Senior staff and subject and aspect leaders have taken on board initiatives instigated by the new headteacher and begun to implement them. However, some are very new to their posts and initiatives are not yet embedded across the school, so the impact is limited so far.  Accurate school evaluation undertaken by the new headteacher on his arrival, led to a substantial review of the school’s provision. A clear action plan is now in place that sets out what needs to be done to secure improvement, particularly in the quality of teaching and learning and this is now a work in progress.  Checks on the quality of teaching and learning are robust. Regular learning walks, direct lesson

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The leadership and management requires improvement

observations including jointly with local authority officers and detailed feedback are gradually bringing about improvement, although inconsistencies in practice remain.  The school has reviewed its process for setting individual and whole-school targets for all staff, appropriate to their level of responsibility. It is rigorous, expects a higher level of accountability from staff in terms of their performance and makes sure that training needs are met. Staff spoken to viewed this change positively.  The school is up-dating its curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 and has enriched it through projects, school trips and events such as the visit of the planetarium. The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum ensures children learn well through planned, purposeful play.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils work well together, know right from wrong and are thoughtful, mature learners.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has used the extra sports funding to appoint a sports specialist teacher to ensure effective physical education teaching and more after-school sporting activities. This long-term appointment will ensure its impact can be sustained.  The local authority has supported the school effectively, since the review initiated by the new headteacher, in order to secure improvement.  There are good links with other schools, including the school to which the deputy headteacher has been seconded.  Parents are mainly happy with the school and what it provides. The main area of concern identified by the online Parent View was the level of information they received. The headteacher has already shared proposals for improving this issue with parents.  The governance of the school: - Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and since the review last year are providing more effective support and challenge to the school. They now have a clear understanding of the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

quality of teaching and learning, because of the local authority review and the headteacher’s termly reports but they are not yet visiting the school enough to check for themselves. They carry out regular health and safety checks and make sure that all safeguarding policies and procedures are in place so that pupils and staff are kept safe. The business manager keeps them well informed of the state of the school finances which they carefully check, including the pupil premium funding and how it is spent. They know how well pupils in the school are doing due to regular updates from the headteacher and the data provided. All governors undertake appropriate training so that they develop their knowledge and skills and are well informed of local and national initiatives. They are involved in setting targets for the management of the headteacher’s performance and have also been involved in the review of the process that is in place for staff.

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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 116249 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 431400

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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 636 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Millman Headteacher Chris Reilly Date of previous school inspection 6 April 2009 Telephone number 01489 780068 Fax number 01489 788841 Email address admin@berrywood-pri.hants.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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