Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School

Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School Westbourne View, Sutton in Ashfield, NG17 2HT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  The governing body is well informed and works successfully with staff to improve the school’s performance. There is a shared strategic vision to continue this improvement.  All leaders have contributed to the improvements made in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Staff morale is high. They have made sure that pupils have the opportunity to achieve as well as they can.  The progress pupils make is good, particularly in reading and mathematics. Pupils reach average standards by the end of Year 6 from low starting points. All groups of pupils achieve well.  Pupils enjoy being at school and feel safe. They work hard and are keen to learn.  Progress in writing is increasing rapidly.  The gap between the attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals and that of other pupils is closing quickly in all classes because of the sharply focused help they receive.  Teaching is good overall, and some is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

outstanding. Teachers are very skilled at supporting pupils to have confidence in their own ability, and in motivating them to learn.  Pupils get along well together. The vast majority behave well because the school’s procedures to support this are good.  The school’s family support worker provides valuable support and guidance for pupils and parents.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ handwriting, spelling and their use of grammar and punctuation are not good enough and are holding back their progress in writing, which is weaker than in reading and mathematics.  The attendance of a small minority of pupils is too low.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 26 lessons. Six of these were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils from the school council and other pupils during break and lunch-times, and in lessons.  Inspectors took account of the 43 responses made by parents through the online questionnaire Parent View and the school’s most recent parental questionnaire. The views of parents given on the telephone and at the start of the school day were also considered.  Inspectors took account of the 25 questionnaires received from staff.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, and with school staff. A telephone conversation was conducted with a representative of the local authority.  The school’s most recent test results and current assessments of pupils’ progress and attainment were looked at in detail. Pupils’ work in books was also considered.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents and policies and checked to see how they work in

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Information about this inspection

practice on a day-to-day basis. These included those relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.

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Inspection team

Alison Cogher, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stuart Pearson Additional Inspector Sara Storer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School is larger than the average-sized primary school. It opened in September 2012 following the amalgamation of a primary school and a nursery school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. This is additional government funding for pupils looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of such pupils supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club during term time. There is a separate children’s centre on the school site which is inspected and reported upon separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ progress and attainment in writing by making sure that:  handwriting is taught systematically throughout the school and the expectation of pupils’ presentation is consistently high  the teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar improves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work with the parents of pupils whose attendance is too low to make sure that it improves and is always as good as it can be.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Teachers ensure that pupils of all ages and ability achieve equally well. An improving trend has been established as the progress made by all groups of pupils is accelerating rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the school’s Nursery or Reception classes with skills and knowledge that are much lower than those typically seen. They experience a wide range of stimulating activities and are very well supported by adults, so make good progress in all areas of their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, fewer children than nationally in the Reception class reached a good level of development. Improved planning and the targeting of adults to support children, including those supported by the pupil premium have worked well. Many more children have developed the skills at the level typically found for their age this year, and they made good progress from their low starting points. They are prepared well for their learning in Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, although the majority of pupils had made good progress, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was low at the end of Year 2. Assessment information and pupils’ current work indicates that because the progress of almost all pupils’ has increased they are already working at a higher level than last year in these subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment in Year 6 in 2013 was average in reading and mathematics. Writing attainment was significantly lower. However, these results represent good progress in the light of pupils’ low starting points in Year 3. Attainment in these subjects for the current Year 6 pupils is higher than last year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s focus on accelerating pupils’ progress has been successful and has led to rapid improvement in attainment for all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading is promoted strongly as an enjoyable activity. Opportunities are seized for pupils to use their reading skills in lessons to support their learning in other subjects. Much improved phonics (the sounds letters make) teaching has given pupils the confidence and skills they need to tackle unfamiliar words when reading. The individual support provided for pupils in Years 1 and 2 who are struggling is very effective in helping them to overcome sometimes significant difficulties in learning to read.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils become confident in handling numbers and are regularly challenged to use what they know to solve problems in mathematics. They give reasons for their choice of calculation method and explain confidently how they arrived at their answers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The declaration of one Year 1 pupil that, ‘We love writing sentences.’ exemplifies the schools’ success in enthusing pupils to learn to write. However, pupils’ handwriting, spelling, grammar and punctuation skills are not sufficiently developed to enable them to sustain a consistently good standard of writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The gap between the attainment of pupils supported by the pupil premium and other pupils was significant for Year 6 pupils in 2013. These pupils lagged behind their classmates by about a year in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the progress they made was as good as others. The targeted use of funding to support these pupils in all year groups has been very effective with the result that the gap has halved in the last twelve months.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve as well as other pupils. They receive good quality support, in a small group or as individuals, that often results in their making very good progress. This support extends to pupils who have difficulty managing their behaviour as well as those with specific learning difficulties.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Teachers make sure that the work the most able pupils have to complete is harder than for other pupils. This helps these pupils to make good progress and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Across the school, good teaching is the norm with some that is outstanding. Positive, respectful relationships are cultivated in all classes and contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their positive attitudes to learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are very alert to pupils’ confidence about their learning, and support them extremely well to ‘have a go’ without fear of failure. The encouragement and praise pupils receive help them to develop good levels of self-esteem and the belief that they can learn well. Care is taken to help pupils to see the relevance of their learning by linking it to real life situations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good use is made of the indoor and outdoor spaces to support learning in the Nursery and Reception classes. Children’s early reading, writing and mathematical skills, as well as their personal skills, develop well because planning is continually modified to take account of what children need to learn next. For example, this year teachers have planned activities around topics that appeal to boys and increased the emphasis on developing early writing skills. This has made sure that all children, and in particular boys, have made much better progress this year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Action taken to improve the teaching of reading, phonics and mathematics has been very successful. Teaching of these is now consistently good across the school. The teaching of handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar is often good but not enough time is spent on these elements in lessons on writing. Consequently, pupils do not always make good progress in developing their skills in these areas and this holds back the progress they make in writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ behaviour is managed well by all adults so there is little disruption in lessons. This includes the management of the few pupils who find behaving well at all times very difficult. Very thorough behaviour plans for these pupils ensure that they stay on task in lessons and that they do not interfere with the learning of others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typically, teachers remind pupils about what they have learned in the past before moving them on. This helps pupils to develop good levels of confidence and makes sure that their learning moves forwards at a good rate. Very good use is made of questioning to check pupils’ understanding in lessons and swift action is taken to correct any errors. ‘Teachers help us to get to the right answer without telling us.’ is an approach pupils are confident helps them to learn well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The marking of pupils’ work and the feedback provided are good and help pupils to move on with their learning at a good pace.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers evaluate lessons and use this, and ongoing assessment information to plan activities that will take pupils’ learning forwards quickly. Pupils of all abilities, including the most able, are challenged to improve. If necessary, additional support is provided quickly for pupils who need help to grasp a new skill or secure their understanding. Skilled teaching assistants are well deployed and work in partnership with teachers to ensure pupils’ learn well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance has improved and is at least average for the vast majority of pupils. Pupils enjoy school, get along well together and are polite and welcoming.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The overwhelming majority have positive attitudes to learning, move around the school in an orderly manner and play happily together at break-time. Pupils say that behaviour has improved a lot and that any unacceptable behaviour is dealt with quickly. The school’s procedures ensure that they can all ‘have another chance’ to make good choices.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that bullying of any kind, including name calling, is rare and is ‘sorted out fast’. They have a good knowledge of e-safety and how to manage personal risk, for example that linked to drugs. Pupils feel supported by adults who they consider to be ‘kind and caring’, and understand how the school’s three rules help them to be safe and happy at school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils work together well in lessons, listening to each other and respecting each other’s views and ideas. The very small amount of low-level disruption in lessons is managed very well and does not interfere significantly with pupils’ learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and think that, ‘Trips are amazing and fun’. They are keen to work hard, to learn from their mistakes and to make the most of their time at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, and all other staff share a clear vision for the future improvement of the school. Expectations for all are high. Leaders, including those responsible for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and those responsible for subjects, use information about pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching very well. This has successfully informed the school’s improvement planning process. Actions taken in response have brought about rapid and sustainable improvement across the school. The school is in a good position to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 Particularly good use is made of accurate assessment information to guide the planning of lessons; to set challenging targets for pupils’ progress, to allocate specific support for disabled pupils or those with special educational needs and to help pupils supported by the pupil premium funding to make speedy progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Close working partnerships with outside agencies ensure pupils’ personal and learning needs are met. The family support worker makes a significant contribution to the well-being of pupils and their parents through her personal support and by securing access to the help they need.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has acted swiftly to make effective use of the primary sports funding. Membership of Ashfield District School Sports allows pupils access to competitive sports events with other schools, and an increased variety of sporting activities during and after school are now on offer. More pupils are taking part and they are enthusiastic about the extra opportunities they now have, including activities run by sports coaches at lunchtime.

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The leadership and management are good

 Appraisal procedures for managing the performance of teachers are effective. Teachers at different stages of their career are given access to appropriate support and professional development that will help them to improve, and the school to achieve its goals.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding fully meet statutory requirements. Some parents expressed concern about the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe and for managing pupils’ behaviour. Inspection evidence found the school’s policies and practices in these areas to be appropriate and working well on a day-to-day basis.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided intensive, well-targeted support for the school since it opened that has helped it to improve quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body was formed when the school amalgamated in 2012. Since that time, governors have worked tirelessly with the headteacher and other staff to bring about rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They ensure that the school meets statutory requirements, such as those linked to safeguarding. Procedures to hold the school to account are very thorough. Governors have a very clear understanding of data about pupils’ performance and the quality of teaching, of what is going well in the school and what needs to improve further. They know how well the pupil premium funding is supporting eligible pupils to improve and how the primary sports funding is providing opportunities for pupils to engage in a much broader range of sporting activities. Governors know what is being done to tackle any underperformance in the school and are fully aware that salary progression

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The leadership and management are good

is linked to additional responsibilities and to successful performance. They check that appropriate targets are being set for teachers at the different stages of their career.

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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 137810 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 430648

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 417 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sharon Bell Headteacher Robert Mellor Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01623 553189 Fax number 01623 454733 Email address office@bforest.notts.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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