Coomb Briggs Primary School

School report Coomb Briggs Primary School

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Roval Drive, Immingham, Lincolnshire, DN40 2DY

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Inspection dates 30 September–1 October 2014

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Effective leadership and management have led to improved teaching and achievement over the last two years, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Achievement is good. The 2014 results show that by the end of Year 6, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is now above average.  Systems to track pupils’ progress are identifying pupils who need extra help. Support staff work well with individuals and small groups to help pupils to catch-up.  The quality of teaching has improved because teachers have received effective training, guidance and support. As a result, pupils’ progress is good overall.  Senior leaders have used external support to help them to check the quality of teaching and to provide teachers with extra help. This has resulted in better teaching and learning across the school.  Governors have improved their knowledge of how well the school is doing and where further improvement is needed. They make visits to the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school to see how improvements are being implemented in classrooms.  Pupils say they feel safe in school, and are confident that the adults will sort out any concerns.  Pupils have very positive relationships with each other. Their behaviour is good and their enthusiasm to learn contributes well to their achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although the quality of teaching is good overall, in a small number of cases some aspects are less effective.  Teachers do not always challenge the most able pupils sufficiently and do not always have the highest expectations of all pupils.  Although the marking of pupils’ work is often complimentary about what they have done well, it does not always lead to improvements in pupils work.  In the Reception class the teaching of basic writing, handwriting and number skills is variable. Consequently, children do not make good progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons, four of which were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors made a few other visits to classes, looked at pupils’ workbooks and listened to a number pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, senior and middle leaders and two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the on-line questionnaire for parents (Parent View) and spoke to a number of parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after.  The percentage of pupils supported at school action is average. The percentage supported by school action plus is well above the national average. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or with an education, health or care plan.  The number of pupils who leave or join the school between Year 1 and Year 6 is higher than would be expected in some classes. Almost 10% of the pupils currently on the school roll joined at the start of this term.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improving the quality of teaching and learning even further by: - offering greater challenge for the most able - ensuring that marking and feedback leads directly to improvements in pupils’ work - raising expectations of both the quality and quantity of work required.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the systematic teaching of the early writing, handwriting and mathematics skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have successfully built on existing strengths to ensure that the behaviour and safety of pupils is a significant strength across the school. Consequently, this is a harmonious school where pupils enjoy school and learn well. Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  The school’s leadership, including the governing body, now has a clearer understanding of its own role than at the last inspection. Improved monitoring and evaluation of teaching and achievement has helped to target resources and bring about improvement. This has enabled issues to be addressed and existing strengths built upon, resulting in improved provision and raised achievement.  Leaders have engaged well with the local authority and other schools locally. They have benefitted from external guidance and support to help them to improve their skills at evaluating teaching and identifying where improvement is needed. Consequently, effective training, guidance and support for teachers have

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The leadership and management are good

helped to improve the quality of teaching. Better planning, including the effective use of teaching assistants, is impacting positively on the quality of learning in all classrooms.  Performance management is used soundly to identify annual targets for all teachers and is helping to hold teachers to account for the progress of pupils in their classes. The evaluation of teaching includes the observation of lessons, the scrutiny of work and the analysis of pupils’ attainment. This provides leaders with an accurate view of the impact of teaching over time.  The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced, providing well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about a range of world religions and they are taught to respect people from all faiths and cultures. They learn about what it means to live in Britain and older pupils have an understanding of elections and voting. For example, one pupil compared the recent Scottish referendum

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The leadership and management are good

to the election of school councillors. There are strengths in the provision of after-school activities, which are valued by pupils and their parents. The staff are in the process of adjusting the curriculum to reflect recent changes in national guidance and have plans to change their approach to assessing and tracking pupils’ attainment.  The pupil premium funding is used to ensure that all pupils have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum, including residential visits and to provide focussed support for individual pupils. Consequently, a wide range of additional programmes, designed to help pupils who have additional needs, are in place and are helping pupils to make good progress.  Sports funding is being used well to provide sports coaches. Younger pupils were observed enjoying the daily ‘wake-up and shake-up’ sessions and older pupils enjoy and understand the importance of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Pupils, parents and the local community appreciate the pupils’ involvement in the

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The leadership and management are good

community, such as their involvement in ‘Immingham in Bloom’.  The work of middle leaders has improved since the last inspection. They are aware of the strengths of the school and have clear plans in place, aimed at bringing about further improvement. However, a few are relatively new into their roles and their skills at checking on the impact of planned improvements are still developing.  The governance of the school:  Over the last two years governors have improved their knowledge and understanding of how well the school is doing, including the performance management of teachers. They are aware of where there are strengths and where further improvement is needed. They have developed their understanding of the school’s data. They are provided with a good range of information about the performance of the school. This leaves them well placed to further challenge the work of the school, which they readily identify, is

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They confirm that the good behaviour observed by inspectors around the school and in lessons is typical. They are typically polite to one another and to visitors and move around the school and outside areas in an orderly and good natured way.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are particularly positive and pupils are consistently keen to takle their work. They concentrate well and persevere in lessons. Their good behaviour plays a significant contribution to their good learning and progress.  Attendance has improved and is broadly average. Appropriate systems are in place to promote and monitor attendance and pupils arrive at school punctually and happy to begin the school day. Pupils receive good-quality guidance and support from staff if they have any difficulties.  Although a small number of parents indicate in their responses to the online survey that they have

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Behaviour

concerns about the way the school tackles bullying, pupils who spoke to inspectors were adamant that bullying was not a feature of the school.  The oldest pupils understand the different types of bullying. For example, one commented that bullies often pick on people who are different: not as clever; have different coloured skin; or different beliefs. They were clear that if a pupil stated he wanted to become a girl he would be treated with respect.  Serious incidents of mis-behaviour are rare and consequently the use of exclusion is rare.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Pupils say they feel listened to by all the staff. The school site is safe and secure; pupils know where they are allowed to play safely.  Appropriate risk assessments and policies are in place and all appropriate checks made on staff before they are appointed. Pupils have an understanding of how to personally keep safe and use the internet safely.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection, particularly in Key Stage 2, and achievement has risen as a result. Teachers manage classes well. Their expectations of pupils’ behaviour are high, and pupils try hard in lessons. Questioning is strong and teachers skilfully question pupils in lessons, to check on understanding.  Reading is taught systematically across the school with the youngest pupils benefitting from regular phonics lessons to teach them the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Pupils read individually and in groups. They value the opportunity to borrow books from the school library.  In mathematics lessons teachers explain ideas clearly, often using practical materials or the interactive whiteboards effectively to clarify key points of learning. In one mathematics lesson, Year 1 pupils were provided with work that was just at the right level for each group. So one group was telling the time to

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The quality of teaching is good

the nearest hour, another group was telling the time using ‘half-past’ and a third group was working out the time ‘an hour later’ and ‘an hour before’ the times on a clock face.  Teachers plan activities that interest and engage pupils, as well as developing their skills and understanding systematically. This means that pupils are enthusiastic about their work. Teachers develop pupils’ social skills, and their speaking and listening abilities, very well.  Assessments are regular and accurate and most teachers use assessment well to provide work that is neither too easy nor too hard for different groups, so that pupils make good progress. However, in a small number of cases this is not always evident. Consequently, the most able are not always challenged and are sometimes allowed to ‘coast’ and are not always moved on to the harder work they are capable of. Additionally, on some occasions, teachers’ expectations of the quantity and quality of pupils’ work are not

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The quality of teaching is good

as high as they could be.  The quality of the marking of pupils’ written work has improved but there remains a little variability in its impact. All teachers acknowledge and praise what has been done well. In the best examples pupils are given clear guidance for improving their next piece of work or directed to make improvements to the current piece of work. However, this is not always apparent and comments are sometimes repeated on more than one occasion without any evidence of improvement to the current or next piece of work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement has improved since the last inspection, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2, because of improvements to the quality of teaching and learning. Consequently, pupils make good progress.  Across the school the achievement of the most able pupils sometimes varies. They make good progress overall but, occasionally, the work set is not challenging enough for the most able. Consequently, their achievement, while good, is not outstanding.  Children usually enter the Reception class with attainment that is broadly typical for their age, but this varies from year-to-year and between individuals. Last year’s intake, for example, had starting points that were below typical levels and their progress over the year did not lead to them catching up rapidly. Consequently, some pupils were not fully prepared for Year 1.  Pupils are making good progress in phonics (how the letters in words represent different sounds) and

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The achievement of pupils is good

most are able to correctly use their skills to attempt to read unknown words.  Results of national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 have improved with more pupils reaching average or above levels in reading, writing and mathematics. However, few reach the higher Level 3 in reading and writing. Across the school progress and attainment in writing is not as strong as reading and mathematics.  In 2014, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was above average. Work in pupils’ books shows they made good progress across the year in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s own tracking shows this year group made good progress last year and this is generally the case for other classes across the school.  By Year 6, pupils are competent, regular and keen readers, who display preferences for what they like to read. They make good use of their writing skills, in particular, in a range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in the light of their specific difficulties and their starting points because of the extra help, tailored to their specific needs. This ensures that they are able to make good gains in their knowledge and understanding across the school and most reach similar standards to their peers by the time they leave the school.  The very small number of disadvantaged pupils entitled to support from the pupil premium make good progress and their attainment and progress is in line with their peers at the school and nationally. This tends to be the case across the school. Good achievement of all groups reflects the school’s effective promotion of equality of opportunity.  The attainment of some class groups is sometimes adversely affected by the above-average proportions of pupils who leave and join the school. Nevertheless, the progress made by pupils who have been at the

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The achievement of pupils is good

school for a long time, and those who have joined more recently, is good overall.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 Although there are some strengths, particularly in the care for children, this area of the school requires improvement. The children who left the Reception class at the end of the last academic year were not well prepared for the next stage of their education. Although the expectations of children are rising, and despite some recent improvements, shortcomings remain.  Children settle very quickly into school routines; parents are very pleased that their children are happy and eager to come into school. Children are happy and know the expectations of behaviour. For example, they readily share their toys, play well together and know how to tidy the classroom. Children use the inside and outside learning areas appropriately.  Progress overtime is variable. The newly recruited class teacher has made a positive start. The teaching of phonics is secure and ensures that children learn about letters and the sounds they make so that they are

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The early years provision requires improvement

able to sound out unknown words. However, there are inconsistencies in the teaching of basic writing, handwriting and mathematics. Consequently, by the time they move to their next class children have not all securely learned to form letters and numbers accurately and many are unable to write their own names accurately and with confidence.  Although there is some provision for children to write by themselves and in small groups with adults, opportunities for writing are underdeveloped both inside and outside. There are insufficient models of correctly formed letters available to help children acquire the necessary skills quickly.  Assessments are largely accurate and the new teacher has introduced a new approach to gathering, recording and presenting information about what children know and can do. The effectiveness of this in identifying children’s next steps and helping to plan lessons is showing some promise but it is very recent

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The early years provision requires improvement

and has not fully impacted on the progress children are making.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 117907 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 431643

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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 189 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Valerie Crosby Headteacher Jayne Day Date of previous school inspection 26 September 2012 Telephone number 01469 572584 Fax number 01469 578302 Email address head@cbriggs.nelcmail.co.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 and 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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