Brookhurst Primary School

Brookhurst Primary School Ullswater Avenue, Leamington Spa, CV32 6NH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have worked effectively together to drive improvement since the previous inspection.  Pupils make good progress from their various starting points. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above the national average by the end of Key Stage 2.  Teaching is good across the school. Lessons are well planned. Teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately.  Behaviour is good in classrooms and around the school. Pupils say that they feel very safe. They enjoy their time in lessons and in the wide range of after-school clubs.  The school’s systems to ensure that pupils are safe are outstanding. Those who are potentially vulnerable are well cared for and staff are appropriately checked before being appointed.  Parents and carers are extremely supportive of the school. They agree that the care and welfare of all pupils are strengths of the school.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Foundation Stage and make good progress because the staff get to know them well and help them to settle to school life quickly.  The school provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects, topics and experiences which contribute very strongly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and talk enthusiastically about their lessons and the activities they have undertaken.  Senior leaders have a very clear understanding of what the school needs to do in order to continue to improve.  Actions taken by leaders to improve the quality of teaching have rapidly raised pupils’ attainment in mathematics and phonics (the sounds that letters make).  Governors provide both challenge and support to school leaders. The governing body monitors the school’s work well and is ambitious for its improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times, the work provided in class for less-able pupils and those with special educational needs is too difficult for them to make rapid progress.  Pupils do not routinely act on the advice teachers give them when they mark their work.  Some teaching assistants have too little impact and do not do enough to promote learning in class.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed teaching and learning in 23 lessons, of which three were observed jointly with the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a number of shorter visits to lessons.  Inspectors held discussions with school leaders, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including improvement plans, the systems for tracking pupils’ progress, the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and samples of pupils’ work. They heard groups of pupils reading and spoke with pupils about behaviour and the safety arrangements at the school.  The views of 78 parents and carers were analysed through the Parent View website. In addition, inspectors spoke with parents.  The views expressed by the 32 staff who responded to the staff questionnaire were also considered

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Inspection team

Michael Bartleman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Around four-fifths of the pupils are White British. Approximately a fifth of pupils are from minority ethnic groups; the largest of which are from Indian backgrounds. This is below average.  One pupil in 20 speaks English as an additional language. This is below the national average.  One pupil in seven is disabled pupils or has special educational needs supported at school action. This is above average. One pupil in 20 is supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. This is also below the national average. No pupils have an education, health and care plan.  One pupil in 12 is supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. This is below the national average.  A pre-school shares the same school site but this is not managed by the school’s governing body and is

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Information about this school

subject to a separate inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was absent. The deputy headteacher was temporarily leading the school during the inspection.  The Chair of the Governing Body was elected in September 2014.  During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were out of school on a residential visit.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that:  tasks for less-able pupils and those who have special educational needs are always set at the right level of difficulty so they make rapid progress  pupils improve their work by acting on the advice given by teachers in marking  all teaching assistants know the focus of the learning activity, act quickly to question pupils to check their understanding and provide support to move pupils’ learning forward during lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership of the school. She is ably supported by the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders who have maintained the school’s impetus for improvement during the headteacher’s absence. Achievement at the end of Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2 has improved since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the school improvement plan is well focused on the appropriate priorities for the school. Progress towards achieving objectives is regularly checked by leaders and governors. Leaders’ track record of improvement since the last inspection shows their strong capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s assessment systems provide leaders and class teachers with a clear understanding of how well individuals and groups of pupils are doing. The systems ensure that any pupil who falls behind is quickly identified. Good-quality support is then provided for these pupils, as it is, without discrimination, for those for whom the school receives the pupil premium, those who are at an early stage of learning English and for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders make a strong contribution to improving teaching and learning. Within their areas of responsibility, they check the quality of teaching and pupils’ work in books. They analyse pupil progress data and support colleagues.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has put in place effective performance management systems. These are directly linked to the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress and the national Teachers’ Standards. Leaders and governors ensure that teachers’ pay rises are directly dependent on pupils making good progress. Newly qualified teachers are well supported by colleagues.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is used to good effect to support disadvantaged pupils and ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make good progress during their time at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Primary school sports funding is used well to improve the quality of teaching in physical education across the school. This has led to increased participation rates in after-school activities and sports competitions. Pupils who spoke to inspectors showed that they had a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders have successfully established a friendly and purposeful atmosphere in the school where everyone is valued. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and actively encourage them to come in to school to help as volunteers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is organised around various themes. There is sharp focus on teaching reading, writing and mathematics. The curriculum provides opportunities for promoting pupils’ skills to think and apply knowledge and to develop their interests and talents. It is enriched through a range of educational visits and inviting visitors into the school. The school further enhances pupils’ experiences by providing themed days or weeks, such as ‘Victorian Day’, ‘Tudor Camp’ and ‘Creative Arts Week’. The use of the school grounds for forest school (a woodland classroom), an allotment and events such as grandparents’ teas and concerts involving the Brookhurst Band and Choir, develop the community aspects of the school well. There is strong emphasis on valuing others and their cultures so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school ensures that there is no discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s child protection and safeguarding systems are highly effective and meet all statutory requirements.  The local authority provides appropriate support, given the school’s track record of good performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works well with a range of schools in the local cluster for checking the accuracy of teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work, teacher training, and for developing the new curriculum and arrangements for assessment.  The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective and well organised. They have positive relationships with senior leaders. As a result, they are able, through open and honest challenge and support, to hold leaders very effectively to account. They have planned well for the absence of the headteacher and have supported the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders in undertaking their enhanced roles.  The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas which need to be improved. They have a secure understanding of performance data and how to compare the school’s results with national data. They know how the pupil premium is spent and ask questions to check its

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The leadership and management are good

impact on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.  Governors visit the school regularly and, as a result, they have a good overview of the quality of teaching and how rigorous assessment procedures are. The termly ‘governor week’ ensures that governors are able to meet with teachers and subject leaders Governors monitor the school’s finances well.  Members of the governing body regularly check to make sure that procedures to keep pupils safe are being implemented fully.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In almost all lessons, pupils concentrate well, showing positive attitudes and a readiness to learn.

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Behaviour

 Pupils understand and support the school’s behaviour code. They report that behaviour is usually good and that any poor behaviour is dealt with quickly and fairly.

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Behaviour

 Pupils usually show courtesy to each other, to all staff and to visitors. On the playground, pupils play well together and show consideration to others.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are proud of their school. This was shown during the inspection when two pupils were showing prospective parents around the school. They were gushing in praise of their school and their learning opportunities. Pupils’ behaviour in the dining hall, and as they move around the school, is calm and orderly.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ strong moral and social development enables them to respect others and understand the consequences of their actions. This contributes to their good behaviour. The frequency of fixed-term exclusions is consistently well below average.

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Behaviour

 A small number of pupils show behavioural problems. They benefit from individual attention and support so that their behaviour improves markedly as they move through the school. Provision for pupils’ welfare, including their personal, social and emotional development, is a strength of the school.

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Behaviour

 Pupils cannot recall any incidents of racist comments. They say that most pupils get on well together. They report that incidents of bullying, including prejudice-based bullying, do not occur. They have confidence in staff that, should any incident occur, it would be dealt with swiftly.

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Behaviour

 Attendance has improved significantly. Pupils’ attendance is now above average. This reflects the progress which the school has made in making sure that parents understand the importance of pupils having 100% attendance.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ positive attitudes contribute to their good progress but, occasionally, when teaching does not engage their interest, a few participate less well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe in school and the curriculum supports them well in learning how to stay safe in a wide range of situations. They have an excellent understanding of e-safety, including how to avoid unsafe websites. This is reinforced in breakfast club.

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Safety

 Procedures to ensure child protection procedures and for administrating medicines are highly effective and are monitored regularly by leaders and governors. The cause and location of accidents are checked by governors to plan premises improvements. Risk assessments, both within the school grounds and for visits, are rigorously completed and checked.

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Safety

 Most parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire consider that their children are safe and happy at school.

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Safety

 Governors ensure that all staff are appropriately trained so that they can undertake their roles. A detailed annual audit of safeguarding systems is overseen by governors and fully reported at governing body meetings.

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Safety

 The school’s rigorous systems for checking visitors and recording attendance is followed in breakfast club. This is much appreciated by parents, who comment that their children are completely safe in the setting.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is typically good, with some outstanding teaching. Work seen in pupils’ books and evidence gathered throughout the inspection demonstrate that teaching is leading to rising pupil achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers provide interesting activities. These stimulate pupils’ imagination and enhance their love of learning. Teachers are enthusiastic and have high expectations. They also have good subject knowledge and provide a variety of activities to promote learning. For example, in a Year 1 class, pupils developed sets of rules together for their programmable toys to follow before trying them out. All groups were highly engaged and interested in the activities, which resulted in good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where learning is most effective, tasks are demanding enough for all pupils and all make at least good progress. Teachers use probing questioning to check pupils’ understanding before moving to the next part of the lesson, and they are prepared to adapt their plans when needed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Recent improvements in the teaching of mathematics have resulted in a rapid rise in attainment throughout the school. Pupils are taught a range of approaches to solving problems in mathematics and they are given good opportunities to use mathematical language in explaining their calculation strategies.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics through a range of activities promotes children’s good early reading skills. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, a wide range of activities is planned with care to interest and engage children. As a result, children develop early literacy and number skills quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are usually interested and engaged. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are excellent. Classrooms are attractive and well organised to support pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ books show that there is a good range of work, clear progression and good progress over time.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils needing extra help, such as disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are mostly given well-targeted support outside the classroom so that they can catch up with their classmates. They make good progress in these sessions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 On occasions, the least able pupils and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are given tasks in class that are too difficult for them to make rapid progress in writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some teaching assistants provide high-quality support and make a substantial difference to the achievement of the pupils they work with. However, others do not know the focus of the learning activity and are slow to question pupils about their understanding or to provide them with the advice they need to move their learning on rapidly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work frequently and provide detailed advice on the next steps pupils need to take to move their work on, as well as praising what they have done well. However, pupils do not routinely respond to this advice and improve their work.

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is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good. Their attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average and has been in reading, writing and mathematics for the last three years. Pupils are well prepared for their time in secondary school.

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is good

 The school’s own information shows that, in the Year 6 national tests in 2014, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 in reading, writing, mathematics and spelling, grammar and punctuation was above average. An increasing number of pupils attained the higher Levels 5 and 6. Rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics in 2014 has resulted in improved standards in all classes. Evidence seen in books during the inspection shows that this trend is continuing.

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is good

 Most children join the Reception classes with knowledge and skills that are typical for their age. Children settle quickly and form good relationships with their classmates and adults. All children make good progress, so that almost three quarters of them achieve a good level of development by the end of the year. This means that they are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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is good

 Good teaching enables all groups of pupils to build on the foundations laid in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and the vast majority of pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress in using their phonic skills to read. The proportion of pupils reaching the national standard in the 2014 phonics check at the end of Year 1 was above average.

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is good

 Most pupils read accurately and have developed a love for reading a range of texts. Older pupils talk in detail about books they have read and about the authors they like. When confronted by an unfamiliar word, less-able pupils are able to use their knowledge of letter sounds to successfully read the word. Through a range of engaging and interesting activities, including guided reading and use of the library, pupils attain above the levels expected for their age in reading.

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is good

 The most-able pupils are challenged well in their lessons and in well-planned extension activities, so that increasing proportions are attaining the higher Level 6 in national tests. These improvements are a result of the very strong teaching of older pupils, which continually challenges them to tackle harder work.

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is good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional teaching assistant support and activities which improve pupils’ social and emotional well-being. The gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their classmates in the school in 2013 was equivalent to five terms behind in mathematics, two terms behind in reading and and one term behind in writing. They were four terms behind pupils nationally in mathematics and writing and one term behind in reading. The school’s data for 2014 show that the gap has virtually closed at the end of Year 6 with disadvantaged pupils achieving in line with pupils nationally and one term behind their classmates. Most disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making similar good progress as their classmates.

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is good

 Pupils from different minority ethnic backgrounds, including those of Indian heritage and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress because of the clear focus on developing their early language acquisition skills.

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is good

 Although disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs often make good progress, they, and some other less-able pupils, do not make consistently good progress in writing and mathematics across the school. This is because they are sometimes given work that is too difficult for them and which they are unable to cope with. On these occasions, they do not make as much progress as they should.

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The early years provision is good

 The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. Staff are well trained and enthusiastic. They communicate well with parents. They act as good role models in promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, such as in encouraging imagination when children are acting out roles. The provision is checked regularly to assure children’s safety and well-being. Parents are confident that their children are safe and secure in the early years.

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The early years provision is good

 Children settle very quickly into the routines of daily education in the Reception classes because all staff are welcoming and give good levels of care and attention to each and every child. Parents and carers are successfully encouraged to work with the staff to improve their children’s development. One parent commented, ‘All staff are approachable and give us useful tips to help us work with our children at home.’

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour and their attitudes to learning are good. They play extremely well together and engage well with adults. All children make good progress in developing their personal and social skills. Even in the early stages of the year, children are happy to accept responsibility for tidying up and organising resources.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. There is a mix of outdoor and indoor play, and children have opportunities to explore for themselves as well as participating in adult-led activities. Teachers and assistants assess children’s skills frequently and adapt their planning to meet the children’s particular needs and interests. Early reading skills are taught especially well.

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The early years provision is good

 At the end of Reception, the proportion of pupils who achieve a good level of development is above the national level. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 The progress of children currently on roll shows that all groups of children, including those who are disadvantaged, are making good progress. Disabled children and those who have special educational needs are quickly identified, and activities are organised to ensure that their specific needs are met.

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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 125565 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 448582

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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 402 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joe Cannon Headteacher Angela Stanton Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2010 Telephone number 01926 420051 Fax number 01926 429899 Email address admin2330@welearn365.com 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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