Burnley Brunshaw Primary School

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School Morse Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4PB

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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

 Pupils describe their school as a friendly place where they enjoy being and where they feel safe. Their attendance has risen and is above average.  Pastoral care is a strength of the school and helps remove any barriers that may hinder learning. All parents who responded to questionnaires say their children are well looked after.  Children have a good start in the secure setting of the early years where they learn through many imaginative activities both indoors and outside.  Behaviour is good in lessons and around the building so pupils learn well in a calm environment where they say, ‘Everyone is friendly’.  Progress is good for all pupils, including those with disabilities or special educational needs and those supported through the pupil premium. When pupils leave Year 6, attainment is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and significantly above average in English grammar,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

punctuation and spelling.  Good teaching, well-planned lessons and the broad curriculum really capture pupils’ interest. Pupils say teachers make learning fun, so they are keen to learn and progress well.  Leaders, governors and all staff share an unswerving vision for school improvement. Their dedication and hard work have successfully improved achievement and raised the quality of teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching does not yet result in outstanding achievement for pupils.  Not enough pupils attain above the nationally expected levels, particularly in mathematics and reading.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed a wide range of lessons in different classes and subjects, including some observed jointly with school leaders.  Inspectors observed pupils during break times, looked at pupils’ books and listened to readers from Years 1, 2 and 6.  Inspectors held meetings with pupils, staff, parents, school leaders, members of the governing body and the local authority’s representative.  The team scrutinised the school’s current achievement data, the systems used to gather an accurate picture of pupils’ performance and how the school checks the quality of teaching and learning.  Inspectors examined the school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils.  Inspectors reviewed 26 responses recorded online in Ofsted’s Parent View and in the school’s own most recent parental survey.

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Inspection team

Kathleen McArthur, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than most primary schools.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  Nearly half the pupils are supported by pupil premium funding, which is well above the average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school offers a breakfast club and a wide range of after-school activities.  The number of pupils attending the school has increased since the previous inspection.  New appointments at the most senior level since the previous inspection include the headteacher, deputy headteacher, three assistant headteachers and Chair of the Governing Body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  setting staff even more challenging and tightly directed performance management targets  further raising staff expectations of what their pupils can achieve in all aspects of learning  ensuring staff always address any misconceptions in pupils’ work through very focused feedback.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise achievement to ensure more pupils attain the higher levels in reading and in mathematics by providing still more challenge for those who find learning easier, particularly in Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership team, staff and governors work as a strong team, determined to continue improving the school to benefit every pupil. Senior leaders are good role models, both as teachers and managers, ably supported by knowledgeable middle leaders. Their actions have resulted in all pupils making good and often better progress and the quality of teaching is rising.  Good leadership in the early years provides children with a happy start to their learning and ensures they progress well.  The inspection found that the school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas to improve. Pupils’ performance is carefully analysed and appropriate plans put into place, targeted exactly where needed, for example, to ensure all groups of pupils achieve equally well.  School leaders monitor and appraise the quality of teaching regularly and rigorously, and their findings lead to priorities for professional development. However, performance management targets are not always

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The leadership and management are good

closely focused or sufficiently demanding to result in outstanding teaching.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils become considerate, tolerant individuals who respect the views and lifestyles of others, have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong and know they are responsible for their actions. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Careful adaptations to the curriculum meet pupils’ differing needs and abilities, ensuring they all progress well and acquire the literacy and numeracy skills needed for future learning. Pupils build on these skills by using them across the curriculum, making links between subjects such as geography, history and English when studying stories from different cultures, or calculating results in science.  After-school clubs are popular. Primary school sport premium funding provides additional activities that

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The leadership and management are good

enrich the curriculum and extend pupils’ experience, including sports led by professionals, links with the high school and visits, such as attending an international football match at Turf Moor.  Arrangements for safeguarding meet current statutory requirements. All staff have received up-to-date child protection training.  Parents are supportive and say they are kept well informed. Staff very much value this support and work hard to involve parents, with reports, curriculum information sessions, weekly newsletters and the website.  The local authority provides light touch support for this good school and has used the skills of staff to support other schools and to provide training.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed and know the school well through their class links, visits and reports. They are fully committed to making the school the best it can be, whilst offering lively challenge and

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The leadership and management are good

knowledgeable support to senior leaders; this has included asking questions about why mathematics had lagged behind other subjects and what was being done to tackle this.  The finance committee oversees the school’s budget carefully to support priorities for improvement. Governors have a good overview of how the pupil premium funding is used and know that previous gaps between the performance of pupils supported by the funding and other pupils have closed.  Governors ensure any salary rewards are given only when staff help pupils to learn well, and that professional development, based on the outcomes of staff performance reviews, is used to improve the quality of teaching and develop leadership skills. The success of these policies is seen in the promotion of staff to senior leadership roles.  Governors make sure primary sports funding is used well to provide pupils across the school with a wide

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The leadership and management are good

range of physical activities. They know staff are acquiring skills they will continue to use in the future to teach sport and physical activities, such as dance, so more pupils benefit from a healthy lifestyle.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This promotes good attitudes to learning in all classes.  Inspection observations and school records show this is typical over time, and there have been no exclusions. Pupils, parents and staff all agree with this positive picture of good behaviour.  Pupils learn and play in a safe, well-maintained environment where, they say, ‘Everyone is friendly’ and ‘Staff always look after us’. Well-supervised activities outside lessons keep pupils busy and active. In the early years, high quality care and simple routines promote good behaviour.  Good relationships between staff and pupils were observed in all situations. Pupils show respect for adults and are unfailingly polite and helpful. They look after younger ones, acting as buddies, relish opportunities to contribute, as school councillors, eco-councillors or sports leaders, and play an active part in the community, for example, by picking up litter.

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Behaviour

 Pupils understand the need for school rules. They say there is no bullying and the large majority of their parents agree. Pupils know there are different types of bullying, such as cyber- or racist bullying. They are certain they can talk to all staff or the counsellor and are confident they will deal with any problem.  Pastoral care is a strength of the school. The family support worker, learning mentors and close working links with external support agencies provide sensitive support to pupils who may be vulnerable. This ensures they can participate fully and progress as well as their classmates.  The breakfast club gets pupils ready for learning each morning, and extra-curricular clubs offer pupils a wide choice of sports and other activities.  Attendance is above the national average and has improved due to the rigorous way any absence is swiftly followed up.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Records are carefully maintained, staff are fully trained and extensive risk assessments are in place for all activities. Governors fulfil their safeguarding duties well, for example, ensuring safe recruitment requirements are fully met.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils told inspectors they enjoy all their lessons, especially mathematics, and know their teachers want them to do well. Good behaviour, supportive relationships and skilled class management ensures pupils are keen to learn and make good progress.  Staff make full use of all resources, including information and communication technology (ICT) to make lessons interesting and engaging so all pupils progress well. Classrooms are well-organised with prompts and reminders, such as mathematical symbols or punctuation, to help pupils when they are working.  Carefully directed and stimulating questions make sure pupils of all abilities can take part in whole-class activities. They promote thinking and keep pupils ‘on their toes’, as observed when older pupils calculated ratios and percentages, and pupils are keen to explain how they reach their answers.  Leaders monitor and analyse pupils’ progress meticulously and hold staff accountable for their pupils’

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The quality of teaching is good

progress at the half-termly reviews. Good quality assessment systems tell staff how well their pupils are doing and provide them with information from which to plan the next steps in learning or provide extra help swiftly if any fall behind. Even so, staff do not always set high enough expectations for how well all their pupils can achieve or provide work that really challenges them to do even better.  The quality of marking has improved since the previous inspection. The clear marking code is fully embedded and understood by all pupils and they say their work is marked regularly. However, teachers do not always target basic misconceptions when giving pupils feedback, for example, the correct use of capital letters in headings or copying words accurately.  The teaching assistants are skilled and carry out their roles well, providing additional support and guidance and working closely with teachers to move all groups of pupils and children in the early years on

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There is a rapidly improving picture of achievement, with rapid and sustainable gains in pupils’ outcomes and progress. This is due to leaders’ rigorous actions, which have reversed the dip in achievement of previous years.  Progress is good and is accelerating for all groups of pupils across the school, including for children in the early years. The majority of pupils make the progress expected of them, and more than found nationally are making better than the expected progress.  Although attainment in Key Stage 1 has been below national averages, school and national data show this is improving rapidly. Data for 2014 (yet to be validated) shows that more pupils than previously reached the higher level in reading, writing and mathematics, although fewer did so than pupils nationally.  In 2014, pupils at the end of Year 6 exceeded the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The most notable improvement was in English, grammar, punctuation and spelling where the number

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The achievement of pupils is good

attaining the expected level was significantly above the national average. Although more pupils reached the highest levels in all subjects in 2014, outcomes in reading and mathematics at this level were still well below national average.  Inspection evidence, school data and the work in pupils’ books shows that pupils currently in Year 6 are securely on course to continue the pattern of improved outcomes in all subjects, and more are expected to reach the highest levels.  The progress of those disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding matches or exceeds their classmates and their peers nationally. Their attainment exceeded their classmates in reading in 2014, and was less than a term behind in writing and mathematics. School and national data shows any remaining minor gaps in attainment are very rapidly closing due to carefully planned learning support.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs receive sensitively planned, well-managed

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The achievement of pupils is good

support and extra help with their learning. As a result, these pupils progress as well as their classmates.  Extra challenges for the most able pupils and those who show a particular talent, include activities with other schools and working with mathematics teachers from the high school. Consequently, more pupils are reaching the higher standards.  Reading is taught well. The proportion of pupils at the end of Year 1 who met the expected standard in the sounds and letters (phonics) screening check matched the national figure. Children have very limited communication skills when they start in the early years, so staff take every opportunity to encourage them to talk, listen and develop their knowledge of language and letter sounds. Younger pupils enjoy daily phonics lessons and older pupils have regular guided reading sessions.  By the time they leave Year 6, the great majority of pupils love reading and have gained the skills they

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The achievement of pupils is good

need to access future learning in all subjects. Older pupils choose from a good selection of authors and genres. They say reading helps with spelling, and that ‘Reading gives you imagination- you see a picture in your head’.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make at least typical and most make good progress in the early years from below typical starting points, particularly in language and personal skills. By the end of the Reception Year, skills are just below those typical for their age, but children are ready and prepared for moving into Year 1. Excellent regard for children’s care and well-being ensures they feel happy, safe and secure in the calm atmosphere. Children behave well and are keen to investigate and learn and they become more independent, able to take responsibility for looking after equipment or choosing when to have their snack.  The extensive outdoor area has been developed well since the previous inspection, offering well-resourced activities in all seven areas of learning, for example, digging up the faded summer plants and replacing them with bulbs for spring. Talking about this activity extended their vocabulary and their knowledge of

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The early years provision is good

the world around them.  Good quality teaching builds on and extends children’s interests and stimulates their imagination and ideas by making learning fun with a good balance of activities led by adults and those the children organise for themselves. Children enjoyed dressing up and acting out the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, a theme shared by both Nursery and Reception classes.  Developing language skills is given the highest priority. All staff take every opportunity to motivate children to talk and listen in order to develop and extend their vocabulary. Carefully focused ‘Time to Talk’ small group sessions are provided for children who find it hardest to speak.  Early reading and writing skills are taught well, with lots of games and songs. Reception class children delighted in correcting the hedgehog puppet’s mistakes as they helped him learn ‘double ll’ words. Their knowledge of letter sounds helps in their writing and children enjoy acting as the teacher and setting their

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The early years provision is good

classmates simple writing tasks.  The early years is led and managed well. Record keeping is meticulous, with frequent assessment of children’s progress in all areas to ensure none fall behind. Parents are fully involved and encouraged to contribute to assessments and records of their child’s development.

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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 119217 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 448504

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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 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair William Burns Headteacher Mrs E McNicoll Date of previous school inspection 7 July 2010 Telephone number 01282 423280 Fax number 01282 832933 Email address enquiries@brunshaw.lancs.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 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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