The Breakspear School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

 Since the infant and junior schools joined together, the headteacher has ensured that senior leaders have worked very well as a team to bring about improvements in teaching and achievement.  Achievement in mathematics has improved and is now outstanding across the school. The curriculum enables pupils to build on their progress from one key stage to another.  The standards pupils achieve at the end of both key stages for all subjects are above national averages, and have improved since 2013.  Pupils achieve well in reading because the school promotes a love of books and celebrates reading.  Pupils benefit from their teachers’ strong subject knowledge. They admire their teachers’ passion for their subject.  Pupils learn well because they have strong relationships with teachers. Pupils do not give up and have high levels of concentration.  Pupils are polite, considerate and well behaved. Pupils and their parents agree they are happy in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school and have no concerns about behaviour or bullying.  The school is a caring environment where the safety and well-being of pupils is a priority. As a result, pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe.  The governing body has reorganised the way it works so that it can make sure teaching and achievement improves across all the school’s phases.  The provision in the early years is good and children’s progress has improved over the last year because they have been given more opportunities to practise their literacy and numeracy skills.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In Key Stage 2, pupils do not make as good progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.  The school’s systems for planning have focused successfully on bringing about the joining up of the infant and junior schools. They have not focused sharply on priorities for the new primary school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors spent two days in the school and carried out observations of teaching in 26 lessons. The inspectors were accompanied by the two deputy headteachers and an assistant headteacher for seven of these observations.  The inspectors looked at the pupils’ work in their books, talked to pupils, and listened to younger pupils read.  The inspectors analysed the responses of the 30 staff who completed the Ofsted questionnaire and took account of the 71 responses to the online survey (Parent View).  Discussions were held with two members of the governing body. The inspectors had a telephone call with representatives from the local authority, and met with teachers and senior leaders.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s own information on the progress of different groups of children, school improvement planning, monitoring of teaching and learning, evaluation of the work of staff, and records and policies relating to safeguarding, behaviour and

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Inspection team

Miranda Perry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Breakspear School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those 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 who are looked after by the local authority.  At this school, there is also funding for pupils whose parents are in the armed forces. These pupils tend to join or leave the school part way through the year.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is lower than that found nationally.  The early years provision is part time (morning and afternoon) and then three full-time Reception classes.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The Breakspear Junior School extended in September 2013 to incorporate The Breakspear Infant School and become The Breakspear Primary School.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the teaching of writing at Key Stage 2 and so raise achievement further by ensuring that: - pupils get opportunities to write at length in both their English lessons and in other subjects - teachers’ marking in all subjects focuses on ways to improve pupils’ writing as it does in English and at Key Stage 1.  Revise school improvement planning so that:  the priorities for the recently extended primary school are sharply focused  the performance of pupils and the quality of teaching is evaluated according to these priorities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has worked very hard to bring the infant and junior schools together, so that an ethos of high expectations, continual improvement in teaching, and good pupil behaviour for learning is consistent across the early years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Leaders and managers have been very successful in developing a mathematics curriculum that supports pupils to make rapid progress in all phases.  The performance of staff is managed with a thoroughness that brings about improved practice. Targets set for staff are ambitious. All teaching and non-teaching staff are expected to contribute effectively to improving pupils’ achievement.  Staff are well supported by leaders and managers with coaching and training. Teachers new to the profession benefit from excellent mentoring, so that their practice develops impressively.  Early years provision is well led because leaders and managers have high expectations and model

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The leadership and management are good

exemplary practice.  Subject leaders and year leaders from the former infant and junior schools have been committed to learning from each other’s expertise. They have increased the popularity of reading that existed in both schools to improve achievement in reading. They are now working together to bring about similar improvements, particularly at Key Stage 2, in pupils’ writing.  School leaders and managers have boosted the performance of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding, as well as those pupils whose parents are in the armed forces. The additional funding for sport has been well spent and its impact is well monitored. A member of staff has provided training for staff so that the provision of physical education is consistently good across all phases.  Pupils are enthused by the broad range of subjects offered by the school. About half of the Year 5 and 6 pupils are in the school orchestra. Pupils say they enjoy art. Pupils from a Year 5 class said that their ‘Out

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The leadership and management are good

of This World’ topic was the best thing they had ever done.  Teachers are skilled in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through lessons and activities. This results in pupils who are well prepared for the next stage in their schooling and for life in modern Britain. There is an active student council, and students have to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of their rights and responsibilities if they want to be councillors.  The local authority supported the governing body well through the transformation of the infant and junior schools into a primary school.  The school is a harmonious community. Adults and pupils genuinely care about each other. For example, one of the inspectors was offered a present by ‘Santa’s helpers’ in the Reception class because the children did not want him to be left out. The school is fulfilling its duty to ensure equality of opportunity,

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The leadership and management are good

foster good relations and tackle discrimination.  The school’s work to safeguard potentially vulnerable pupils is a strength and statutory requirements are met. Policies are up to date, understood and applied consistently by all staff.  School improvement planning has been detailed and effective in its focus on bringing the two former schools together. However, the planning is not sharply focused on bringing about further improvement now the primary school has been in its current form for a year.  The system of evaluating the quality of teaching, therefore, does not link to the school improvement priorities, nor does the system for measuring pupils’ progress, although it is accurate and thorough. This means the school is not in a position to address underperformance in the context of a primary school as well as it could.  The governance of the school:  When the junior school extended to become a primary school, the governing body was restructured so

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The leadership and management are good

that governors could effectively challenge the school to bring about improvement. Governors were trained on understanding pupils’ performance information and how to effectively performance manage staff across all phases. They are very clear about strengths and weaknesses with regard to teaching. They are aware of the need to improve achievement in writing in Key Stage 2. The clarity with which the headteacher communicates with them means governors are effective in supporting the school in tackling underperformance and rewarding staff who have a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous, friendly, and show respect and consideration for others in the classroom and around the school.  Pupils are ready and eager to learn. They settle to a task quickly, are always willing to help each other and enthusiastic about working in groups.  In the early years, good behaviours for learning, such as listening well and sitting still, are developed as soon as the children arrive.  Attendance is above average and has been so over time. The school communicates to parents effectively the need for their children to attend well, if they are going to achieve well.  Pupils say bullying and poor behaviour is very infrequent and, if it happens, it is dealt with successfully by the school. Pupils know how to protect themselves from the risks of cyber-bullying.  Pupils take pride in their school and their work. They are eager to share their own work and the work of

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Behaviour

their classmates with visitors.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 consider that if they were given the chance to write more, more often, they would be able to practise their well-developed skills of concentration and focus.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils comment that they feel safe because all staff really care about them.  Parents feel very confident that their children are safe at the school. One parent described the school as a ‘haven’ for pupils. Another parent explained how delighted she was that the school made children feel happy and content.  Pupils know how to take responsibility for their own safety. They explained to inspectors how to safely get out and put back equipment at break and lunchtimes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ ability to concentrate for long periods in a broad variety of activities. Pupils work hard to please the teachers because relationships between teachers and pupils are good.  Teachers are enthusiastic and know lots about their subject, and this helps pupils to learn well. For example, in a science lesson about forces, pupils explained that if ever they were stuck, their teacher could always come up with an example that helped them to understand.  The teaching of reading is good because the school fosters a genuine love of reading. Pupils enjoy their regular reading homework, and say they often do more homework than they are given because they have really got into a book and want to talk to their parents about it.  Pupils who find learning to read difficult are well supported. They are given lots of different ways to access a book until they find the way that works for them. Pupils explained that the staff never gave up until

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The quality of teaching is good

everyone could read.  Pupils who are disabled and who have special educational needs are taught well. The staff who work with them are passionate about their improvement and about the pupils overcoming their obstacles to learning. This passion inspires the pupils.  The teaching of mathematics enables pupils to be confident mathematicians. They are interested in numbers and how they work, they are excited when they can do different calculations and enjoy explaining how they work things out. Pupils enthuse about how being good at mathematics will help them when they leave school.  Writing is well taught in Key Stage 1. Pupils talk about how a range of inspiring materials gives them good ideas about what to write and about how teachers’ comments in their books help them to improve.  In Key Stage 2, pupils do not write consistently well. In English lessons, marking helps them to improve their writing. In subjects such as history and geography, marking is not so effective at helping pupils to

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The quality of teaching is good

make their writing better.  In Key Stage 2, pupils learn lots of different techniques to help them write well. However, they do not get enough opportunities to practise these techniques accurately in longer pieces of writing.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress in the early years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at both key stages is above national averages.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics in rapid. The school has made sure the mathematics curriculum thoroughly covers all the skills and knowledge that pupils are required to learn. Teachers of different year groups check with each other to make sure that pupils are not only repeating learned skills, but developing them.  Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 use their knowledge of letters and sounds to read well. As a result, a greater proportion of pupils reach the standard expected in the Year 1 phonics check than is found nationally. Pupils have access to lots of different types of books and are given lots of opportunities to read during the school day.  Pupils achieve good standards in writing in Key Stage 1. They read lots of examples of exemplary writing,

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is good

from which they can learn how to improve their own writing.  Pupils who are disabled and who have special educational needs are taught well. They work with materials that excite them and are given targets that motivate them.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language achieve at least as well as other pupils in the school. They feel that this is because expectations of all pupils’ achievement are equally high.  More-able pupils make at least good progress. The school quickly identifies if they are at risk of underperforming and puts programmes into place which effectively challenge them.  Disadvantaged pupils make sound progress overall compared to their classmates in English and mathematics. In Year 6 in 2014, six out of 87 pupils were disadvantaged. They were four terms behind their classmates in writing and mathematics, and five terms in reading. For the current Year 6, this

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is good

attainment gap is set to reduce significantly. In the majority of year groups, the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers is reducing. Disadvantaged pupils achieved better than other pupils nationally in 2014.  Pupils’ progress in writing in Key Stage 2 is not consistent with their good progress in writing in Key Stage 1. Pupils are not given as many opportunities to practise writing accurately at length as they are in reading.

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is good

 Children flourish in a calm environment where they are responsive to clear routines and enjoy an exciting range of activities.  Children’s language skills, understanding of numbers and their understanding of the world are generally typical for their age when they arrive in the Nursery. Some children who speak English as an additional language have language skills below those typical for their age. Staff model use of language well so they make good progress.  In 2013, the progress of children in the early years was not consistently good. In 2014, the achievement of children in all areas was at least good. Leaders and managers changed the curriculum, so that there was greater emphasis on giving children a chance to practise writing and identify and use numbers. Leadership of the early years is good.  Teaching is good. Children learn well because staff measure their progress accurately, plan activities that

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is good

build on what they have learned, and address any gaps in their learning.  Children are taught well how to understand letters and the sounds they make. The leaders and managers of the early years model good teaching and share good practice. Parents are well supported to help children practise their letters and sounds at home.  Staff use questions to keep children interested in what they are doing and encourage children to ask each other questions. As a result, children can concentrate well for long periods of time.  From the very youngest children to the end of Reception, there are high expectations for good behaviour. Behaviour is skilfully managed by staff and children are constantly praised for behaving well.  Children understand that they have a responsibility for keeping themselves and each other safe. The caring ethos of the school is established as soon as children arrive. Children like including each other in

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is good

their celebrations. The presentation of the school’s ‘Birthday Bear’ is a joyous event.  Parents are impressed by the ambition of the leaders and managers. Parents appreciate the positive relationships the school establishes with them early on. They feel that the school helps their children to settle very quickly and to be ready for the demands of Key Stage 1.

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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 102369 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 447809

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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 710 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anita Ambasna Headteacher Philip Rutter Date of previous school inspection 18 May 2007 Telephone number 01895 671971 Fax number 01895 679139 Email address office@breakspear.hillingdon.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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