Brookside Primary School

Brookside Primary School Perth Avenue, Hayes, UB4 9LW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy N/A This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are not making progress that is in line with, or better than, the national averages.  Pupils make better progress in their speaking and listening skills, than in their written work, particularly in English. They do not get enough opportunities to write at length.  Teaching requires improvement. Teachers do not always check or have a thorough understanding of what pupils already know and what they need to know.  Sometimes, pupils carry out activities which do not improve their knowledge and skills.  Pupils become distracted from their learning when they are not challenged sufficiently.  Leaders, managers and governors are over- generous in their assessment of the school’s performance.  Leaders at all levels including governors do not track the performance of all groups of pupils accurately. They are not always clear about the progress pupils make.  Information about pupils’ progress is not shared

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

with all leaders. Planned improvements are therefore not always focused on the most important areas of the schools work. .  Early years provision requires improvement. Teachers do not check children’s knowledge and skills to plan activities.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher is ambitious and determined. Staff have confidence in him. They are committed to improvement and morale is high.  Attainment and progress in mathematics at both key stages have improved since the academy opened. Some pupils now make good progress but this is not consistent.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well.  Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are taught their letters and sounds well.  Leaders, managers and governors have been persistent in improving the behaviour of pupils around the school and their punctuality.  Pupils are polite and courteous. They are proud of their school and well prepared for lessons.  The pupils enjoy the broad range of activities, such as trips, after-school clubs and presentations from visitors. The spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of pupils is strong. Pupils understand

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The school has the following strengths

the importance of respect. They are extremely welcoming to visitors.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spent two days in the school and carried out observations of teaching in 32 lessons, seven accompanied by the headteacher and associate headteacher.  Inspectors looked at the pupils’ work in their books, talked to pupils, and listened to younger pupils read.  39 Responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire were analysed. Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to the online survey (Parent View).  Discussions were held with two members of the governing body. The inspectors had a telephone conversation 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

 Brookside School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those known to be eligible for the pupil premium, is above 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.  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 above that found nationally.  The Nursery provision is part time (morning and afternoon) and full time in the Reception classes.  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 end of Year 6.  Brookside Primary converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2013. When its predecessor

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Information about this school

school, of the same name, was previously inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require special measures overall.  The school is sponsored by the Rosedale Hewens Academy Trust.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school has a higher than national average number of pupils who arrive mid-year.  Since the academy opened, there has been a high staff turnover.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, including that in the early years provision, by ensuring that all teachers: - check pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills - plan and deliver activities based on what pupils already know and what they need to find out - improve behaviour by consistently challenging and engaging pupils in their learning.  Improve pupils’ achievement, particularly in English, by: - closing the gap between the knowledge and skills pupils demonstrate when they are speaking and listening, and those that they demonstrate in their writing - ensuring pupils write at length more frequently.  Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels, including governors, by ensuring:  accuracy in self-assessment and the tracking of the progress groups of pupils make  the information from self-assessment and pupil tracking is effectively shared with all leaders and managers

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 all leaders and managers interpret information accurately, so they are able to take more focused action to close any gaps in pupil performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement. Although the academy has improved since it opened in September 2013, leaders’ and managers’ assessment of this improvement is too generous.  The assessment information that is available is not always shared with all leaders and managers. This means that they do not have a shared understanding of what progress pupils are making. The school does not clearly track the progress of groups of pupils, particularly those who arrive mid-year, and the most able. This limits the effectiveness of any actions introduced to bring about improvement.  Leaders’ and managers’ checks on children’s progress in the early years provision is not as thorough as it should be. The information on children’s learning is not used to plan activities that will make the most of children’s abilities.  Middle leaders responsible for key stages are new to post. Although they are enthusiastic, committed and

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The leadership and management require improvement

knowledgeable, they do not interpret information about pupils’ progress, in order to take concerted, effective action.  There has been a high staff turnover since the academy opened. The headteacher has worked hard and in a creative way to recruit high-quality staff and give the pupils a consistency in their learning, in spite of the upheaval.  The headteacher has established high expectations for behaviour around the school and in lessons. He has been particularly successful in leading improvements in the way mathematics is taught. This has been achieved by ensuring that the curriculum covers the necessary skills and knowledge.  The processes to manage staff performance have improved so that both teachers and additional adults are held to account for the progress of the pupils they teach. The training provided is linked to staff’s performance and motivates staff to improve their teaching.  Teachers new to the profession are well supported by the school. They are mentored by staff who can

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The leadership and management require improvement

teach well, and know how to share their expertise effectively.  The academy trust has supported the school to recruit high-quality staff. It has put its partnerships at the school’s disposal, so that pupils experience a diverse and creative curriculum. Pupils who attend the school’s breakfast club are mentored by pupils from the trust’s secondary schools. Pupils at Brookside benefit from being taught by specialist subject teachers from the secondary schools in the trust.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively and in an imaginative way. Pupils in receipt of funding are supported to improve their learning, through their access to, for example, additional activities, homework clubs, and trips which excite and motivate them.  The school is completely committed to bringing about equality of opportunity, developing good relations between different groups and tackling discrimination. Pupils relish their social, moral, spiritual and cultural

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The leadership and management require improvement

lessons. They enjoy exploring moral dilemmas, and appreciate the reinforcement of the school’s values. The student council has a high status in the school and prepares pupils very effectively for life in democratic modern Britain.  The school uses primary school sport funding to good effect. The number of specialist staff who work with the pupils has increased, as has the number of sports clubs. This means that the number of pupils attending activities after school and during the holidays has increased and that their well-being has improved.  The school has worked hard to develop effective partnerships with parents. There is now a high turnout at events such as parents’ evenings and information sessions.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements. They are effective because the school is supported by expertise and resources from the academy trust.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Governors have supported the school to improve teaching and worked with leaders and managers to recruit of high-quality teachers. Their assessment of the quality of teaching, however, has been overgenerous. They are involved in managing the performance of the headteacher, and making decisions about how to reward good teaching and tackle underperformance. They have contributed to creating a set of school values and beliefs which demand commitment to improvement from all staff.  They do not get consistently clear information on how well pupils are doing, so cannot always hold the school to account for improving pupils’ performance. A review of governance is therefore recommended.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Although significant improvements in pupils’ behaviour around the school have been made since the academy opened, pupils are not always interested in lessons.  Pupils are sometimes given activities that do not stretch them. There are also times when they have to wait for the teacher to give them the next activity. During this time, they can be distracted, playing with their equipment, or talking about things that have nothing to do with work.  Pupils throughout the school and children in early years provision follow instructions and stick to routines. They have good relationships with each other and with staff. They play well with each other in the playground.  Pupils are very clear what the rewards and sanctions are, and they appreciate them. Year 6 pupils, particularly, understand how good behaviour brings about good learning.  Pupils wear their uniform with pride and look after their school. They do not drop litter and are well

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Behaviour

prepared for learning.  Parents are very pleased about the improvements that have been made in behaviour. They have responded to the school’s high expectations for their children to arrive at school on time. Attendance has improved and is broadly average compared to national rates.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. This means that pupils feel safe at the school, particularly because they treat each other with respect and are treated with respect by staff. Pupils understand how to be safe when working with computers or technology.  Pupils think bullying happens rarely. If it does ever happen, they say that staff take any issues very seriously and deal with them immediately. One pupil said, ‘This is a school where there is always help if you need it. You do not get let down.’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement. Although teachers check the progress their pupils make regularly, they do not always fully check their pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that pupils carry out activities that do not always stretch them.  When pupils carry out tasks which do not build on their learning from previous tasks, their progress dips. Pupils sometimes do activities which are repetitive and add nothing to the knowledge and skills which they already have.  Pupils talk knowledgeably about different types of writing. However, they do not practise these types of writing at length.  The knowledge and skills pupils develop when carrying out a written task are not as good as the knowledge and skills they demonstrate when they are speaking and listening.  The teaching of mathematics has improved since the academy opened and some pupils now make good progress. Marking in mathematics brings about improvement because it clearly identifies the next steps

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils need to take, and pupils respond well.  Pupils are taught phonics (the sounds that letters make) well. They make good progress when they learn to read because they appreciate the praise they receive for getting sounds right. Teachers and other staff provide immediate support to correct pupils if they get their sounds wrong.  Disadvantaged pupils learn well. They benefit from extra lessons which focus on resolving obstacles they have to making progress, and support them to do their homework.  Pupils benefit from positive and stimulating learning environments. When work is challenging, they work hard because they want their work to be showcased in school displays.  Pupils have very positive relationships with staff and want to please them. Pupils say they always do their homework to a high standard because they do not want to let their teachers down.  Pupils learn well when they are taught by subject specialists from the secondary schools in the trust.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Pupils make rapid gains in learning new vocabulary in modern foreign languages. They appreciate the exciting materials that help them to retain what they have learnt.

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requires improvement

 Progress requires improvement because at the end of Key Stage 2 it is not in line or better than national averages. Writing is weak across the school. Attainment in writing dipped at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2014 to below national averages. Teachers’ assessment of writing skills is not always thorough enough. Pupils can move on too quickly before they have mastered a skill and the most-able pupils too often repeat a skill which they have already learned.  Attainment in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2014 was broadly equal to national average. This was also the case with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. However, their progress is not so good when they have to write down their ideas in English and other subjects.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs do not make consistently good progress.

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requires improvement

This is because the school does not have information that makes it clear exactly how well they are doing and what they need to do to do better. Activities, therefore, do not always meet their needs.  Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress. Those who arrive mid-year speaking little English say that the school is good at helping them to acquire English quickly and use it confidently.  Pupils in the early years provision make good progress in reading and writing. This is because the provision prioritises development in these areas.  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. The school has worked hard to foster a love of reading, and pupils talk about how they now like to read

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requires improvement

independently at home and at school.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics has improved. Pupils are given the confidence to use subtraction, division, multiplication and addition effectively, without the support of the teacher.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress overall compared to their classmates in English and mathematics. In 2014, in national tests at Key Stage 2, their progress was better than their classmates, but not as good as pupils nationally. Their attainment was equal to that of their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. In reading and writing, it was one term behind pupils nationally, and in mathematics, it was equal to pupils nationally. Work in books shows that gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 and pupils nationally are closing.  Pupils make good progress in their social, moral, spiritual and cultural lessons. The pupils feel that this is because the school creates a positive learning atmosphere where they can express opinions they might

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requires improvement

 Children’s language and communication skills, and their ability to manage their behaviours, are generally significantly below those typical for their age when they enter the Nursery. Their numeracy skills and skills in physical development are below those typical for their age.  Leaders and managers of the provision are experienced. However, children’s progress requires improvement because it is not tracked effectively across both the Nursery and the Reception. A majority of children have literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge that are typical for their age at the end of Reception. However, many of these children arrive mid-year and leaders are not clear about the amount of progress they have made.  Staff do not always plan according to the level of the children’s skills. Often, children will all do the same activity when their different abilities and interests could be better met with a range of activities.

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requires improvement

 Children make good progress in reading and writing, and physical development, in both the Nursery and the Reception. Teachers have a good expertise in teaching letters and sounds. Children can link sounds to make words. They have good writing skills and form letters accurately.  Children feel safe, so develop well physically because they feel confident to challenge themselves and take risks.  Children’s progress in other areas is inconsistent, particularly in numeracy. Expectations are not high enough, because children’s abilities in numeracy are not measured thoroughly.  The Nursery works closely with parents, who appreciate this. As a result, children settle quickly and are happy in the provision. The provision regularly communicates with parents about how well their children are doing.  The children are good at following routines and instructions. They tidy things away, and automatically take their coats on and off when they go outside. Although this ensures they are ready for the routines

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requires improvement

in Year 1, the inconsistency of their progress does not prepare them well for their work in 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 139117 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 449875

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 507 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Beverley Amos Headteacher Daniel Bishop Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8845 6634 Fax number 020 8845 5968 Email address Brooksideprimary2@gmail.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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