Brinsworth Manor Infant School

Brinsworth Manor Infant School Brinsworth Lane, Brinsworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 5BX

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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 quality of teaching is good. As a result, pupils make good progress and achieve well. Attainment in mathematics is much higher than the national average.  Pupils feel safe and are happy. They behave well. They play harmoniously and respectfully with each other, and share equipment.  Relationships with parents are effective; staff are highly approachable.  Homework is well established and offers a rich and wide variety of activities for pupils to complete at home.  Middle leaders are enthusiastic about their role; they have an excellent understanding of pupils’ achievement in their subjects and what needs improving.  Leaders at all levels and governors share a commitment to providing the very best learning experience for all pupils. This ensures that teaching and achievement continue to improve.  The school ethos contributes well to the personal, social and emotional development of every pupil.  The curriculum is well thought through, lively and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

engaging and meets the needs and interests of pupils.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported and make good progress from their starting points.  Additional adults provide highly effective support.  The quality of early years education is good. Children make good progress. They are enthusiastic about their learning and happily join in a range of activities.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The impact of teaching over time does not enable pupils to make outstanding progress.  The most able pupils are not always given work that is sufficiently challenging, particularly in writing, or the guidance they need to cope with more demanding work.  Opportunities for teachers to develop their own skills and practice, for example by observing outstanding practice, are few.  Pupils’ awareness of how to keep safe on the internet is not as well developed as it could be.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 20 lessons or parts of lessons. Three were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings and discussions with teaching staff, pupils, parents and representatives from the governing body and local authority.  Inspectors examined several samples of pupils’ work in conjunction with the deputy headteacher and some pupils read to the inspectors.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school, including data on pupils’ progress and attainment, procedures for safeguarding pupils, the school’s own evaluation of its work, reports to the governing body and the improvement plans.  Inspectors took account of 32 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and 60 responses from the school’s own consultation documentation. Parents’ views were also gleaned by speaking directly with parents during the inspection. The inspectors also took account of 14 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than average.  Most pupils are White British with a small number from minority ethnic groups. A very small minority speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is broadly average when compared to the proportion nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals and children that are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average; this has reduced slightly since the last inspection.  The school offers part-time provision in the Nursery class, known as Foundation 1, and full-time education in Reception, known as Foundation 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further so that pupils make outstanding progress and achieve even higher standards, by:  ensuring the most able pupils are always provided with work in lessons in all subjects that is sufficiently challenging to enable them to extend and apply their skills, particularly in writing, and that they are given the guidance they need to cope with more demanding work  establishing ways for staff to continually develop their skills and classroom practice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen pupils’ understanding about how to stay safe when using the internet.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have addressed a dip in standards that occurred in 2013. Even so, data demonstrate that this group of Year 2 pupils made good progress across Key Stage 1 from their starting points.  Leaders at all levels maintain detailed tracking information on all pupils and provide a good range of strategies to support pupils in danger of falling behind in their learning.  The curriculum is well planned. It is lively and engaging, providing pupils with rich opportunities to explore and collaborate. In a Year 2 design and technology lesson, for example, pupils were busily working to improve their fire engine models, gathering a variety of materials and sharing equipment and thoughts.  The headteacher places pupils’ social, emotional and academic achievement at the heart of all decision making. Parents find her highly approachable and she has established a calm and reassuring atmosphere within the school. Good relations are fostered; the good progress made by all pupils shows that

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The leadership and management are good

discrimination is not tolerated and there are equal opportunities for all pupils.  Middle leaders are well informed and bring drive and energy to the leadership team with a clear focus upon continuous improvement. They are skilled at interpreting data and evaluating the impact of measures to improve outcomes for pupils.  Subject leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of standards in their subjects. They know how to develop them further and have established systems in order to achieve this.  Assessment is detailed, accurate and regularly checked for accuracy. The school is well advanced in considering its approach to assessing the standards that pupils reach in the future when National Curriculum levels are no longer used.  The local authority has supported the school in its development but not in making the school’s website easily accessible to the general public.  Staff receive clear guidance and training about safeguarding and child protection procedures and this

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The leadership and management are good

results in pupils being well cared for. Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements.  The pupil premium funding is spent wisely. Data demonstrate that the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others within the school is narrowing. This is a result of actions taken by leaders. For example, a dedicated member of staff is responsible for ensuring these pupils make the same good progress as their peers in school and others nationally.  Additional funding for physical education and sport has been used shrewdly to support the quality of physical education taught within school, to extend opportunities for pupils to access after-school clubs and to increase participation in sport.  Leadership of teaching is good. Systems used to check the work of the school are well developed and include all leaders. Outcomes from these checks inform priorities for improvement, which are shared well

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The leadership and management are good

with staff and have ensured the quality of teaching is good.  Partnerships with the neighbouring junior school are strong and pupils are monitored closely as they transfer into Year 3. However, the school has not developed partnerships further, for example, to enable staff to develop their own practice through gaining a wider experience of teaching and learning.  A good range of strategies to support pupils’ special educational needs is well managed and well organised by the inclusion manager. Detailed records of gains made by pupils in their learning are monitored and evaluated effectively. As a result, disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points.  The school has a comprehensive and effective programme to make pupils aware of core British values, which prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  The governance of the school:  Governors have undergone significant change since the last inspection. Several new members and a

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The leadership and management are good

new Chair of the Governing Body have been appointed.  Governors have sought a review of governance from a national leader of governors to support their work. Minutes now reflect increased challenge given to leaders within the school.  New governors demonstrate an eagerness and enthusiasm to undertake their role. They prepare well for meetings and have attended training which has helped them understand performance data. As a result, they now have a clear view of the quality of teaching and of how well the school is performing in relation to other schools nationally.  Governors have ensured performance management for teachers is in place. They know how pay is used to reward the best teachers and the procedures required to tackle underperformance, should it occur.  Governors know how additional funds have been spent and the impact these funds are having on pupils’ achievement.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  In lessons, pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils say they like school and enjoy the wide range of activities made available to them.  Playtimes are harmonious, with pupils demonstrating respect for others and for equipment. Supervision during these times offers appropriate support and encouragement for all pupils to be involved in safe play.  Clear systems for managing behaviour are consistently applied within the school. All pupils talked excitedly about the importance of being good, in order to access the golden time activities made available to them each week.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel very safe and parents’ views support this. For example, pupils have a clear understanding of fire safety and know that visitors to the school must wear badges.  Pupils say there is no bullying and are confident that were it to occur, it would be dealt with swiftly. They overwhelmingly feel that ‘Adults keep us safe’.  Pupils were keen to talk about their use of computers, but were less well informed about how to keep themselves safe on the internet. Leaders recognise that they need to do more to raise both pupils’ and parents’ awareness of e-safety.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are given opportunities to tackle new concepts, engage with their learning and rethink their ideas. This develops their confidence.  Skilful questioning makes pupils think carefully about their responses and make links to learning in other lessons.  Teachers plan well and have good subject knowledge. The work seen in pupils’ books demonstrates careful development of skills within lessons.  Additional adults play a highly effective role in the school. They provide skilful support for pupils in lessons. As a result, pupils working with them, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress.  Writing is taught well and this has led to year-on-year improvements. However, teachers do not always ensure that the most able pupils are given additional challenges and guidance to cope with more demanding writing techniques.  All pupils follow a detailed programme for learning the sounds that letters make (phonics) and are

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The quality of teaching is good

encouraged by all adults to apply their skills to both read and spell words.  Teaching of mathematics has strengthened considerably, and practical and pictorial representations are used well to support the progress of all pupils.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and pupils who require additional support for certain aspects of their work receive good support through additional tuition and specialist resources.  Teachers mark work frequently and provide pupils with helpful comments to improve.  Homework is well established across all year groups and shows a rich and wide variety of activities to be completed at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, standards in reading and mathematics were above average. Standards in writing were not quite as high, but are improving year-on-year. Pupils supported through the pupil premium funding now make the same good progress as their classmates. Gaps between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and others in reading and mathematics widened in recent years. Leaders acknowledged these gaps and appointed a teacher with specific responsibility to review and monitor results for these pupils. As a result, the gaps are narrowing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive effective extra help through individual support and small-group activities. This is ensuring that they make at least good progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language and from different ethnic groups are supported well and make good progress. The strong emphasis on speaking and listening, particularly through adult

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The achievement of pupils is good

intervention, secures this.  The most able pupils do well but are not always given tasks and direction to fully master and extend their skills, particularly their advanced writing skills.  Pupils read well and are keen to move through the levels of reading books available in the school. Pupils use their phonics skills to read new and unfamiliar words with great accuracy and can apply these skills to their writing.  Achievement in mathematics has improved since the last inspection. The emphasis placed upon developing and improving mental mathematics skills has impacted positively on the standards reached, which are now much higher than the national average. Pupils enjoy using their mathematics ‘passports’, which identify the key skills needed before they can move onto the next level.

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The early years provision is good

 Overall achievement across the early years is good. Children enter with skills that are typical for their age and build on these soundly in the Nursery. Throughout the Reception year, the majority of children make rapid progress. More children than the average nationally reach a good level of development and are well prepared for Year 1.  Leadership of the early years is good. Adults quickly identify children who are finding learning more difficult and involve additional support where this is needed. This means that disabled children and those who have special educational needs receive prompt help and make good progress.  Warm relationships and well-established routines help children to settle quickly and to behave well. Children are encouraged to look after their environment; this is particularly evident within the Reception classes.  The quality of teaching in the early years is good overall. Practitioners provide imaginative resources and

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The early years provision is good

lots of opportunities for children to play and work happily and safely together. Adults use good questioning to support children’s play and help them to learn the important social skills of sharing and being kind to each other.  Children are well supported by teachers in developing their ideas, using their emerging phonic skills to attempt to read unknown words and in improving their number and counting skills. Role-play areas are provided and enjoyed by children but they do not always encourage mark making and writing. For example, the café in one classroom was popular with the children, but there was insufficient opportunity for them to pretend to place orders.  The vast majority of children show curiosity in the activities on offer and are engaged in their learning. For example, a Nursery child, within the construction area, was so immersed in sawing his wood that he explained to his classmates they would have to go on holiday without him as he needed to finish!

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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 106864 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 453174

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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 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 291 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Ditcher Headteacher Lynne Deakin Date of previous school inspection 17 March 2011 Telephone number 01709 828187 Fax number 01709 838475 Email address brinsworth-manor.infant@rotherham.gov.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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