Forsbrook CofE Controlled Primary School

Forsbrook CofE Controlled Primary School Cheadle Road, Blythe Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST11 9PW

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an outstanding school

 The school is exceptionally well led. Leaders and managers have established a positive and ambitious culture in which pupils thrive.  The co-headteachers, supported by the assistant headteacher, the staff and the governors, have taken effective action to improve the school.  High-quality teaching over time has ensured that pupils have made rapid progress in a range of subjects.  Disadvantaged pupils make accelerated progress in the school. Their attainment is higher than that of other pupils nationally.  The most able pupils make rapid progress in the school. Their progress is faster than that of other high-attaining pupils nationally.  The provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is of the highest quality. This means that they make strong progress from their starting points.  The quality of the early years provision is exceptional. Children of all abilities make accelerated progress as a result of teaching of the

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This is an outstanding school

highest quality in the Reception class.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and offers a variety of learning experiences which interest and engage pupils.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is developed extremely well as this is a fundamental part of the school’s Christian ethos.  British values are promoted most effectively. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils are polite, considerate and respectful. Their behaviour inside and outside of the classroom is of a high standard.  Attendance is above the national average. Most pupils have excellent attendance.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils are taught how to be safe and feel safe.  The primary school physical education and sport premium is used exceptionally well to promote active lifestyles and sporting excellence.  Parents are extremely supportive of the work of the school. They believe that their children are

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This is an outstanding school

well taught, that they make good progress and that communication with the school is of a high quality.  Governance is strong. Governors have a wide range of experience, knowledge and understanding to hold leaders to close account.  As they strive for excellence, leaders plan to improve their strong systems for analysing pupil behaviour and achievement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by refining the strong systems for recording, monitoring and analysing pupil behaviour and achievement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The school is exceptionally well led. Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have established a positive and ambitious culture in which pupils thrive. Effective action has been taken to address all the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection and further improvements have been made to ensure that the school provides an outstanding quality of education.  Improvements made by the principal headteacher have been built upon since the new leadership arrangements were made in September 2015. The co-headteachers work extremely well together and ensure that all aspects of the school’s work are of the highest quality. Governors, staff, pupils and almost all parents who made their views known to inspectors were positive about the impact of the leadership structure. Governors have monitored the arrangements closely to ensure that the school’s work continues to be of the highest standard.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The co-headteachers are extremely well supported by the assistant headteacher. Areas for which she is responsible, for example the provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, are of the highest quality. Staff with other responsibilities also ensure that strengths within the school are built upon.  All leaders have high expectations of pupils and staff and they lead by example. Productive relationships between leaders, staff, pupils and parents support the outstanding progress made by pupils. All are proud of their school.  Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school. They monitor and evaluate actions closely so they can plan and modify developments in order to make further improvements. However, the way in which the very few incidents of inappropriate behaviour are recorded, analysed and acted upon is not as systematic as other processes in the school. Effective action

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

is taken but this is not evaluated fully.  Staff are held to close account, and the management of teachers’ performance is used well to reward high-quality teaching and secure improvement. Teachers are set targets linked to the impact that teaching has upon outcomes, their responsibilities in the school, the teachers’ standards and their professional development. Staff value the training and support they receive and strong action has been taken to secure further improvements when required. As a result, teaching over time has led to outstanding outcomes.  Pupils make exceptional progress in the school. Disadvantaged pupils gain better outcomes than other pupils nationally. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability receive support of the highest quality to allow them to make rapid progress and the most able pupils are challenged to achieve at the highest level.  Leaders have ensured that assessment is accurate and used to inform teaching. It is recorded effectively

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

and gives a clear picture of the progress that pupils are making. In one year group, leaders are piloting a system which shows the small steps that pupils who have special educational needs or disability are making and gives a precise indication of the exceptional attainment of the most able pupils. However, leaders are aware that this process needs further refinement and that the system used in other year groups does not give as detailed a picture of the achievement of all groups of pupils.  The new national curriculum is firmly embedded. All the programmes of study are covered well and learning is leading to outstanding progress across a range of subjects. The curriculum is broad and balanced and covers English, mathematics, science, Spanish, history, geography, religious education, technology, computing, the arts and physical education through a topic-based approach and individual subjects. Pupils also enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and homework tasks which allow

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

them to apply their learning.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a core part of the school’s work. Pupils are routinely given opportunities to reflect on a range of issues which make them think deeply. These activities also promote the fundamental British values of tolerance, respect, the rule of law, individual liberty and democracy. For example, after studying the refugee crisis, pupils wrote to the Prime Minister to express their views and were given time to consider the response they received from his secretary. In discussions inspectors held with pupils, it was most apparent that British values and the Christian ethos are entwined within the culture of the school.  Equality of opportunity is promoted well and prejudiced behaviour is not tolerated. Pupils learn about a number of different cultures and they are taught about all the major religions. Positive attitudes to cultural diversity are actively promoted and pupils are encouraged to celebrate their heritage in the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

school. For example, a pupil delivered an assembly on Sikhism to the whole school, Christian festivals are celebrated and pupils from different religions and cultures are given time to talk to their classmates about their experiences. Pupils have a secure understanding of multiculturalism and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The primary school physical education and sport premium is used exceptionally well to promote active lifestyles and sporting excellence. High-quality external coaches are used to deliver timetabled lessons and additional sessions at lunchtime and after school. All pupils benefit from regular swimming lessons and the school received national recognition for pupils’ achievement in the swimathon in March 2016. There is an extremely high uptake of sport within school and a large majority of pupils are members of external sports clubs. Significant numbers are also competing at county and national level in athletics,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

rowing, darts and cricket and a team of rowers from the school broke a British record in February 2015. Healthy lifestyles are promoted; the skills of staff have been developed so they provide more sporting opportunities and all pupils are encouraged to be active.  Pupil premium funding has been used very well to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Additional support has been put in place to raise the achievement of pupils of all abilities in every year group. Extremely effective group and individual interventions are monitored closely and amended as required, progress is carefully tracked and governors are given regular updates on the impact of the additional funding. As it is a high priority, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 in reading now matches that in writing and mathematics, and the remaining gaps in school are narrowing rapidly. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are outstanding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 Parents are extremely supportive of the work of the school. A very large majority would recommend it to another parent and they believe that it is well led and managed. Almost all who made their views known to inspectors were full of praise for the school. Many described the education provision as ‘fantastic’ or ‘excellent’ and one parent stated that ‘there are so many little things that make Forsbrook great’. They believe that their children are well taught, that they make good progress and that the school responds well to any concerns that they raise. The vast majority also believe that they receive useful information from the school.  The local authority has provided appropriate light-touch support. Senior leaders from within the school have given school-to-school support within the local authority and beyond.  The governance of the school – Governance is strong. Governors have a wide range of experience, knowledge and understanding to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

hold leaders to close account. They ask challenging questions, scrutinise the high-quality information that they receive and provide appropriate support as required. – Meetings of the governing body are well attended; they cover the relevant areas. Governors have taken part in training to ensure that they have the most up-to-date information and skills to perform the role effectively. They have also actively recruited governors who have the qualities that the governing body needs to ensure that it is of the highest quality. The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Up-to-date policies and procedures are in place and staff have received relevant training and information. As a result, they know what to do if they have any concerns about a child’s well-being and prompt action is taken to keep children safe. Records are well kept and stored securely and leaders work effectively with outside agencies when required.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 High-quality teaching, learning and assessment over time have resulted in outstanding outcomes since the last inspection. Teaching is particularly strong in Years 6 and 2 and in the Reception class.  Teachers have a secure subject knowledge and learning is well planned to deepen pupils’ understanding. Activities build upon prior learning and pupils of all abilities are challenged to make rapid progress.  Learning is accelerated through the use of high-quality questioning, thoughtful use of a range of resources and marking and feedback that helps pupils think deeply and improve the standard of their work.  Time in class is used well to allow learning to progress briskly. Pupils usually move on to more difficult work quickly and, as pupils are engaged and interested, no time is lost as a result of off-task behaviour.  Pupils enjoy learning. They work extremely well with staff and their classmates and it is clear that pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

want to do well and improve the quality of their work. They willingly accept challenges and they are capable of learning through any mistakes that they may make.  Behaviour in class is of the highest standard. As there are high expectations of positive behaviour to support learning, pupils listen carefully to each other and staff, and work well within different groups in the class. Teachers actively promote equality of opportunity.  Teaching assistants support learning effectively. They work well with teachers to speed up the progress of individuals and groups as they are deployed well to work with different pupils at appropriate times. The support given to pupils who have special educational needs or disability by teaching assistants and teachers is of the highest quality.  A range of subjects are taught well throughout the school. As a result, pupils make rapid progress across the curriculum.  Staff develop pupils’ reading, writing and communication skills well. Signing is used to great effect and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

pupils are given opportunities to write at length in English and other subjects.  Pupils read a range of texts to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills. Most pupils read with expression and inference and weaker readers are able to use the sounds that letters represent (phonics) to work out words.  Mathematical skills are also developed well across a range of subjects. Pupils are encouraged to use mathematics in meaningful situations and often numeracy is developed in contexts within which the pupils are familiar.  Classrooms and other areas of the school are stimulating learning spaces. Displays are used well to provide additional information to help pupils make rapid progress, celebrate their achievements and give examples of what can be achieved.  Teachers set challenging homework which pupils enjoy. It is designed to deepen their understanding by giving them opportunities to apply their learning in different situations.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Teachers are clear about what individuals know and can do and what they need to learn. They use assessment information well to plan learning. This information is shared with parents and gives them an indication of how their children are doing in relation to the standards expected of them.  The school’s marking policy is used consistently to promote learning and pupils’ books show clear evidence of outstanding progress over time. However, the system that school leaders are currently using to record achievement does not give a complete picture of the rapid progress all groups of pupils are making.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. As staff have a detailed understanding of the needs of each pupil, pupils are cared for very well.  Pupils’ physical and emotional well-being are promoted most effectively. They are confident learners and they have a high regard for their schoolwork. Books are well looked after and pupils usually take great care with their presentation. They are keen to improve the quality of the work that they produce.  Self-confidence and self-awareness of pupils is promoted through activities which allow them to talk about themselves and think about a range of issues. Pupils are also given opportunities to work things out and tackle difficult tasks.  Pupils respond well to a range of responsibilities, such as being librarians, house captains and members of the school council. Older pupils look after younger ones informally and formally by helping at

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Personal development and welfare

dinnertime in the early years provision.  Pupils are taught to stay safe through a range of age-appropriate activities. They have a detailed knowledge on how to stay safe when using the internet and they have a secure understanding of road and water safety and ‘stranger danger’.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and know about the impact that it can have on people. However, bullying is extremely rare and pupils will challenge any unkindness if it occurs. They are also confident that staff would help to resolve any problems if they arise.  All parents, staff and pupils who made their views known to inspectors said that pupils were safe in the school. Parents also told inspectors that pupils were well cared for and happy in school.  School leaders give safety in school a high priority. The site is secure and robust arrangements to check the identity of visitors are in place.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are respectful, well mannered and kind.  Pupils’ behaviour inside and outside of the classroom is of a high standard. The start of the day is calm and pupils are punctual and well prepared for learning. During social time, pupils play with consideration for others and behaviour observed by inspectors at break and lunchtime was sensible, positive and energetic.  In lessons, pupils listen carefully to staff and to each other and display self-discipline when working independently, in pairs, groups or as a whole class. There was no disruption to learning in any of the classes visited during the inspection.  There have been no exclusions since before the time of the last inspection and incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare.  Systems in place to manage pupils’ behaviour are used consistently. Pupils respond to the high expectations of them and believe that they are treated fairly. However, the way in which the very few

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Behaviour

instances of inappropriate behaviour are recorded and analysed is not as systematic as other aspects of the school’s work.  Attendance has improved since the time of the last inspection and it is above the national average. Most pupils have excellent attendance and all groups of pupils have attendance similar to, or above, the national average.  Parents, staff and pupils who made their views known to inspectors were extremely positive about behaviour in the school.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Outcomes have improved since the last inspection and they have been of a high standard over a period of time. Attainment at the end of key stages 1 and 2 has been well above the national average since 2011.  Pupils have made strong progress over time in key stage 1 and 2, and pupils currently in the school are making rapid progress in a range of subjects in every class. Pupils are developing secure knowledge, understanding and skills from their starting points.  In 2015, all Year 6 pupils made the progress expected of them in writing and mathematics and almost all made expected progress in reading. A greater proportion than national made rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Over time, almost all disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 have made the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics and a similar proportion to other pupils nationally have made accelerated progress. As a result, the attainment gap has narrowed.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 As a result of extremely effective use of the pupil premium funding, disadvantaged pupils in every year group continue to make rapid progress. Consequently, the in-school attainment gap is narrowing further.  Since the last inspection, pupils who have special educational needs or disability have made similar progress to other pupils nationally. However, as a result of extremely high-quality provision in the school, this group of pupils is now making more rapid progress from their starting points.  In 2015, the most able pupils made exceptional progress in writing and mathematics and similar progress to the most able pupils nationally in reading. School leaders have taken action to ensure that the progress for this group of pupils remains at this level in writing and mathematics and accelerates further in reading. Information provided by the school, confirmed by looking at books and listening to readers,

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

indicates that this is the case.  Since 2013, outcomes in the phonics screening check have been above national averages and almost all pupils have reached the expected standard by the end of Year 1. As a result of effective teaching and intervention, the few pupils who have not reached this standard have reached it by the end of Year 2.  Pupils in all year groups are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The quality of the early years provision has improved significantly since the last inspection. The principal headteacher has used her expertise in this area to work alongside the teacher to monitor and develop the quality of education in Reception. The leadership of the early years provision is outstanding.  Since the last inspection, all areas have been reviewed and revised and this has led to marked improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes. These are now outstanding.  All staff have benefited from high-quality training. Support staff have undertaken specialist training and the Reception leader has used visits to outstanding settings to improve her own practice and that of other staff.  There has been a strong focus on developing the curriculum and the acquisition of key skills. Staff make strong cross-curricular links so children apply their knowledge well. Adults provide imaginative and

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Early years provision is outstanding

challenging activities that meet the needs of individual children. Tasks are appropriate to age, ability and knowledge and help children of all abilities make rapid progress.  Both the indoor and outdoor areas are vibrant and exciting places that offer children the opportunity to make mature choices from a range of stimulating learning activities. Progress is enhanced by the fact that children can explore and investigate in the ‘Forest School’ area.  The teaching of phonics is highly effective. It provides children with the ability to build words and write in sentences of increasing complexity. Children were seen producing writing of a high quality during the inspection.  Staff ensure that all children achieve well. All children, including the most able, are developing their writing skills through well-planned and meaningful activities which allow them to apply their knowledge of phonics. Questions are also used well to allow children to answer in depth and develop their speaking and

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Early years provision is outstanding

listening skills. Additional challenges linked to activities also help the most able children to make accelerated progress.  Provision for children who have special educational needs or disability is especially strong. High-quality one-to-one support for children who require it allows them to access the curriculum fully and make exceptionally rapid progress, particularly with speech and language and understanding.  Effective transition arrangements ensure that school staff have accurate information about the children when they start school. This means that they are able to plan learning which matches their needs and allows them to make progress quickly.  Children enter Reception with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age. Due to high- quality teaching and an exceptionally well-planned curriculum, they make rapid progress in all areas of learning. As a result, children, including disadvantaged children, achieve standards that are above

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Early years provision is outstanding

national averages in all areas of learning.  Assessment is accurate and takes place regularly. As a result, staff know what children can do and what they need to do to develop further.  Communication with parents is of a high quality. They are involved in the assessment process and children are encouraged to practise skills at home.  Children behave extremely well in the early years provision; they listen carefully and respond quickly to instructions. They are respectful of staff, property and other children and they work well together.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective and welfare requirements are met.  There is an expectation of excellence in the early years provision.

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School details

Unique reference number 132260 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10011185

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Bratt Headteachers Natasha Richards and Kelly Minor (co-headteachers) Telephone number 01782 392577 Website www.forsbrookprimaryschool.co.uk Email address office@forsbrook.staffs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 June 2011

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. There are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability, including those supported with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan, is below average.  The school has been led by two co-headteachers since September 2015. The principal headteacher, who led the school at the time of the last inspection, is on the school site three days a week. The co- headteacher who is the former deputy headteacher leads the school for two days a week.  School leaders provide school-to-school support within the local authority and beyond.  The school meets requirements for the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A nursery and a linked before- and after-school club operate on the school site. This provision is managed by the governing body but is inspected separately.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 parts of lessons. Twelve of these were short visits with the co-headteachers.  Members of the inspection team met with pupils and heard a small number of pupils read. They looked at examples of pupils’ work in their books and spoke to some pupils informally.  Inspectors held meetings with the co-headteachers, other leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, and spoke by telephone to a representative of the local authority.  The opinions of parents were considered through 27 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, 21 free-text responses, a letter to the lead inspector and conversations with parents at the start of each day of the inspection.  Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation, information about managing teachers’ performance and staff training records. Minutes of meetings of the governing body

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Information about this inspection

and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety were also analysed.

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Inspection team

Simon Mosley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Adam Hewett Her Majesty’s Inspector Michael Appleby Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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