Brampton Cortonwood Infant School

Brampton Cortonwood Infant School Chapel Avenue, Brampton Bierlow, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S73 0XH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The determination and focus of the headteacher have driven improvements in pupils’ outcomes and their attendance.  Teaching, learning and assessment is good. Staff plan work that is well matched to pupils’ needs, ensuring that pupils make good progress.  Leadership, teaching and learning and provision in the early years are good. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points.  Subject leaders for English and mathematics plan and implement relevant actions to improve pupils’ outcomes. This has been particularly effective in improving writing standards and improving outcomes for the most able pupils.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are good. Pupils receive strong support, which nurtures their development. They grow in confidence and become responsible learners.  Staff provide very effective support for pupils and families. This high-quality support enables vulnerable pupils to succeed both socially and

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This is a good school

academically. Levels of parental satisfaction with the school are very high.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are supportive of one another, well- mannered and courteous.  Governors know the school community well. They provide effective challenge and support to leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching over time is not outstanding. As a result, pupils’ attainment and progress are not outstanding.  The early years outdoor provision does not fully develop children’s learning in reading, writing and number.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching across the school to achieve outstanding outcomes, by: improving the range of opportunities for pupils’ to develop their mathematics skills across a range of contexts providing greater opportunities for science investigational work leaders more systematically using the range of information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes to have a sharper view of the strengths and priorities across a wider range of curriculum areas.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the early years outdoor learning provision to fully develop children’s reading, writing and number skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher’s focus and determination are bringing improvements in pupils’ outcomes and attendance levels. She has a good understanding of the community the school serves. Very effective approaches have been implemented to provide support and high levels of engagement with parents. As a result, parents hold very positive views of the school.  The English subject leaders have a good understanding of development priorities and have put in place actions to improve pupils’ outcomes. For example, the school’s work to improve pupils’ writing has brought about significant improvements in pupils’ outcomes and is reflected in the high-quality work in pupils’ books and on display.  The mathematics subject leaders have put in place relevant plans to further improve mathematics. These are not as fully implemented or checked as the English plans. While pupils’ outcomes by the end of Year 2 are above that found nationally, pupils’ mathematics books do not demonstrate the high standards that are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

found in writing.  The leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is strong. Well- planned provision in classrooms and additional interventions enable these pupils to make good progress. Effective links are made with specialist agencies to ensure these pupils’ needs are accurately identified and the appropriate support is provided.  The curriculum is well planned to meet the interests and needs of pupils. The school’s focused approach on improving pupils’ understanding in phonics (the sounds that letters make), reading and writing is paying dividends. Specialist physical education (PE) teaching is well used to improve pupils’ skills. The school’s extensive extra-curricular opportunities enrich the curriculum. Opportunities for pupils to develop their science investigational skills are not well developed.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils learn about a wide range of cultures

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and world faiths. For example, during a very practical lesson about foods from different parts of the world, older pupils learned about the origins of different meals and key geography facts.  The school’s assessment system is effectively linked to the curriculum. It has enabled teachers to gain a good understanding of the age-related expectations in the national curriculum. Senior leaders make effective use of this information to regularly check pupils’ progress. Appropriate interventions are put in place where pupils are working below the standards expected for their age.  Systems to manage staff performance are thorough. Careful checks on staff performance are completed by the headteacher and senior leaders. This information is used to provide governors with a clear overview of staff performance.  Training for staff is well linked to the school’s priorities. For example, staff have benefited from training on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

key stage 1 writing expectations from a teacher who is a local authority writing moderator.  The pupil premium funding is spent to good effect. Pupils entitled to pupil premium show good progress in English and mathematics and their attendance levels have recently improved. Where required, they receive additional support, which is improving their personal and social development.  The additional funding for sport and physical education in primary schools is used effectively to increase the opportunities pupils have to enjoy physical activities and learn from specialist teachers. This has improved teachers’ skills and the quality of teaching in this subject. Opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sports and after-school clubs have developed.  The school’s plans for improvement address relevant priorities and are making a difference to improving pupils’ outcomes, including those for disadvantaged and most-able pupils. Other key priorities such as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improving the levels of attendance have been strongly tackled and are making a substantial difference. Leaders complete a range of self-evaluation activities to check improvements in the school. However, these are not systematically collated to provide a clear overview. As a result, at the time of the inspection leaders’, including governors, self-evaluation judgements were too positive.  The governance of the school The governing body have a good understanding of the school’s community. Training to increase their understanding of pupil progress information has improved their skills to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Carefully planned governor links to classes and subjects are improving their understanding of the impact of leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes. This has improved their level of support and challenge to the headteacher and leaders.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Strong, robust systems and practice are in place. The school’s leaders and parent link support worker know the needs of vulnerable pupils well and are active in seeking support for pupils and families. Staff and governors receive regular and appropriate training. For example, training on how to deal with extremism and radicalisation has improved staff skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is good and this is why pupils are making good progress.  Very positive relationships between staff and pupils create a constructive learning atmosphere in lessons. Pupils are interested in their work and motivated to learn.  Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in the quality of their explanations and the way they model learning for pupils. This helps pupils to readily grasp key learning, particularly of basic skills in English and mathematics.  The teaching of writing is particularly strong. A wide variety of opportunities to write across a range of subjects, with different stimulating topics to motivate pupils, result in high-quality responses found on display around the school and in pupils’ books. From an early age, children are provided with learning opportunities to develop their handwriting skills and this continues throughout the school. By the end of Year

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

2, the majority of pupils are writing with a well-formed cursive style.  Mathematics teaching ensures that pupils make good progress, particularly in number work. However, opportunities for developing reasoning skills or using mathematics in different contexts are less well developed.  Teachers make good use of regular assessments to plan lessons that are largely well matched to the needs of pupils. The most able pupils are provided with work which challenges them in English and mathematics lessons. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are well supported in lessons and this helps them to make good progress.  Teachers consistently follow the school’s marking policy. Pupils understand how this approach works and this is helping them to improve the quality of their work. The impact on learning is more evident in writing than it is in other subject areas, including mathematics.  A well-structured approach to the teaching of phonics is adopted across the school. Teachers and teaching

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

assistants deliver lessons which engage pupils and effectively develop pupils’ early reading skills.  Pupils read well and enjoy reading both in and out of school. Regular structured reading lessons, which start in the early years, effectively develop pupils’ comprehension and vocabulary skills.  Teachers set appropriate homework to support learning. Regular learning of spellings, reading and mathematics skills supports pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Pupils are motivated by the opportunity to respond to the homework challenges set online. This encourages them to become independent learners.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are self-confident and prepared to put forward their views in lessons. They generally listen carefully to the ideas of other pupils.  Assemblies encourage pupils to reflect on qualities such as perseverance and resilience. Pupils are provided with opportunities to listen to a variety of visitors, which widens their understanding of the world.  Pupils’ physical and emotional needs are well met by the school’s curriculum. The school’s staff, including the parent link support worker, provide very effective support for pupils and parents whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.  Pupils’ citizenship qualities are well developed through a number of roles and responsibilities across school. School councillors, school governors and playtime buddies are examples of how the school develops pupils’ understanding of the importance of helping others. Pupils’ grow a good understanding of conservation issues

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Personal development and welfare

through teaching about the environment and care for animals, such as the school rabbit and chickens in the quadrangle.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand the different forms of bullying and state that incidents are rare. Pupils confirm that they are confident that any misbehaviour, including bullying incidents, will be dealt with appropriately by staff. Parents and staff agree that the school is a safe place to be.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons most pupils work hard, they understand that this is important and the school’s ‘five levels of effort’ reinforces the importance of this quality.  Pupils cooperate well in groups or pairs, which helps to reinforce their learning. For example, in a PE lesson pairs of pupils mirrored each other’s actions diligently when performing warm up and stretching actions.  Pupils behave well during playtimes and lunchtimes. They are well engaged in good range of activities, which include organised games, free play and quieter pastimes such as reading or colouring.  The school has a well-structured behaviour policy. Regular rewards and praise for demonstrating expected behaviours encourage pupils to behave well. On the very rare occasions where the school has used exclusion for poor behaviour, very effective approaches are used to ensure that pupils are successful when they return

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Behaviour

to school.  Rates of pupils’ attendance have improved substantially this year but remain slightly below that found nationally. The school has implemented effective systems to increase levels of attendance and to identify the support required for any pupils and their families who show signs of poor attendance. This determined approach by school leaders and work by the pupil support worker is having a positive impact on improving pupils’, including disadvantaged pupils, attendance levels.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils are good because pupils’ progress from their starting points is good across the school. Leaders analyse pupils’ progress regularly and put in place plans to promptly close gaps in learning.  In 2015, pupils’ achievement by the end of Year 2 improved in reading, mathematics and particularly in writing. This is because pupils made good progress in reading and mathematics and more than expected progress in writing. Current Year 2 pupils are making good progress from their starting points. There are high proportions of pupils working at the expected levels for their age.  From their starting points, pupils make good progress in developing their phonics skills. Over the last three years the proportions achieving the expected standards in phonics has improved and is above the national average. The proportion of pupils currently on track to achieve the expected standard demonstrates further

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Outcomes for pupils are good

improvements in Year 1 pupils’ phonics outcomes.  Most-able pupils make good progress. In 2015, the proportions of Year 2 pupils working at the higher levels improved in reading, writing and mathematics and were above those found nationally. The proportions of pupils currently working at the higher levels have been maintained at similar levels.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability generally make good progress from their starting points. This is because the school carefully reviews the support required for these pupils. Effective provision plans identify their specific learning needs and appropriate interventions are in place to ensure these pupils achieve well.  Progress made by pupils entitled to pupil premium funding is good. The previous falling trend in proportions of these pupils’ achieving the expected levels in reading has been addressed. Current pupils are making at least the expected progress and in many cases better than expected progress in English and mathematics by

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Early years provision is good

 Children start in the early years with skills and abilities that are generally below those typical for their age, particularly in reading and writing. From their starting points, children make good progress. Leaders have addressed the fall in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in 2015. Children currently in the Reception classes, including children entitled to pupil premium funding, are making at least good progress. As a result, an increasing proportion of children are well prepared for Year 1.  The quality of teaching is good overall. In the indoor provision, strong teaching across both the Nursery and Reception classes provides an effective balance of teacher-led activities and opportunities for children to explore and learn by themselves. However, the opportunities for children to practise their skills in reading, writing and number work are not as strong in the outdoor learning provision, and adults do not intervene

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Early years provision is good

promptly enough to move children’s learning forward.  Staff use questioning skilfully to reinforce and develop children’s learning. For example, when discussing mini-beasts the teacher encouraged children to explain their reasoning about the features of a snail.  Children’s phonics skills are well taught through structured adult-led sessions. This is helping children to make good progress in reading from Nursery. The recent introduction of more structured group reading sessions is starting to further develop children’s early comprehension skills. Effective interventions are used to support children who are working at reading levels below that expected for their age.  The falling trend in outcomes for children supported by the early years pupil premium has been tackled this year. These children are now making good progress. Children’s assessment information indicates a closing gap between their outcomes and those of other children by the end of Reception. The early years pupil

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Early years provision is good

premium funding has been appropriately targeted to provide children with support to improve their reading and mathematics skills.  The early years staff work well with parents. Well established systems promote communication between the school and parents. Information for parents helps to provide helpful guidance on how they can help their child make good progress in school. Parents are very positive about the support provided by the early years staff.  There are good partnerships with other professionals. This helps the school promptly address children’s developmental or special educational needs.  The early years leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the early years. Plans for improving the early years provision are linked to relevant priorities and there are effective approaches for checking the impact. However, at the time of the inspection, leaders’ judgements for the

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Early years provision is good

early years provision were too generous.  Children feel safe and secure. Safeguarding is effective and all welfare requirements are met. For example, children get to choose at snack time, this helps develop their independence and understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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School details

Unique reference number 106862 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 10010981

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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 Infant School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 158 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Diane Stoner Headteacher Sarah Aston Telephone number 01226 340044 Website www.cortonwood.rotherham.sch.uk Email address bcisaston@rgfl.org Date of previous inspection 7–8 February 2011

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is similar to that found nationally. (Pupil premium is the funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability support is above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is below that found nationally.  The school is part of the Wath Learning Community Co-operative Trust.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed parts of 18 lessons. The headteacher joined the inspectors for five of the observations in lessons during the inspection.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.  The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in their books and in the learning journals of children in the early years. The headteacher joined the inspectors for this part of the inspection.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, subject leaders for English and mathematics, the early years leader as well as the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body and held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school, their attitudes and their learning with an

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Information about this inspection

inspector. Inspectors listened to a total of six Reception and Year 2 pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the 58 responses on Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Inspectors held discussions with parents at the end of the school day. Inspectors met with parents at the beginning of day two.  The lead inspector considered the 11 staff questionnaire responses received.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, pupils’ outcomes information, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Chadwick Ofsted Inspector Clare McGarey 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

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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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