Bradfield Primary School

Bradfield Primary School Heath Road, Bradfield, Manningtree, Essex CO11 2UZ

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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 Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Due to the headteacher’s skilful leadership, teaching and outcomes are better than they were at the time of the last inspection and are now good.  Governance is a strength of the school. The governing body provides clear strategic direction and highly effective challenge to the headteacher and her staff. This ensures that the quality of education continues to improve.  School leaders make sure that pupils are very well cared for. As a result, many pupils grow in confidence as learners and develop positive attitudes towards learning.  The subject leadership of English and mathematics is very effective. Leaders have taken appropriate action to improve the way these subjects are taught so that pupils make even better progress.  Pupils behave well. They are polite, inquisitive and respectful of each other and the adults who support them. Pupils want to do their best.  Teachers plan learning well. Pupils of all abilities

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This is a good school

are able to make good progress as the learning interests and enthuses them. This is especially the case in reading and mathematics.  Leaders and teachers have a detailed understanding of the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Due to the effective support that these pupils receive, they make good progress socially and academically.  The quality of provision in the early years is good. Children develop good learning habits and progress well from their individual starting points.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders do not apply the same rigour when monitoring the impact of teaching in subjects such as history and geography as they do in English and mathematics.  There is variability in teachers’ expectations of how well pupils should present their work in their books.  Although pupils who arrive mid-way through a key stage make good progress in writing, until recently they have not had enough opportunity to practise their skills of writing at length across a range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:  giving more opportunities for pupils to write at length across the curriculum  making sure that teachers insist on the highest standard of presentation of pupils’ work across all subjects.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management further by ensuring that leaders monitor teaching and achievement in the foundation subjects with the same rigour that exists in English and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 This is now a good and improving school. School leaders, including governors, have ensured that there have been improvements in the quality of teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes since the previous inspection. The headteacher skilfully leads with a clear vision that each child should have the opportunities to ‘be your best’. Adults and many pupils model the school values, which include ‘compassion, honesty, integrity, loyalty and respect’. Consequently, this is a safe and caring school in which to learn, with a noticeable family feel.  The headteacher manages teachers’ performance well and has a very good understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school. The headteacher takes decisive action to make sure that teaching practice that is not of the high standard expected quickly improves. Teachers are highly motivated, reflect on their own teaching and willingly share the best practice across the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

They are appreciative of the training opportunities provided for them. For example, teachers use the knowledge and techniques gathered on visits to other schools well to plan for learning that accurately meet the needs of pupils in the mixed-age classes.  The leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. These pupils’ needs are swiftly and accurately identified. Precise strategies are put in place to support them. Adults use the techniques developed in training well to provide excellent support to these pupils. Leaders carefully track the progress of each pupil and make appropriate adjustments to the support that they are given. Consequently, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress academically and socially.  The enthusiastic leaders of the early years, English and mathematics are effective in their work. They carefully monitor the progress that pupils make and adjust the curriculum to make sure that it is well

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

matched to pupils’ needs and interests. For example, the leader of mathematics has altered the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils are provided with many more opportunities to deepen their knowledge and demonstrate their mastery of the subject. This has had a positive impact on the progress that pupils are making.  Leaders use the sports premium funding well. For example, funding is used to enable many physical education lessons to be taught by expert sports coaches, alongside the class teacher. Consequently, teachers acquire more effective teaching techniques and pupils develop their skills in a wide range of sporting activities across the school year. Significant numbers of pupils attend the after-school sports clubs, such as those for hockey, rugby and multi-sports. Leaders take equal care to make sure that pupil premium funding (additional funding government funding to support pupils who eligible for free school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

meals or children who are looked after by the local authority) is used effectively. As a result, these pupils make good progress.  School leaders work very effectively to keep parents involved in, and informed of, their children’s learning. These include weekly newsletters, well-attended weekly family reading sessions, ‘dad’s learning’ events, monthly open-door sessions and ‘learning together’ sessions (morning sessions in which parents are invited to attend lessons with their children). Consequently, a large majority of parents feel well informed about the progress that their child is making.  Leaders have taken care to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for pupils of all abilities. While there is a clear emphasis on English and mathematics, pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares them well for their future. For example, in their regular science lessons, pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are able to carry out experiments, test their own hypotheses, and reach conclusions. Pupil explained how much they learned in their art, music, physical education and topic lessons, and evidence seen in their work supports their views. However, leaders’ monitoring of the teaching of subjects such as history and geography lacks the rigour that exists in English and mathematics.  The headteacher makes effective use of the partnerships with other agencies as part of a well-thought- out strategy to improve the school’s quality of education. For example, local headteachers visit the school to provide external verification of leaders’ judgements as to the quality of the school’s work. Essex local authority provides appropriate support.  The governance of the school: is a strength and highly ambitious for the school and its pupils. Since the previous inspection, governors have taken appropriate action to make sure that they possess the skills and knowledge to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

carry out their roles effectively. Inspection evidence demonstrates that the governing body has played an important role in securing improvements across the school uses a broad range of information gathered from presentations from school leaders, regular visits to school and the views of external agencies to hold the headteacher and her staff to account has a precise understanding of how resources, such as additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils and the development of sport, are used to improve outcomes for pupils ensures that the school’s performance management policy and procedures are adhered to.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Records, including the single central record, are carefully maintained and updated. Leaders make sure that staff are appropriately trained in matters relating to safeguarding. For example, staff and governors have received training on child protection, e-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

safety and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Consequently, staff have a clear understanding of their role in safeguarding pupils at the school and know what to do if they have any concerns. Governors regularly check that school leaders are doing all that they should to make sure that Bradfield Primary School is a safe school in which pupils can learn.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 School leaders have worked very effectively to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that it is now good. For example, due to the training that they have received, teachers are able to plan learning in mathematics much more effectively than at the time of the previous inspection.  In classes, where there is a range of both ages and abilities, teachers skilfully use assessments of what pupils can and cannot do to plan learning that interests and enthuses all abilities. For example, due to the teachers’ careful planning, pupils in a key stage 1 class worked well together when researching the habitats of endangered animals. The classroom was buzzing with pupils’ enthusiastic discussion about the information that they were discovering.  During lessons, teachers are adept at spotting pupils who need support or become stuck on an aspect of their work. They take swift action to make sure that learning can continue. Pupils explained that if they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

need help, teachers and teaching assistants provide rapid and clear guidance. Inspection evidence supports this view. For example, the appropriate intervention of a teacher in a mixed key stage 1 and 2 class enabled pupils to work with increased confidence on challenging mathematical problems.  In mathematics, teachers have a clear understanding of the skills that the pupils are required to develop. Teachers use this information, alongside their good subject knowledge, to provide a range of opportunities for pupils to ‘think like a mathematician’. Consequently, pupils develop a deeper understanding of mathematics and how it can be used to solve a variety of problems. Pupils in one key stage 2 class proudly described how they were ‘using perspective’ and ‘thinking strategically’ to solve a series of increasingly difficult problems. Evidence from their books demonstrated that this had helped them to make good progress over time.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching assistants are very effective in their work. As a result of appropriate training, they are able to offer the precise guidance to pupils whom they work with. For example, aided by the patient prompting of a teaching assistant, one pupil was delighted to be able to write interesting sentences about his favourite film character.  Phonics is taught effectively and with clarity. Teachers skilfully match the learning activity to the needs of the group or individual pupil. Pupils of all abilities develop the confidence to use the skills that they have practised to read and spell unfamiliar words.  Pupils enjoy reading and the teaching of reading remains strong. Teachers employ a wide range of techniques such as guided reading, use of audiobooks and peer-to-peer reading. Teachers have high expectations of the level of English language that they expect pupils to know and use. One pupil explained how, having been unable to read when he arrived at the school midway through a key stage,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

‘school has given me the confidence to read by myself’.  The quality of feedback that pupils receive on their work is much improved since the previous inspection. Teachers provide feedback that is in line with the school’s policy. Pupils are increasingly confident when using this feedback to make improvements to their work because, as one pupil commented, ‘I know what to put right’.  Pupils’ progress in writing is good because teachers use their subject knowledge well and know what to do to ensure that many pupils’ writing improves quickly. For example, pupils in lower key stage 2 wrote in detail about the features of different faiths in Britain. However, while pupils who arrive midway through a key stage with significantly less well-developed writing skills make good progress from their individual starting points, some are still writing below the standard expected for their age. This is because they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

have not, until recently, been provided with enough opportunities to practise their writing skills by writing at length across a range of subjects.  Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of how pupils should present their work in their books. Similarly, in some classes, teachers do not insist upon the same level of presentation that exists in English and mathematics in subjects such history and geography. As a result, some untidy work goes unchallenged. Where the teacher does insist on high-quality presentation, for example in some key stage 2 classes, pupils respond exceptionally well.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils explained that they feel happy and safe in their school. They have a good understanding of what bullying is and what forms it can take. Pupils commented that bullying is a rare occurrence and were it to occur ‘the adults would definitely sort it out’. Inspection evidence, which also included the examination of school records and scrutiny of parents’ views, confirmed that bullying is an unusual occurrence at Bradfield Primary School.  In this small school, staff know pupils well and care for them well and with compassion. Pupils who previously have found it hard to make positive behaviour choices are well supported and their behaviour improves as a result. A large number of parents commented that the high levels of care had helped their children settle quickly. One parent commented that ‘they build up our children how we would want them

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Personal development and welfare

to’. Inspection evidence supports this view.  One pupil explained, ‘I love coming to school’. Her fellow pupils agreed that they do not like missing a day of school. Leaders notice if a pupil’s attendance starts to slip and take prompt and effective action. They can point to examples where attendance has increased sharply as a result. Consequently, attendance is higher than national averages.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well catered for through the school’s assemblies, curriculum and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programmes. For example, pupils have the opportunity to visit Parliament, take part in national music events and learn about healthy living across a range of subjects. Pupils talked knowledgably about the range of faiths and countries that they have studied. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and are provided with several opportunities to do so. For example,

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Personal development and welfare

pupils who take on additional responsibilities at lunchtime spoke with great pride about being a ‘Bradfield buddy’ or being a ‘special friend’ to the children who will be joining the early years class in September. Importantly, pupils recognise that these roles are helping them develop a broader sense of responsibility and leadership.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils of all ages mix together well at playtimes. They play imaginatively and with energy on the well- supervised school fields and playground. Lunchtime in the hall is characterised by good-humoured discussions between pupils and between pupils and adults.  Pupils move around the compact school building in a cheerful and mature manner. They demonstrate awareness of the need to be safe and cooperative.  Behaviour in the classrooms is similarly good. Relationships in lessons are positive and supportive. On several occasions, pupils would seek and receive help with their learning from their classmates. There was no disruption to learning seen in lessons over the course of the inspection.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 School leaders have taken appropriate actions to ensure that outcomes have improved over the past two years. Each pupil’s progress from his or her individual starting point is accurately monitored. Evidence from this externally validated assessment information and a scrutiny of pupils’ work demonstrate that greater proportions of pupils make at least good progress from their individual starting points across a range of subjects. This is why outcomes are good.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics in 2014 and 2015 was significantly above the national averages. By the end of Year 2, all pupils achieve the expected standard. Due to the good-quality teaching they receive, the proportion of pupils currently in the school achieving the expected standard is higher than the national average. The majority of pupils make good progress from their individual starting points.  Since the previous inspection, attainment at key stage 1 has risen and in 2015 was above the national

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Outcomes for pupils are good

average overall. This was particularly the case for reading and writing. Evidence from school assessment information and a scrutiny of pupils’ work indicate that outcomes at key stage 1 continue to improve and are good.  Overall, achievement at key stage 2 has improved since the previous inspection and continues to do so. In 2015, there were significant improvements in achievement in reading and writing. While achievement in mathematics improved, it was not as marked. Inspection evidence demonstrates that standards are rising quickly and pupils’ achievement is good across a range of subjects, including mathematics, reading, and writing. The proportions making expected and above-expected progress are increasing, particularly in mathematics. This is due to the effective teaching and support that pupils receive.  The numbers of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

each class are too small to report on separately by key stage. Across the school, disadvantaged pupils of all abilities are closing the gaps in achievement with their peers. This is due to the effective use of funding to provide them with support, for example, through individual tutoring in literacy and numeracy. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good, and sometimes better, progress from their individual starting points.  The small numbers of most-able pupils in school make good progress from their individual starting points because they have appropriate opportunities to attempt work at a higher level of difficulty. This is something that pupils respond to well, as demonstrated in one pupil’s comment that, ‘The work is difficult, but if you work hard, you get there’.  Pupils who arrive at the school midway through a key stage or school year, many of whom have significantly lower prior achievement, make good progress from their individual starting points. The longer

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Outcomes for pupils are good

these pupils remain at Bradfield Primary School, the more rapid progress they make.

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Early years provision is good

 Children enter the early years with a broad range of individual skills and abilities expected for their age. Almost all children make good progress and in some cases even better from their individual starting points. Over time, a greater proportion of children leave the early years having reached a good level of development than is the case nationally. This is because the early years provision is led and managed well and provides a stimulating and safe place in which children can learn.  Through events such as the ‘teddy bears’ picnic’, reading mornings and open learning events, leaders have ensured that parents are regularly involved in their child’s learning. Older pupils act as mentors for children in the early years. As a result, children mix confidently with other members of the school community.  Adults working in the early years receive training that is specific and useful. They put these skills to good

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Early years provision is good

use when supporting the children. For example, one child, helped by the careful and sensitive encouragement of the adult she was working with, was delighted to be able to spell ‘make’ correctly. Another child was keen to show how he had correctly used punctuation as he wrote ‘why are butterflies’ wings so delicate?’.  Children are increasingly confident and inquisitive in their work. They make imaginative use of the bright and well-organised indoor and outdoor learning areas. For example, one child proudly demonstrated her ability to count to and from 20 as she counted money in the role-play shop.  Teaching, learning and assessment are of good quality. Children respond well to the teacher’s high expectations and are keen to learn and improve their language skills. This was evident when, due to the teachers’ skilful questioning and encouragement, children freely shared their imaginative ideas about

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Early years provision is good

minibeasts.  Evidence seen in children’s learning journals (records of their learning over the school year) demonstrates that children progress well across the interesting curriculum that covers all areas of learning. This includes learning about different faiths and developing their skills and knowledge in subjects such as art, design and science. Children make good progress in the development of their literacy and numeracy skills. This is helping to prepare them well for their move into Year 1.  Children know the clearly explained routines, work well together and are able to make good behaviour choices. This is because the adults who work with them model the behaviour that they expect from children. When tidying away at the end of a learning session, children waited patiently for their turn, politely saying ‘excuse me’ as they took their place by the table.

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School details

Unique reference number 114735 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10011816

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 92 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Stuart Hopwood Headteacher Mrs Maria Luck-Davies Telephone number 01255 870241 Website www.bradfieldprimary.co.uk Email address admin@bradfield.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14  15 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Bradfield Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of educational needs or an education, health and care plan is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is lower than average. This is additional funding government funding to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority.  There are higher levels of mobility than is nationally the case. A significant minority of pupils arrive at the school midway through a key stage or school year.  Children in Reception attend full time.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this school

 The school met the government’s floor standards in 2015. These are the minimum standards, set by the government, for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in eight lessons, all of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, all teachers and subject leaders, two teaching assistants, five governors and a group of 12 pupils. The inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed pupils during playtime and the lunch break, and spoke informally with pupils over the course of the inspection.  A range of documentation was scrutinised. This included the school’s self-evaluation documents, development plans, minutes of governors’ meetings, assessment information, behaviour records, the school’s survey of parental opinion and documents relating to safeguarding, including the single central record.  The inspector also took account of the views of 24 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, together with 18 free-text responses, and those expressed during informal

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Information about this inspection

conversations on the playground and in family reading sessions. The views expressed in two emails from parents received during the inspection were also considered.  The inspector considered the views of 19 pupils and two members of staff who took part in the Ofsted online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

John Lucas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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