Norbriggs Primary School

Norbriggs Road, Mastin Moor, Chesterfield S43 3BW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, actions taken by leaders, including governors, have not been effective enough to ensure that the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils are consistently good.  Targets set for staff have not been precise enough to help staff to improve quickly.  Not all leaders know about the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects and areas of responsibility.  Staff have not been sufficiently involved in understanding how well pupils should achieve or in ensuring that their assessments are accurate.  Inconsistencies in how well teachers match work to the range of ability in the class means there is variation in the amount of progress pupils make.  The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to reach their full potential.  Not all teachers stimulate positive attitudes to learning or have high enough expectations of well- presented work in pupils’ books.  The teaching of reading is not fully effective in

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This is a school that requires improvement

developing pupils’ understanding and enjoyment of reading.  In mathematics, there are weaknesses in pupils’ ability to explain their answers clearly or to apply their mathematical knowledge to a range of tasks.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher, together with senior leaders and governors, is quickly putting key priorities for improvement into action. He is establishing positive links with staff, pupils and parents.  Children in the early years get off to a good start because of good teaching.  Effective teaching is raising standards in phonics (the sounds that letters represent).  Pupils get on well together and most behave well. Few stay away from school frequently.  Teaching assistants provide good support for those pupils who need extra help to catch up.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by making sure that teachers consistently: provide tasks that motivate learning and enable pupils of all abilities to make good progress give the most able pupils work that challenges them to reach their full potential have high expectations of the levels of presentation in pupils’ books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes in reading and mathematics, by: making sure that the teaching of reading is effective in helping pupils to understand what they read introducing pupils to a wider range of literature and more opportunities to read for enjoyment developing reasoning more fully in mathematics by encouraging pupils to explain how they reach their answers providing more problem-solving and practical tasks in mathematics.  Improve leadership and management, by: regularly evaluating the effectiveness of target setting in helping staff to improve their work developing the roles of all leaders so they have a clear picture of the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects and areas of responsibility ensuring that staff’s assessments are accurate and they are fully involved in understanding what pupils should achieve.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because some aspects of the school’s work have not been sufficiently well developed since the previous inspection. Targets set for staff to improve their work have not been specific or strongly linked enough to the school’s priorities to ensure good teaching and good outcomes for pupils.  Leaders have not involved staff well enough in understanding information about pupils’ progress and what pupils should achieve. There is some variation in teachers’ accuracy when they assess pupils’ work. Some subjects leaders do not have an overview of how well pupils are doing in their subjects and have not taken an effective role in improving their areas of responsibility.  The headteacher has quickly identified the main priorities and involves staff in understanding the school’s aims. He knows how well pupils are doing and has identified areas for improvement in teaching. He has set

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

targets for staff to work towards that are well linked to the school’s priorities and supported by relevant training. However, there has been insufficient time for these actions to lead to consistently good teaching.  The headteacher has established good links with parents and is quickly improving behaviour systems. He is bringing in line all systems to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare to ensure they are fully effective and consistent. The headteacher clearly demonstrates high expectations of pupil and staff performance and good behaviour. As a result, the school is beginning to move forward more rapidly than previously.  Leaders of English and mathematics know how well pupils are doing in their subjects. They evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and make improvements. For example, training for staff and the improved teaching of phonics is raising standards. Regular teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling makes a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

positive contribution to the quality of pupils’ writing.  In mathematics, a new calculation policy gives staff good guidance on what to teach. Leaders share their expertise in helping staff to provide the right level of challenge. Although some variation remains, these improvements are leading to better outcomes for pupils.  Leaders are reviewing the way in which the pupil premium funding is spent to ensure it is fully effective in helping disadvantaged pupils to achieve well. Senior leaders and governors evaluate thoroughly how well groups of pupils are doing. They make sure that the school’s action plans focus on improving the outcomes for all groups of pupils, including the disadvantaged, and giving all pupils equal opportunity to succeed.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Topics, trips and visitors widen pupils’ experiences and aid pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about important values and study a range of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

faiths, which prepares them suitably for life in modern Britain.  The primary sports funding has been used adequately to develop pupils’ skills in a range of sports. Leaders’ evaluation of the effectiveness of spending is leading to greater sports partnerships with other schools, more extra-curricular activities and more opportunities for teachers to develop their skills in teaching physical education. It is too early to see the effect of these changes on pupils’ physical and personal development.  The governance of the school Governance requires improvement because governors are not yet fully involved in determining the strategic direction of the school. However, governors have moved forward since the previous inspection in understanding their roles and responsibilities. They have undertaken a review of their work leading to a much sharper focus on school improvement . They have developed confidence in holding school leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

to account and now ask relevant and pertinent questions. Governors undergo the training they need to build their expertise. They analyse data and understand the impact of the school’s spending, for example the pupil premium, on the outcomes for pupils. They have a programme of regular visits to the school and to ensure that policies are up to date.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, including governors, ensure that staff are aware of recent legislation and that training to keep pupils safe is relevant and up to date. Good use is made of guidance from the local authority. Systems to log any child protection issues are thorough and systematic. Regular checks ensure that the site is secure and pupils are safe. There are effective systems to vet adults who work with pupils. There are clear channels of communication with external agencies and positive links with parents should any concerns arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Some variation in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment means that there are inconsistencies in how well pupils are motivated to respond positively to their learning and to make good progress.  Teachers do not consistently match work well enough to the range of ability in the class. Tasks do not always help the lower-attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop and consolidate their existing skills strongly. The most able pupils are not provided with tasks that help them to quickly build upon what they already know and can do. Sometimes, tasks are too easy or too difficult. As a result, pupils do not make the best possible progress.  The teaching of reading is not sufficiently consistent and well structured to rapidly build pupils’ comprehension skills and to instil a real enjoyment of reading. In mathematics, teachers do not give pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

enough opportunities to explain their reasoning and to apply their skills and knowledge in problem-solving and practical tasks.  Teachers’ expectations of the quality of work in pupils’ books are not always high enough and the school’s handwriting policy is not consistently applied. As a result, some pupils do not take enough care or pride in their work and their books are not presented well.  When lessons are well planned and teaching is motivating, pupils do well. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 4 were very interested in finding out facts and writing about a tsunami as part of their topic on natural disasters. All ability levels made good progress in improving their writing because the teacher set the right level of challenge and matched the tasks well to what she wanted the pupils to learn.  Teachers make sure that lessons build upon previous learning. They take time to recap and check pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

understanding. They provide regular verbal and written feedback to give pupils guidance on how to improve. They ask the right questions to move learning on and give pupils the opportunity to judge for themselves how well they are doing.  Standards in writing and grammar, punctuation and spelling are improving strongly because teachers focus well on the development and application of skills when pupils write. This, together with the regular teaching of phonics, aids pupils’ writing well.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the development of pupils’ personal and academic skills. They work well with a range of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to help them to make sense of their learning. They develop pupils’ confidence in their own abilities and instil positive attitudes to learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development requires improvement because there is some variation in pupils’ attitudes to learning. They are not always sufficiently motivated to fully apply themselves, which affects the amount of progress they make. When learning is interesting, pupils are fully engaged and concentrate well.  Pupils say that bullying is rare in their school and they say they know who to speak to if they have any worries. They act as anti-bullying ambassadors and are keen to help each other. Pupils know about various forms of bullying and receive guidance on how to keep themselves safe when using technology and social media. Pupils say they feel safe and that ‘teachers are always looking out for you’.  Pupils willingly take on responsibilities around the school and play their part in the school community. Roles as school councillors help to promote the understanding of democracy and decision making. Pupils organise

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Personal development and welfare

themselves well for team games. They show respect and tolerance towards each other because these are promoted by the curriculum and during assemblies, reflected in a comment from pupils, ‘We are all the same underneath’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because there are instances when pupils do not behave consistently well during lessons. On occasion, there is minor misbehaviour in those lessons where pupils are not as interested as they could be. As a result, they are easily distracted and they do not pay full attention.  Most pupils behave well. They say they get on well together and their school is like a big family. They understand the school’s incentives to promote good behaviour. Pupils show positive attitudes when working with teaching assistants or attending the breakfast club which provides a calm and sociable start to the school day.  The school positively promotes good attendance and punctuality. Absence is followed up and few pupils stay away from school frequently.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because there are differences between classes in the amount of progress pupils make. This means that pupils do not make consistently good progress as they move through the school to reach the standards of which they are capable.  Most pupils make the expected progress in reading but there is variation in how well pupils develop comprehension skills and the confidence to read fluently. They do not have enough opportunities to become familiar with various popular authors and wide-ranging, high-quality literary styles to promote a real enjoyment of reading and to develop high-level reading skills. A good start has been made to ensure consistent teaching of reading across the school, but it is not yet fully effective in ensuring that all groups of pupils make good progress.  In mathematics, pupils do not make rapid progress in consolidating and building upon their skills because

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

tasks are not well enough pitched to the range of ability in the class. Pupils do not fully demonstrate their mathematical understanding by confidently explaining their answers and applying their skills for a range of purposes.  In 2015, by the end of Year 6, some of the most able pupils did not make the expected progress in reading or reach the higher levels in mathematics. There is some variation in how well the work they are given helps them to reach their full potential. When they are suitably challenged, they make good progress. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the most able pupils in Year 6 extended their skills and explained their answers well when challenged to interpret a frequency table. Generally, the most able pupils make the expected progress in writing although there is room for a greater development of higher-level writing skills.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make variable rates of progress in line with

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

their classmates. They make the best progress when tasks and resources are tailored well to match their capabilities.  In 2015, by the end of Year 2, disadvantaged pupils reached the same standards in reading as their classmates and did better in writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6 in 2015, disadvantaged pupils did not reach the same standards as their classmates because they did not make consistently strong progress as they moved through key stage 2. In reading, they were two terms behind their classmates and other pupils nationally; in writing they were in line with other pupils nationally but over a term behind their classmates; in mathematics they were three terms behind their classmates and others nationally. Some of these pupils make good progress and catch up well, especially when working with teaching assistants. However, not all yet make the accelerated progress required to reach the same standards as their

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

classmates.  Pupils in Year 1 reach the expected standards in phonics. The school’s information shows that the improvement seen in 2015 is being sustained. Gaps in performance between different groups of pupils are closing strongly, because of consistently good teaching. As a result, pupils use their knowledge of phonics well in their reading and writing.  In 2015, because of marked improvements to the teaching of writing and grammar, punctuation and spelling, pupils in Year 6 reached well above average standards. Consistent teaching means that, as they move through the school, current pupils write for a range of purposes with increasing complexity. They produce well-developed storylines and spell accurately.

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Early years provision is good

 Good leadership ensures a consistent approach between the Nursery and the Reception classes. As a result, children build consistently upon the skills they acquire from the time they first start school. Staff check frequently how well children are doing and maintain an accurate picture of progress over time.  There are good links with parents. Staff provide opportunities for parents to contribute to their children’s learning. For example, experiences from home are shared and added to the ‘good news’ books which collate examples of children’s successes and achievements.  Leaders identify children who require extra support and use additional funding well to close any gaps in performance between groups of children. As a result, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the early years is improving year on year and gaps in attainment are now closing more strongly than previously.

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Early years provision is good

 Good teaching provides interesting and exciting activities across all areas of learning. Staff develop speech, language and vocabulary well and strongly build upon children’s previous learning. Well-organised learning areas mean resources are readily available for children to access independently to practise and consolidate their skills.  When children start in the early years their skills are often much lower than those typically expected for their age. The weakest areas, which include personal skills and speaking and communication, are addressed well during their time in the Nursery. By the time they move to the Reception class, children settle well to class routines and make good gains in their literacy and numeracy skills. They achieve well in phonics, which helps their reading and writing.  Children respond well to their learning. They behave well and have positive relationships with each other

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Early years provision is good

and adults. Staff promote children’s welfare well by helping them to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, children in the Nursery talked about the importance of washing their hands before eating, showing the positive effect of a recent visit from a school nurse. As they move through the early years, children become confident learners who are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 112705 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10009095

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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 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elaine Tidd Headteacher Paul Scragg Telephone number 01246 473398 Website www.norbriggs.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address info@norbriggs.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 January 2014

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than the average size primary school.  Most pupils are from British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. The funding is received for pupils who are known to be or have been eligible for free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The early years provision comprises a Nursery, which children attend for the morning or afternoon, and a Reception class which children attend full time.  The school provides a breakfast club, which is managed by the governing body.  Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced several changes of headteacher. The current

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Information about this school

headteacher joined the school in April 2016.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 13 lessons and one assembly. Three lesson observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. The inspectors also observed some teaching of small groups of pupils. In all, 11 members of staff were seen teaching  The inspectors looked at samples of work from all age groups. They talked to pupils about their work during lessons and listened to pupils read.  The inspectors held meetings with a group of pupils, governors, school leaders and staff. An inspector met with a representative of the local authority and spoke to a national leader of governance.  There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to analyse the results. However, inspectors took account of parents’ written comments and the results of a recent questionnaire for parents conducted by the school. An inspector also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at progress and attendance information. The

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Information about this inspection

inspectors looked at school improvement plans and evidence of the monitoring of teaching, and scrutinised documentation relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Vivienne McTiffen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Karen Slack 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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