Bramham Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Sarah Richards Executive Headteacher Bramham Primary School Clifford Road Bramham Wetherby West Yorkshire LS23 6JQ

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 9 January 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2013.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence available during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice in certain areas. This may indicate that the school is improving towards being outstanding. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Since the previous inspection, governors have made several key appointments to strengthen the leadership of the school further. You were appointed as executive headteacher in September 2015 and quickly identified the need to restructure the leadership team across the federation. You now have a range of leaders with specialisms and expertise in key areas. You and your leaders provide very effective leadership. Since your appointment, leaders have embedded a culture of high expectations and excellence in teaching and learning. This has ensured that the individual needs of pupils are well known and that they are supported effectively. As a result, most pupils do extremely well.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

You motivate and guide your staff and have ensured that the school is a very inclusive place where all pupils are valued and treated equally. You have led your staff well in promoting pupils’ values of resilience, tolerance and respect. The school is not complacent; you and your leaders are constantly keeping provision under review so that it continues to develop and improve. There is a relentless focus on learning and assessment. Leaders regularly review the progress that pupils are making. They help teachers to refine their plans to meet the needs of the pupils. You have rightly identified that some pupils’ needs are not being met, particularly the small group of disadvantaged pupils, as these pupils need to make better progress.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

The number of pupils on roll has increased rapidly. The school, which was once facing closure because of low numbers of pupils, has now become a popular choice. An overwhelmingly positive response from parents and carers endorses this. One parent said, ‘Bramham Primary has an excellent caring and rewarding environment which allows children to grow and thrive.’ You have wasted no time in expanding the teaching team and school building so that pupils are taught in separate year groups with peers of their own age.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

The most recent national assessments for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils show a rapid improvement in attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. A higher proportion of pupils is achieving the higher standards than is seen nationally. From their different starting points, the majority of current pupils in all year groups are making strong progress in a wide range of subjects.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

You and your leaders are determined to provide a broad curriculum for all pupils at Bramham. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is exemplary. Aspects of SMSC are embedded into every lesson which encourage pupils to pose questions about world issues and to value each other’s contributions. You have ensured that senior and middle leaders are more influential and play a stronger role in checking progress and training staff. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the opportunities they have in school, including for example, the performance of an Anglo-Saxon play and debating with another school on current global issues. Pupils also enjoy the opportunity to compete with other schools at sporting events. The uptake of sports has increased in school. The specialist teacher of physical education has enhanced pupils’ physical skills and enjoyment of this subject.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and show highly positive attitudes. They are polite and show respect to each other, staff and visitors. They are interested in their learning and try hard to present their work carefully and meet teachers’ expectations.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Working closely with governors, you have implemented a clear plan for continuing to improve the school, which you review regularly. Priorities are identified through accurate evaluation. Governors play an important role because they offer a good level of challenge to leaders. Governors ensure that information about standards and progress is carefully analysed, and their subsequent decisions are based on clear evidence about priorities. However, they do not check well enough that the pupil premium funding is being used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils attend school regularly and make good progress. Governors visit the school regularly, and this means that they have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff receive regular training so that they are vigilant and aware of pupils who may be at risk of harm. Members of staff new to the school affirm that the training they receive is thorough and comprehensive. Staff know their duties and understand their role in keeping pupils safe at school.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

The pupils I spoke to informally around the school told me that they feel safe and happy at school. They consider bullying and poor behaviour to be rare. They are confident that any member of staff would listen to them if they have concerns. The responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey reflect this positive view. Pupils are also taught how to stay safe online. Displays around the school remind everyone how to stay safe when using the internet.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Parents’ views were overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority agreed that pupils are safe and well cared for, with many choosing to express how happy and settled their children are. One parent said ‘…the school excels in fostering and promoting the emotional health, well-being and safety of its pupils’.

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Short inspection of Bramham Primary School

Governors regularly check the effectiveness of the school’s work to keep pupils safe.

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Inspection findings

 Children get off to a strong start. Activities in the early years are varied and exciting. They keep children engaged and support their development of communication, language and literacy. During the inspection, children were seen dressed as polar explorers attempting to find Arctic animals in the newly developed outdoor area. Children were competently using their understanding of the sounds that letters make to read and write new simple words. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the early years has remained above the national average for the last four years. An increasing number of pupils exceed the early learning goals.  By the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics has improved and is now above the national average.  By the end of key stage 2, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected

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Inspection findings

standard in reading, writing and mathematics has improved and is now above the national average. Outcomes in mathematics have remained well above the national average for the last two years, with a significantly high number of pupils achieving the higher standard in 2017. The school employs a part-time specialist mathematics teacher who has supported teachers within the school, leading to strong practice seen in mathematics books and lessons.  I was keen to explore the work that has been done to develop the wider curriculum and how the school promotes pupils’ SMSC development. You, your leaders and governors are passionate about pupils’ wider development. This is evident in the breadth of the curriculum you provide and the range of clubs and visits that enthuse and excite pupils. Your leaders monitor the progress in subjects beyond English and mathematics. Leaders use this information to pinpoint where teaching staff need additional training. As a result, pupils make

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Inspection findings

strong progress in subjects across the wider curriculum.  At the previous inspection, the inspector reported that improvements were required in pupils’ writing. You have successfully addressed these points. You have developed what the school offers, creating opportunities for pupils to write across the curriculum. Training for teachers has enabled them to teach writing more effectively. Together with your senior leaders, we looked closely at the work in pupils’ books. We agreed that many pupils’ work showed clearly that pupils make strong progress across all year groups in their writing. You changed how pupils record their work so that they maintain the same writing standards in subjects such as history, geography and science as they do in English.  I spent time looking at how effective the provision is for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Over time this group of pupils make good

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Inspection findings

progress from their starting points. The experienced executive special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) is supporting the associate SENCo, who is based at Bramham Primary. She has spent time ensuring that additional support is well- matched to the needs of pupils. Support for these pupils is effective because teachers and teaching assistants are involved in regular training and are encouraged to share good practice and expertise.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that they:

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Next steps for the school

 have a full understanding of the pupil premium spending and that this funding results in more disadvantaged pupils attending school regularly and making the same good progress as their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the chief executive officer, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leeds. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and other members of the leadership team, including the executive deputy headteacher, the assistant headteachers and key stage leaders. I met with five members of the governing body. In addition, I met with a group of pupils and spoke informally to other pupils during the day. I examined the strategies introduced by the school to raise the achievement of pupils in writing. I observed teaching and learning in all classes. I looked at a range of pupils’ books, some together with you and your assistant headteachers. Meetings were held with the staff responsible for attendance and with the executive SENCo and associate SENCo. I met with a group of teaching assistants. I took into account the views of the 58 parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, as well as the 16 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 61 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Furthermore, I scrutinised the

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Information about the inspection

school’s record of recruitment checks and I looked at a range of other documents related to safeguarding. I took into account additional documentation, including assessment information, school policies and information posted on the school’s website.

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