Bromesberrow St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Age group 2–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 January 2012 Inspection number 379121 Bromesberrow St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 115675 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 379121 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2012 Lead inspector Mo Roberts HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school All-through School category Community Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 59 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carol Davis-Terry Headteacher Bronwyn Mabey Date of previous school inspection 11 June 2009 School address Albright Lane Bromesberrow Ledbury HR8 1RT Telephone number 01531 650340 Fax number 01531 650695 Email address admin@st-marys-bromesberrow.glos.sch.uk

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Registered childcare provision EY358133 Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 03 July 2008 January 2012 2 of 13

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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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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

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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.ofsted.gov.uk January 2012 3 of 13

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Both morning and afternoon sessions of the pre-school and all their staff were observed working with the two- and three-year-olds. The three classes were observed formally at least once; each was then revisited to hear pupils read, to follow up on pupils’ work and/or to see specific groups being taught, for example the small group of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Some catch-up tuition was also seen. Meetings were held with the pre-school staff, the Chair of the Governing Body, and the headteacher and senior teacher. Informal conversations took place with parents and carers before school. The inspector checked the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) when planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at the school’s self-evaluation, data on pupils’ progress, and the school development plan. Thirty-three parental questionnaires were analysed, as were parental comments

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Introduction

made by telephone and those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This primary school is much smaller than average. It has three mixed-age classes. It draws its pupils from the immediate locality, with the rest coming from other villages and Ledbury. The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual time is high. Currently, approximately a quarter of the pupils are from Romany Traveller backgrounds but this proportion is higher at some times in the year. The proportion of pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs is above average. Children join the nursery from the age of two. It has 20 places registered for both morning and afternoon sessions and these run three days a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Friday afternoon sessions depend on the numbers requesting them. Children in the nursery/pre-school setting mostly transfer to the school’s Reception class when they are four years of age. The school meets the

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Information about the school

current floor standards. January 2012 4 of 13

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Information about the school

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school where staff work very effectively as a team to meet the needs of all the pupils, including pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs, as well as pupils who have an interrupted education because of their family travel patterns.  An outstanding feature of the school is its warm welcome and inclusive policy to new pupils who are quickly inducted and well supported to settle and learn.  Pupils’ achievement is good overall and pupils generally reach or exceed the national averages in English and mathematics despite many having non- continuous schooling. Pupils who stay in the school throughout their primary years often achieve above average standards and all behave well the majority of the time.  Teaching is good and ensures pupils’ good progress because the assessments are regular and effective and lead to a strong focus on successful learning for all the pupils.

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Key findings

 Two new teachers have settled effectively into their classes, seamlessly ensuring pupils’ progress, although they may require extra support if a lot of new/returning pupils arrive suddenly.  Teaching is lively and linked to an outstandingly adapted curriculum which provides excellent opportunities for pupils to be active. There is always something to engage learners of all abilities and aptitudes.  The early years provision in the mixed Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 class is excellent and children make a strong start on their reading in the first few years of school.  The headteacher rigorously monitors the work of the school and, together with the senior teacher and the governing body, keeps the school on a path of continuous improvement. They are all aware of the areas needing development. Despite their very considerable efforts, attendance although rising remains below the national average.  The school’s governing body is responsible for the registered nursery provision

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Key findings

and has ensured it meets satisfactory standards but has not notified Ofsted of January 2012 5 of 13

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Key findings

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

the change in manager or the use of an additional room. The new staff require ongoing professional support to further develop their assessment practice but provide a safe and happy environment to support learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Support the new teaching staff to ensure that they continue to settle and meet any extra demands made by new or returning pupils.  Maintain vigilantly the checks on attendance  Ensure nursery staff have further support and professional development to:  develop the consistency of the assessment records, and to devise and note the next steps for learning for each child  ensure that the lines of accountability are clear to all.

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Achievement of pupils

The majority of parents and carers feel that their children make good progress in their learning and the inspection confirms this view. Pupils achieve well in English and in mathematics and generally attain or exceed the national average in their test results. Cohort sizes are often small.

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Achievement of pupils

Progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception class is good. Staff support children well by providing a rich range of high-quality activities. Children with no nursery experience rapidly begin to catch up with their peers. In Key Stage 1, progress in reading, writing and mathematics is good. This is due to well-taught lessons. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 pupils acted out the past and present tenses of their verbs in the school hall; the pupils, including those newly arrived, quickly understood the concept.

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Achievement of pupils

In Key Stage 2, the good achievement is maintained. Results in English overall are high but were broadly average in mathematics in 2011 due to absences. Attainment in reading is broadly average. Pupils read with increasing accuracy and expression as they progress through the school, although some older pupils struggle with the meaning of the text when it requires deduction or they have to use inference. They understand straightforward comprehension questions and can retrieve information easily. Pupils from a Traveller background, pupils with disabilities and others with special educational needs succeed in this school in reaching the expected national level.

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Achievement of pupils

Early identification of specific needs and the willingness of all staff to support and help new and returning pupils catch up is due to the headteacher’s determination to achieve the best for every pupil by ensuring all adults support this goal. An excellent example was observed where pupils worked on an intervention called ‘Dancing January 2012 6 of 13

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

Bears’, which enabled them to catch up with letter sounds they had missed previously and to improve their reading skills.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall and all pupils achieve well over time as a result. Classrooms are bright and inviting, with displays that encourage pupils to look and think about the topics they are studying. The planned curriculum is excellent, taking account of the interests of the pupils and covering all subjects in a creative manner. Almost all parents and carers who responded to the questionnaires felt that their child was taught well and the inspection confirms this view. New teachers have settled well. Activities are lively in all classes and quickly gain pupils’ attention and develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. This was especially evident in the work on letters and their sounds in the Reception class where they empathised with the frog character and learned to take turns and work well in a group. Teachers have high expectations and motivate pupils well. This was observed

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Quality of teaching

as older pupils linked their work from mathematics on the temperature graphs to their reading on climate change. Teaching assistants are well trained and deployed, and consequently make a significant contribution to teaching and learning. Pupils’ observation and investigations into temperature variance and animal habitats encouraged them to discover facts and write about their discoveries. It also helped pupils’ reading, communication and information technology skills. Overall, they are keen readers with very positive attitudes. The school's marking policy is well understood by all pupils. Colour coding enables pupils of all abilities to see what they have done well and what they need to improve. Some pupils know their targets and quickly found the relevant sheets within their exercise books; however, others were less certain about the exact stage they had reached or how they help them learn. Within the specialist curriculum weeks, pupils often take responsibility for their own

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Quality of teaching

learning, for example when designing some very sophisticated bridges.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good and pupils reported that they feel safe and happy in school and the vast majority of parents agree. Pupils feel confident that adults will support them if minor disputes occur and that appropriate action would be taken by staff if there was even a hint of bullying. Pupils confidently talked about their feelings and emotions and are encouraged to develop a vocabulary which allows them to express any concerns they may have. Class teachers are astute in their management of any lower level off-task behaviour and new pupils rapidly adapt to the high expectations of courtesy, care, respect and kindness for others. Behaviour in the narrow corridor where pupils hang their coats showed good consideration for others. This was also evident on the playground where older children automatically stopped their football game when some of the young children strayed onto the pitch.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Relationships are harmonious, with pupils open and welcoming to newcomers. Pupils January 2012 7 of 13

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

feel well supported by all the adults in the school including those that drive the minibuses and cook their meals. They take their responsibilities around the school seriously and understand the concept of fair play. They enjoy the fair competition of the castle (house) system which is now in place. Pupils respond appropriately if they are corrected by staff. There are ample opportunities for collaborative learning and most groups work happily together. The school is an exceptionally inclusive community and parents spoken to by the inspector valued this ethos and the model provided by the staff, who often go the extra mile to support families experiencing any difficulties. For a small school there is a wide range of extra-curricular sporting, drama and musical activities and these are popular with pupils. Pupils have learned to risk-assess projects, such as the development of their new adventure playground,

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

and have a keen awareness of the importance of being healthy, active and safe.

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Leadership and management

The recent changes in the teaching staff have been smoothly managed by the headteacher so that the school was functioning effectively when over half the teaching staff had been with the school for less than two weeks. The high expectations for the quality of teaching and learning have been maintained. The headteacher acts promptly if she identifies any pupil coasting along rather than working hard. The school is an active partner in the local cluster of schools and benefits from the sharing of knowledge and wider professional view point this gives them. The school has maintained and strengthened its provision and supports pupils from Traveller backgrounds particularly well with additional distance-learning materials. The school's practice in this area is exemplary, with families frequently in touch by telephone when they are away.

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Leadership and management

The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and up to date and evaluation of subjects is leading to improvements, for example, in the way reading is taught to older pupils. The areas highlighted for improvement by this inspection have already been identified by the school. The curriculum is outstanding because of its strong cross- curricular links and its specific adjustment to meet the needs of the school community. It has ensured mutual respect among all groups of pupils. Special weeks, for example that related to Ledbury Poetry Festival and a science project, offer short, sharp boosts to pupils, including those who may have missed important aspects of literacy or science. Information and communication technology is used appropriately by both teachers and visitors to support pupils’ learning. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. All safeguarding procedures are secure and have recently been audited by the local authority. The

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Leadership and management

school is excellent at promoting equality of opportunity and takes effective action to ensure that no groups are disadvantaged and that those in danger of falling behind get the right kind of support .

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Leadership and management

The governing body meets all of its statutory duties and takes a strong interest in the school, receiving regular reports from the headteacher as well as visiting from time to time. It has helped her substantially to develop the school's premises and deal January 2012 8 of 13

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

with the related key issue from the last inspection: improving the outside provision for pupils. It also responds well to pupils’ ideas. Governors and the headteacher regularly review ways to drive improvement further and are not content to let the school stand still. Given the continued good achievement, the school’s capacity to improve is good. January 2012 9 of 13

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childcare provision

The early years provision is satisfactory overall, providing a broad range of activities, and with strengths in how it supports children’s social and emotional development and their welfare. Children use the school hall, which has a new clean floor and is well adapted with appropriate toys and equipment to stimulate their interest and development. Recently, they gained use of the ‘garden room’ and also have an improved outdoor area. Children are appropriately supported by staff to access the school’s toilets. At lunchtime, they enjoy their joint play with the older school children. Staff are appropriately qualified and are careful to maintain the staffing ratios required when the youngest children are in the main school play area. Children, including children with disabilities and those with special educational needs, make steady progress from their starting points, which are sometimes below those usually found for this age. Records and practice show they have good access to all

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childcare provision

six areas of learning, although assessment records are not entirely consistent and the next steps in learning are not always clearly recorded. However, staff adapt provision appropriately in general terms, and their interaction with the children is warm and supportive and encourages learning and development. Story and group times are managed well and children learn to listen and especially enjoy songs and rhymes. The new leader and the staff team are working well to develop their practice under the good leadership of the school’s senior teacher and headteacher.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision January 2012 10 of 13

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. January 2012 11 of 13

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning. January 2012 12 of 13

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school. I enjoyed hearing lots of you read. It was good to see how hard you all work and how nicely you behave, almost all the time. We agree with you and your parents that you go to a good school. These are the things your school does particularly well.

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

 Your teachers work well as a team to meet the needs of all of you, including those who need extra help to learn and those who travel away frequently with your families.  Your school is made warm and welcoming for everyone so new pupils settle quickly and learn.  Pupils leaving the school in Year 6 attain or exceed the national levels in English and mathematics. Pupils who stay in the school throughout their primary years attain standards that are often above the national average.  Teaching is good and ensures you achieve well because teachers know exactly what you have learned and what you need to do next.  The outstanding curriculum gives you plenty of interesting things to do such as searching out the coldest places or finding out more about the bugs and animals in the school grounds. There is something to interest you all.  The provision in the Reception class is outstanding and children make a strong

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

start on their reading in the first few years of school. Your headteacher, the governing body and senior teacher make sure everything works well and that the school keeps on improving. They have tried very hard to improve your attendance, but this remains below average.

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

Although the school is doing well there are always things to improve so we asked the headteacher and governors to make sure that: the new teachers continue to settle and that they get help if there are suddenly lots of new children in their classes. We asked them to help the nursery staff with their paperwork because some of them are new as well. Finally, we asked them to try to get your attendance up to at least the national level. You can help by making sure you always come to school if you are well or when your family arrives back in the neighbourhood if you have been travelling.

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

Mo Roberts Her Majesty’s Inspector January 2012 13 of 13

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School, Bromesberrow, HR8 1RT

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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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