Broughton Community Schools (Infants)

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

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Kevin Morrissey Headteacher Broughton Infant School Narbeth Drive Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP20 1NX

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Short inspection of Broughton Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 1 May 2019, 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 June 2015.

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Short inspection of Broughton Infant School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The previous inspection asked you to improve teaching, so that teachers set work that challenges pupils of different abilities, to enable them to make more rapid progress, particularly in writing. You were also asked to develop the leadership skills of teachers so they can take on more responsibilities for leading improvements in the school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

There have been significant changes in staffing since the previous inspection, including some turbulence in the senior leadership of the school. You were appointed as headteacher in April 2018. Unfortunately, due to long-term illness you have only recently returned to your full-time role. This instability in senior leadership has constrained efforts to secure consistently effective teaching across the school. In addition, because most leaders are new to their roles, you have not been successful in developing teachers’ leadership skills. Only recently are the newly appointed senior leaders and subject leaders for English and mathematics starting to develop their understanding of the areas that need improving across the school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

In recent years, pupils have made variable progress. Outcomes at the expected standard at the end of Year 2 have been below national figures in both writing and mathematics. At the end of 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the greater depth standard increased. However, evidence in books seen during the inspection shows that these improvements have not been maintained. The most able pupils are not effectively challenged across different subjects, particularly in writing.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Recent support from the local authority’s mathematics adviser has been used effectively by the school. New initiatives to develop pupils’ reasoning and problem- solving skills have strengthened the teaching of mathematics and are also beginning to increase pupils’ progress.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Your evaluation of your most recent assessment information has identified clear priorities for improvement. Some aspects, such as the introduction of the new mathematics scheme, are starting to have an impact, but much still remains to be done. For example, the teaching of writing is inconsistent and pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length or at the higher standards.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The wider curriculum provides a variety of learning opportunities across different subjects. Pupils enjoy the ‘wow’ days and the visits that enhance the curriculum. For example, Year 2 pupils recently visited the Roald Dahl museum as part of their work on ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. However, the sequence of learning in subjects such as geography and history is not always clear. As a result, new learning does not always build on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. This limits the progress pupils make in these subjects.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils at Broughton Infant School are delightful. They behave well, both during lessons and at playtime. They are polite and courteous, eager to help each other in lessons and have positive attitudes to their learning. Some pupils who find aspects of school life more challenging have benefited from additional support and the introduction of the well-being room. The pupils that I met were happy and felt well cared for by their teachers. They told me that they enjoy the topics that they study and the learning opportunities they are given. However, pupils have a limited understanding of British values.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The vast majority of parents and carers are positive about the school. They say that their children settle into school quickly, and that they are happy and well cared for. Parents also agree that the school keeps their children safe. Parents value the strong community ethos of the school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Governance has been weakened by significant changes to the membership of the governing body. Consequently, governors have not challenged school leaders effectively to ensure that the necessary improvements were made. You have been proactive in identifying this weakness. As a result, new governors, including a new co-chair, have recently been appointed.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. All staff are well aware of what they should do if they have any concerns. You have thorough procedures in place for the vetting and checking of new members of staff. Leaders ensure that safeguarding and child protection training take place regularly. You follow up on concerns quickly and if necessary refer to outside agencies.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The pupils I spoke to said that they feel safe in school. They said that there is always someone to talk with if they have any concerns. They also said that bullying was rare but if it does occur, it is dealt with effectively by staff. Parents were equally positive about the work that staff do to keep their children safe.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we looked at three key lines of enquiry: how effectively leaders at all levels have improved the quality of teaching so work is well matched to pupils’ needs; how well leaders have ensured that pupils make good progress from their starting points, particularly in writing and mathematics; and how well leaders have provided a broad and balanced curriculum that helps prepare pupils for their next steps in education and for life in modern Britain.  Staff have been given insufficient opportunities to improve the effectiveness of their teaching since the previous inspection. This is partly due to changes in leadership, particularly in the last year. Work set for pupils does not always build on their prior attainment or deepen their knowledge and understanding. This limits progress.  Recent developments in the teaching of mathematics are beginning to improve teachers’ practice and improve the progress that pupils make. Pupils are given

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Inspection findings

more opportunities to reason and problem-solve. They use practical equipment effectively to consolidate their understanding. Most-able pupils are beginning to be challenged to think more deeply about their learning through additional opportunities to solve more complex problems. However, this is not yet consistent across the school.  The teaching of writing is variable across the school. Leaders have not secured an agreed whole-school approach to teach writing effectively. Outcomes in pupils’ books show limited opportunities for pupils to write at length in order to practise their skills. The most able pupils are not challenged consistently, and do not have enough opportunities to work at the higher standards.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils enjoy a varied range of learning opportunities, including special days and visits. However, teachers do not build effectively on pupils’ previous knowledge and the sequence of learning is unclear

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Inspection findings

in many subjects. Insufficient challenge is given to the most able pupils. As a result, they do not deepen their knowledge and understanding across the wider curriculum. In addition, pupils do not have an age-appropriate awareness of British values or the diverse range of cultures which make up modern Britain.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 senior leaders and subject leaders are developed to secure their effectiveness in improving teaching and developing the curriculum, including pupils’ preparation for life in modern Britain  the most able pupils are routinely challenged in all subjects, particularly in writing, so that more achieve the higher standards  governance is strengthened and leaders are consequently challenged to make the necessary improvements more rapidly.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, other leaders, pupils and members of the governing body. I also spoke to a representative of the local authority. We visited all classes together to observe teaching and learning. I scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ work alongside your subject leaders. I took account of 36 responses from parents to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 33 free-text comments. I also spoke to a number of parents at the beginning of the school day.

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Information about the inspection

I observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and as they moved around the school. I analysed a range of the school’s documentation, including: information about pupils’ achievement; the school development plan; and a range of the school’s policies and procedures including those for safeguarding. We also discussed your evaluation of the school’s effectiveness.

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