Berkeley Primary School

Berkeley Primary School Marsden Drive, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN15 8AH

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Skilled leaders have ensured that the school is improving at a rapid rate. Although outcomes require improvement, they are strengthening considerably.  The headteacher has established an ethos underpinned by respect for others and high aspirations. Consequently, staff and pupils alike endeavour to achieve their best.  Senior leaders are accurate in pinpointing priorities for improvement. They have successfully strengthened pupils’ progress, particularly in mathematics and the early years.  Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievements. They acknowledge that pupils’ outcomes in Year 6 in 2018 were not good enough. They have used their evaluations effectively to direct fast-paced improvements.  Following improvements to the quality of teaching, pupils are making stronger progress in reading. However, leaders have not ensured that the books and texts pupils read are matched precisely to their needs.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is broad and balanced. It supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development consistently.  Governance is strong. Governors use their knowledge, along with the detailed information leaders provide, to hold leaders to account effectively for pupils’ outcomes.  Teaching staff appreciate the professional development available to them, which has contributed to their strong subject knowledge. They habitually reflect on their effectiveness and use this to adapt their practice.  The promotion of pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. As a result, pupils are polite, sensible and considerate. They attend school regularly and show positive attitudes to learning.  Leadership and teaching in the early years are effective. Children make good progress in the nurturing environment adults create. However, opportunities for children to consolidate their skills independently in the outdoor areas are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

underdeveloped.  Middle leaders are passionate advocates for their areas of responsibility. However, the checks they make on teaching and learning do not delve deeply enough into the difference strategies are making to pupils’ outcomes.  Leaders have ensured that teaching is adapted appropriately for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, leaders have only recently introduced a system to measure pupils’ progress. Therefore, they are not able to evaluate accurately whether pupils are progressing well from their starting points.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and improve pupils’ outcomes, by ensuring that: – the texts and books pupils use for reading activities and independent reading are carefully chosen to meet their needs – reading comprehension activities are suitably challenging for all pupils, including the most able pupils.  Improve further the effectiveness of the early years by ensuring that children have opportunities to consolidate and extend their learning, including in reading, writing and mathematics, independently, particularly in the outdoor environment.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: – middle leaders make thorough checks on, and evaluation of, the difference they have made to the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes – leaders measure and evaluate the progress made by pupils with SEND to check that pupils achieve their full potential.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have managed the amalgamation of the junior and infant schools skilfully. They have used this opportunity to enhance pupils’ educational experiences. The headteacher, in collaboration with other leaders, has created a clear vision for the school. As a result, the staff team has a firm understanding of the priorities which inform their work. They are fully on board with the implementation of new initiatives, and staff morale is high.  The headteacher has established a culture based on treating others with respect, dignity and kindness. She adds to this high expectations, which results in a nurturing atmosphere where staff and pupils all strive to achieve their best.  Senior leaders are accurate in their evaluations of the school’s effectiveness and are ambitious for pupils’ achievements. They pinpoint precisely the aspects they wish to strengthen and have had many successes in relation to these. They are open in saying

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

that Year 6 pupils’ outcomes in reading and mathematics in 2018 were not good enough. They used the disappointing results to both fuel and direct their efforts. Consequently, the quality of teaching shows considerable improvement in these two subjects and, hence, current pupils’ outcomes are improving rapidly.  The headteacher places heavy emphasis on professional development for teaching staff, focused tightly on the priorities for improvement. Engagement with external experts and partner schools has ensured that staff have suitable subject knowledge and teaching strategies. Regular opportunities to observe their colleagues in the school has enabled teachers to evaluate and adapt their practice effectively.  Leaders have worked hard to increase the accuracy of the assessments of pupils’ knowledge and skills. They have also introduced systems to hold teachers to account thoroughly for the progress pupils make. This has ensured that teachers now identify

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and support pupils at risk of either falling behind or not achieving their full potential.  Middle leaders are passionate advocates for their areas of responsibility. They are knowledgeable and provide helpful advice and training for their colleagues. They regularly monitor teaching. However, their checks are often focused on whether teachers are using new strategies. For some aspects, leaders have not evaluated the quality of teachers’ implementation or the difference teachers have made to pupils’ outcomes.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils have a range of rich experiences, including educational visits, which complement their learning in lessons. The curriculum provides pupils with a non-stereotypical view of different cultures and a secure understanding of the heritage of their own community. As a result, pupils reflect tolerant views and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND are identified accurately. Strong relationships with parents, carers and external agencies enable teachers to adapt lessons appropriately so that pupils can learn alongside their peers. The special educational needs coordinator has introduced a new system to measure pupils’ progress. As this system is in its infancy, leaders are not able to evaluate whether pupils make sufficient progress from their starting points.  Leaders have an accurate view of the barriers to learning faced by disadvantaged pupils. They use additional funding effectively to support pupils’ academic and personal development, and to improve their rates of attendance. Although disadvantaged pupils’ attainment often lags just behind that of other pupils nationally, pupils are now making stronger progress and this gap is closing.  Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sports funding well. Pupils benefit

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

from a wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular sports clubs, which are often delivered by specialist coaches. Pupils also enjoy participating in competitions and tournaments with other schools. Leaders take an inclusive approach to planning such events, ensuring that there are opportunities for pupils of all ability and confidence levels.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is a strength of the school. Members of the governing body have a range of suitable expertise. They access training and network meetings regularly and they use their knowledge to contribute well to the strategic direction of the school.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities for improvement. They hold leaders to account effectively for their work to strengthen these aspects. Governors receive detailed information from leaders in school, including in relation to pupils’ outcomes. They use this information to challenge leaders appropriately.  Governors understand the responsibility they hold and show a high level of commitment in fulfilling their roles. They have suitably high expectations for pupils’ outcomes and are ambitious for pupils’ personal and academic achievements.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have established a culture of safeguarding in the school. Members of staff are clear about their responsibilities in keeping children safe.  Staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding are extremely thorough in their work to protect pupils and their families. They are swift in responding to pupils’ needs and have developed effective relationships with external agencies. Records in respect of child protection are well maintained.  Pupils learn about how to stay safe in a range of contexts, as safeguarding is threaded through the curriculum. Where any issues arise, leaders are prompt in adding assemblies, lessons and workshops to address these. Leaders ensure that staff are open in discussing pertinent issues with pupils. They focus heavily on equipping pupils with the resilience and confidence they need to make positive moral choices both now and in the future.

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Safeguarding

 Appropriate checks are in place to ensure that members of staff are suitable to work with children. Records in respect of this are well organised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have been successful in securing vital improvements to the quality of teaching. As a result, teaching is typically characterised by clear explanations and demonstrations which extend pupils’ knowledge and skills effectively. Leaders have focused on ensuring that teaching across a range of subjects provides appropriate challenge for the most able pupils. Although some initiatives linked to this priority are at an early stage of implementation, signs of improvement in pupils’ work are evident.  Teachers typically sequence English grammar, punctuation and spelling lessons so that pupils build their skills systematically. Pupils also complete regular activities to expand their vocabulary. They then have frequent opportunities to apply their learning in extended pieces of writing. Pupils generally take pride in their work when writing in all subjects. This supports them in making good progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 In mathematics, pupils enjoy developing their number and mental calculation skills through fun activities. Teachers also ensure that pupils develop their problem-solving skills through regular practice. Pupils show that they are able to use their knowledge to justify their mathematical reasoning.  Following regular lessons focused on reading skills, such as inferring meaning, pupils generally demonstrate a secure understanding of what they have read. However, sometimes pupils are asked to complete reading comprehension activities which are not sufficiently challenging. This means that progress, particularly for the most able pupils, is not maximised.  Leaders identified that some pupils’ progress was previously hindered by a limited stamina for reading. Leaders have strengthened this by introducing initiatives to develop pupils’ enthusiasm for reading. For example, pupils enjoy attending the reading café with their parents. Additionally, reading activities are often linked to topics

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

which have captured pupils’ interest in other subjects. For example, during the inspection, Year 4 pupils were motivated to read about Mount Vesuvius, which was a part of their learning in history.  Although the teaching of reading and pupils’ outcomes in this subject are improving strongly, leaders have not checked that the books and texts pupils read are well matched to their needs. This means that some lower-attaining pupils in key stage 2 select books for independent reading which are too difficult. Similarly, the materials teachers use for reading activities have not been mapped carefully across the school to ensure that an appropriate level of complexity is maintained.  The teaching of phonics is effective. Teachers assess pupils’ developing knowledge of phonics precisely and at regular intervals. They use this information to plan sessions which meet pupils’ needs consistently. As a result, most pupils develop early reading

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

skills well.  Pupils acquire knowledge and skills in wider curriculum subjects, such as history, geography, religious education (RE) and science, effectively. Teachers are adept in sequencing learning so that pupils can build on their existing knowledge. Leaders have begun to adapt the curriculum so that topics are more relevant to pupils. For example, Year 2 pupils learn about Bangladesh and Year 5 pupils study Islamic civilisations, as these topics are relevant to the school and local community. Similarly, pupils learn about the industrial roots of their town and participate in Workers’ Memorial Day.  Following a comprehensive programme of well-planned professional development, teaching assistants make a valuable and consistent contribution to pupils’ progress. They are skilled in knowing when to intervene in pupils’ learning. They measure their support effectively, and so promote pupils’ independence as well as extending their

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils value the opportunities they have to acquire a range of skills. For example, they benefit from attending a variety of extra-curricular clubs, including judo, craft and tag rugby.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Through assemblies, lessons, educational visits and visitors to school, pupils acquire knowledge and understanding which prepare them effectively for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils participate in performances, such as singing and drama festivals, and events, such as the Holocaust memorial. As a result, pupils typically demonstrate strong social skills and have a clear understanding of the consequences of their moral choices.  Leaders are passionate about celebrating the cultural diversity of the school community. To this end, they have awarded a number of bilingual pupils the role of

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Personal development and welfare

language buddy, which often involves translating for pupils who are new to the English language. Pupils also present to their peers during assemblies, sharing information about their faiths, beliefs and traditions.  Pupils also gain leadership skills through taking on a range of roles, for example playground buddies, school council representative and classroom monitor. They aspire to hold such positions and, therefore, show high levels of responsibility and maturity.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Strong relationships between pupils and staff are evident. Teaching staff have high expectations of pupils’ conduct and pupils rise to this. As a result, pupils are polite, respectful and empathetic. They cooperate well with others and this creates a calm atmosphere in the school.  Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They concentrate during lessons and participate fully in activities. Pupils’ high levels of engagement ensure that low-level disruption is rare.  Staff tailor the support for pupils who present challenging behaviour to their needs, working with external agencies where appropriate. Leaders check regularly for patterns in pupils’ behaviour and intervene swiftly where necessary. Consequently, instances of poor behaviour, bullying and derogatory language are rare.  Pupils attend school regularly. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy going to school,

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Behaviour

and many parents confirmed this enthusiasm. A considerable number of pupils attend the school’s breakfast club, and this provides them with a positive start to the day. Leaders have effective systems in place to promote good attendance and to tackle high or rising absences.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The improvements leaders have secured to the quality of teaching have ensured that current pupils are now making much stronger progress across a range of subjects, including in reading and mathematics. However, many improvements are recent, and therefore pupils’ improved progress has not been sustained over time. Although pupils’ outcomes require improvement, their books show that both their attainment and progress have been strengthened considerably.  Teaching does now focus on providing activities which are suitably challenging for all pupils. Consequently, increases in the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standards of learning, including in reading and mathematics, are evident, although this is not consistent across year groups and subjects.  Published outcomes for pupils in Year 6 in 2018 represent low progress and below- average attainment in reading and mathematics. In writing, attainment and progress

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

for this group were average.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been just below average for the last two years. This is because, although improving from 2017 to 2018, too few pupils have reached the higher standards of learning in reading, writing and mathematics.  The teaching of phonics ensures that pupils typically acquire early reading skills well. In 2018, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check was in line with the national average.  Published outcomes for pupils with SEND reflect low attainment at the end of key stages 1 and 2, and low progress made across key stage 2. Current pupils’ books show that teaching is being adapted effectively to ensure that pupils make better progress. However, leaders are in the process of establishing a system to measure the progress of pupils with SEND. Consequently, they are not able to evaluate whether all pupils in

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

this group are making sufficient progress from their starting points.  Like other pupils in the school, disadvantaged pupils’ work shows recent stronger progress. Historically, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stages 1 and 2 has often sat just behind that of other pupils nationally. For the last two years, very few disadvantaged pupils have reached the higher standards of learning. However, the improvements to their progress during this year are supporting them to catch up.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and priorities for improvement in the early years. They have engaged with external specialists, including from the local authority, and have acted swiftly on the advice given. As a result, targeted professional development for staff has ensured that teaching and learning are effective.  The majority of children enter the early years with knowledge and skills which are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress and, hence, the proportion of children who reach a good level of development is just above average.  Adults make accurate assessments of children’s development. They use these assessments skilfully to plan adult-led activities which meet children’s needs appropriately. When leading activities, adults are adept in extending children’s learning through questioning and demonstration.  The indoor environments have been well designed. Adults provide a variety of activities

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Early years provision Good

which capture children’s interest. Consequently, children show high levels of independence and are able to concentrate on tasks for sustained periods. During the inspection, Reception children were excited by activities which related to their topic on spiders. They enjoyed developing their fine-motor, communication and number skills while engaged in activities about spiders.  Adults place a heavy emphasis on early reading. As such, children show enthusiasm for books and they engage well when adults read to them. During phonics activities, adults support children effectively, enabling them to apply and broaden their knowledge.  Leaders have had some success in improving the outdoor environments. However, the opportunities for children to consolidate and extend their learning independently are underdeveloped and, often, are not challenging enough. Consequently, children, particularly in the Nursery, do not find the activities on offer enticing. This means that

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Early years provision Good

their learning and independence are not maximised outdoors.  Parents who shared their views during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive about the early years. They value the regular communication between the school and home. They also praised the transition arrangements which supported their children to settle quickly when they were new to the school.  Adults have strong relationships with the children and they support children’s personal development effectively. They have ensured that clear boundaries and routines are in place. As a result, children conduct themselves well and show consideration to others. The early years is a safe and nurturing environment, where welfare requirements are adhered to.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin.berkeleyprimary@northlincs.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 March 2015

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Information about this school

 Berkeley Primary School is approximately twice the size of an average-sized primary school. It was formed in September 2016 when Berkeley Junior School amalgamated with Berkeley Infant School.  The school has a Nursery for children from the age of three and a breakfast club for its pupils.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.  Pupils come from eight different ethnic groups, the largest group being of White British heritage. Approximately a fifth of pupils speak English as an additional language, and this is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is just above average, and the proportion with an education, health and care plan is average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of subjects in classes across all year groups. Most of these observations were carried out jointly with leaders.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work and listened to them read. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at playtimes and lunchtimes. They gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions. They also considered the 27 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders and a group of governors, which included the chair of the governing body. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority. Inspectors spoke to staff both formally and informally, and took account of the 37 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documents

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Information about this inspection

and monitoring records of the quality of teaching and learning. Inspectors also evaluated information relating to pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors gathered the views of parents at the start of the school day. They also took account of the views of 39 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and the 18 free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Ashworth 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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