Bromley Hills Primary School

Bromley Hills Primary School Granville Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8LW

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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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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have taken effective action to improve teaching and learning so that the quality of teaching is now good and outcomes are improving.  There has been significant improvement in pupil outcomes by the end of key stage 2. However, outcomes in key stage 1 are not yet consistently strong.  Governors hold leaders to account effectively. They check the work of the school for themselves so that they can challenge leaders in order to improve standards further.  Senior leaders have developed the roles of middle leaders so that middle leaders have a strategic overview of school improvement. However, they now need to hold teachers to account to improve pupils’ progress more rapidly.  Leaders are developing a rich curriculum with a broad range of experiences. The curriculum provides interesting and relevant opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

understanding in a wide range of subjects. However, this is not yet consistently good in all year groups.  Support for pupils’ personal development and welfare is a strength of the school. The school consistently goes ‘the extra mile’ to promote the physical and mental well-being of pupils. Pupils understand how to be responsible citizens who contribute positively to society.  Although more pupils are now reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check, not all teachers have sufficient expertise in the teaching of phonics to ensure consistency from one year to the next.  In the early years, children make good progress. Adults support them well through good relationships, effective support and established routines. As a result, children become confident learners.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. This is because the staff know pupils well and provide

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

additional support so that pupils can access a broad and balanced curriculum.  Pupils conduct themselves well. They are polite, respectful and kind to each other. Relationships are a strength across the school.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding. All staff are well trained in this area and understand their responsibilities. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – further strengthening curriculum provision so that it more effectively deepens pupils’ knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects in all year groups – further developing the skills of middle leaders in holding staff to account for pupils’ progress.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning by providing support and training for teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to teach phonics effectively.  Improve outcomes at the end of key stage 1 in reading and writing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders, including governors, have high expectations for all staff and pupils. They have created a culture of respect, teamwork and collaboration. Since the last inspection, leaders have collaborated well with external advisers, including the local authority, and this has supported them in sharpening their skills at promoting improvement effectively. There has been some unavoidable disruption in staffing in key stage 1, and although senior leaders have managed this well, it has impacted on pupils’ progress, particularly in reading and writing. However, current work shows that progress is now improving rapidly.  The headteacher has restructured the leadership team so that responsibility for school improvement is now shared across a larger group of middle leaders. Information is shared about pupils’ attainment and progress in order to plan actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Leaders, including middle leaders, meet regularly with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

teachers to identify pupils who are not making the progress they should. As a result, pupils now make better progress.  Leaders have made effective changes to the organisation of teaching and learning by the use of subject specialists in key stage 2. This has resulted in a rapid improvement in outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics. This approach is now being implemented for all pupils. Consequently, standards for current pupils are improving quickly.  Middle leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. They observe teaching, regularly ‘drop in’ to lessons and provide advice and feedback to teachers about how to improve their practice. However, in a small number of cases, teaching is not yet securely good, and middle leaders now need to hold teachers to account more firmly in order to improve rates of progress.  Leadership of English and mathematics is effective. Leaders are knowledgeable about

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

their areas of responsibility. Their plans for improvement are having a positive impact. In mathematics, a greater focus on reasoning and problem-solving has improved the progress pupils are making. In English, leaders have identified weaknesses in the teaching of vocabulary and have invested in a range of high-quality texts to improve the quality of writing across the school. As a result, current pupils are making good progress. However, some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain.  The Bromley Hills vision of ‘it’s time to shine’ is woven through a rich curriculum that inspires pupils to learn. A broad range of topics provide pupils with high-quality learning experiences. This includes a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs and activities, including the opportunity to learn Japanese, develop their cookery skills and join the choir, as well as offering Maths Academy and Reading Gladiators to provide

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

challenge for the most able pupils. However, pupils are not always given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of some subjects and, therefore, their achievement in some areas of the curriculum is not yet fully developed.  The headteacher ensures that the ethos of the school is centred around teamwork and collaboration. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. They learn about a wide range of cultures and religions through trips to places of worship and learning about different countries. They develop resilience through visits to outdoor centres. There is a working group of parents, staff and pupils who are developing a well-being programme, including introducing a free breakfast for all pupils. As a result, pupils are well prepared to be responsible citizens in modern Britain.  Leaders make effective use of the pupil premium. They meet with teachers on a termly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

basis to review the progress of disadvantaged pupils and identify any additional support that pupils need. A significant number of disadvantaged pupils are also pupils with SEND. Leaders have analysed the barriers to learning for these pupils and implemented individualised interventions. This is having a strong impact on attainment and progress for these pupils in key stage 2. However, a gap remains in reading and writing at key stage 1 for disadvantaged pupils because teachers do not have sufficient expertise in teaching phonics to ensure that pupils are applying their skills in writing. Leaders recognise this and have clear plans to strengthen provision further so that these pupils make better progress.  Teachers are proud to work at Bromley Hills. They feel valued and appreciate the wealth of professional development opportunities that leaders provide. They are keen to learn from each other and recognise that the reorganisation of teaching groups into

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

subject-specialist areas has impacted positively on their workload as well as improving the progress pupils make. Teachers know that this has improved their skills and knowledge. As a result, teaching is now good and improving across the school.  Leaders make good use of the physical education and sport premium to improve pupils’ health and well-being. There is a wide range of extra-curricular clubs that are well attended, including gymnastics, cricket and indoor bowls. Leaders have increased participation in competitive sport as a result of offering a broader range of opportunities, including football for beginners. The physical education leader’s timetable enables him to lead activities that increase pupils’ participation in physical activity during unstructured times. Leaders have also invested in professional development for teachers through the use of specialist coaches. This has been effective, and teachers have the skills they need to deliver all aspects of the physical

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

education curriculum well.  Leaders and staff at Bromley Hills pride themselves on the inclusive ethos of the school. They promote equality and diversity well and do not tolerate any prejudiced behaviour. Parents and carers appreciate the support they receive from staff. They feel that leaders listen to their concerns. A typical comment from a parent was that the school is ‘warm and welcoming, like a family’. Parents praise the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that helps their children want to come to school and learn every day.  The leadership of provision for pupils with SEND is a strength. Leaders identify pupils with SEND carefully and are diligent in tracking their progress closely to ensure that additional support is matched to pupils’ learning needs. They work closely with parents to provide support for families and ensure that pupils, including those who are at risk of exclusion from other settings, are integrated into mainstream school. Leaders work

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

closely with a broad range of external agencies as well as using additional funding to pay for in-house educational psychologist support so that parents and staff get swift advice and guidance. Parents appreciate this support. As one parent said, ‘I cannot fault the SENCo (special educational needs coordinator) for the help and support in ensuring my daughter achieves the best she can.’ As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress.

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Governance of the school

 Governance has improved significantly. Following the last inspection, governors sought advice from a national leader of governance. They have undertaken training, recruited new governors with a wide range of skills and experiences and implemented a rigorous work planner. This means that governors now have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have drive and ambition for the school to continue to improve.  Governors gather information from a wide range of sources, including pupils, parents and staff. They carry out learning walks and hold regular informal breakfast meetings so that they can have regular updates on the school’s ‘Raising Achievement Plans’, assessment information, subject action plans, as well as staff and pupil well-being. This helps them to provide both support and challenge to the leadership team.  Governors have a clear understanding of how the additional funding the school

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Governance of the school

receives is used. They ask questions to check that the funding is improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with SEND.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders ensure that all staff are well trained and are kept up to date with safeguarding issues, including extremism, radicalisation and peer-on-peer abuse. All staff have a thorough understanding of the school’s safeguarding policy and they know how to use the online safeguarding reporting system so that they can record their concerns at any time of day.  Governors are rigorous in ensuring that the school fulfils its statutory safeguarding duties. They carry out ‘spot checks’ to speak to pupils and check the impact of training for themselves.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, particularly online, and they know that adults will help them if they have any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and learning across the school. A comprehensive programme of monitoring and feedback has improved teaching swiftly. The use of subject specialists working across year groups has been successful in rapidly improving outcomes.  High-quality professional development has enabled teachers to develop secure subject knowledge and improve their classroom practice. Regular weekly meetings of English and mathematics subject specialists have meant that teachers have frequent opportunities to discuss their planning. They are reflective and adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils in their classes. This means that teaching is now good and improving over time.  Where teaching is strongest, teachers plan effective sequences of work that meet pupils’ learning needs. They question pupils skilfully and adapt teaching to address misconceptions. They provide challenges to encourage pupils to think more deeply.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Most teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully. However, on occasion, some teachers do not probe pupils’ thinking or question them well enough to deepen their understanding of different subjects. In some instances, during lessons, this hampers progress as pupils do not have the opportunity to correct misconceptions in their knowledge over time.  Relationships between adults and pupils are highly positive. Adults know the pupils well and help them to develop as confident learners. This means that pupils are confident to have a go at learning challenges, such as building a marshmallow spaghetti tower to support an egg in a Year 5 design and technology lesson. As a result of such positive attitudes to learning, pupils are developing secure knowledge across a broad range of subjects over time.  Overall, teaching for pupils with SEND is good. Regular interventions in English and mathematics help pupils to make good progress. However, on occasion, teachers do

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

not have secure subject knowledge about how to teach phonics effectively. Therefore, pupils are not consistently shown how to apply their skills in phonics to improve their reading and writing. This hampers attainment and progress for some pupils in key stage 1.  The teaching of reading and writing is improving rapidly in key stage 2. Teachers have developed class libraries to encourage pupils to read widely and often. They use a range of high-quality books, including classic literature, to help pupils gain a broad range of vocabulary. Pupils identify new words in their reading books, which they then challenge themselves to apply in their writing. Regular opportunities to write are provided across the curriculum. This is improving the quality of their written work rapidly.  The teaching of mathematics is strong. This is due to high-quality professional development. Teachers ensure that pupils gain fluency over time and have a range of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

resources to help them understand how to tackle mathematical calculations. Opportunities to use and apply reasoning and problem-solving skills are becoming embedded in almost all year groups. This approach to teaching mathematics has developed well over the past two years and is enabling current pupils to make stronger progress.  Most teachers have high expectations of pupils, but this is not always consistent. For example, in mathematics, some teachers accept work that is not well presented. This hinders progress, but is an issue that leaders are addressing.  Teachers provide inspiring ‘hooks’ for learning to deepen understanding in a wide range of subjects. For example, in a science lesson, pupils had the opportunity to examine pigs’ hearts so that they could see how the pulmonary system worked for themselves. As one pupil said, they enjoy school because ‘teachers teach us something new every day!’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have developed high-quality homework resources which give pupils the opportunity to develop their basic mathematics and writing skills as well as encourage them to learn more about their class topic through research. One pupil shared his photographs of a Victorian workhouse, including a poster showing the rules of the workhouse. Pupils used his resources to help them develop their own ideas for writing. On occasion, teachers do not check if pupils are taking books home on a regular basis to read, and so pupils are not given broad enough opportunities to develop a love of reading.  Skilled teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They receive regular, high-quality professional development, which enables them to support pupils effectively in becoming independent learners.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Leaders have responded well to issues in the locality and provided a rich variety of opportunities for pupils to develop as responsible citizens. Equality, diversity and mindfulness are core curriculum priorities, and this is evidenced not only through specific lessons, such as learning about different faiths and cultures, but also through developing pupils’ leadership skills. As one parent said, ‘My children are thriving at Bromley Hills. Their all-round education will stand them in good stead going forward.’ Pupils’ self-confidence is strong and this means that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Pupils have many opportunities to explore British values because this has been planned thoughtfully across the curriculum. Pupils learn about female scientists and engineers, discuss radicalisation and extremism, and celebrate diversity through themed events

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Personal development and welfare

such as Black History Week and ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’, where they learn about food from different cultures.  Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop responsibility and lead initiatives to improve their school community. They have organised a food bank because they have learned about families in their locality who need additional support. Global Club lead assemblies where they share their ideas to prevent further climate change through recycling and preventing food waste at school.  Pupils feel safe at school and they know how to keep themselves safe. They have a good understanding of how to deal with bullying and know that adults will help them if they have any worries. They create class risk assessments that are displayed in all classrooms, and which identify where improvements are needed around school to improve health and safety. Digital leaders help other pupils to deepen their understanding of e-safety. Parents comment on how happy their children are to come

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Personal development and welfare

to school because they feel safe and well cared for.  Provision for pupils’ physical well-being is a particular strength. Leaders recognise that obesity is a particular issue in school and they have invested in healthy lunchtimes, increased physical activity and a new running track where pupils walk or run a mile each day to keep fit. Pupils have raised funds to buy pedometers for all classes so that they can challenge themselves to improve.  All staff ensure that any pupil who needs additional support gets the help they need. All teaching assistants are trained as learning mentors, and leaders provide exceptional support for mental and physical well-being, including workshops on dealing with anxiety and strategies to deal with stress, including mindfulness.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite, welcoming and caring to each other. There is a clear behaviour policy that is shared by all members of the school community. This means that pupils consistently demonstrate good attitudes to learning.  The school is a calm, orderly environment. Pupils move seamlessly from one lesson to another and need little prompting from adults. As a result, they are keen and ready to learn and little time is wasted.  Staff and pupils are proud of the inclusive ethos of their school. Leaders have worked closely with alternative provision to integrate pupils who have been excluded from other settings into their school. There have been no permanent exclusions and very few fixed-term exclusions at Bromley Hills over the past three years, which demonstrates the success of the care and support staff give to vulnerable pupils.  Pupils are respectful and supportive of each other. For example, at lunchtimes, older

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Behaviour

pupils lead on playground activities for younger pupils, and older pupils manage ‘Magic Breakfast’ for themselves before school.  Pupils’ enjoyment of school is reflected in their good rates of attendance. Attendance is now in line with national averages for all groups of pupils. Leaders analyse attendance information in detail and swift action is taken to address any issues. Leaders work with outside agencies to support families, where needed, to ensure that pupils attend regularly. This means that no groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 improved significantly to be above the national average. Progress in writing has improved for all pupils year-on-year since 2016 and the school is now in the top 40% of all schools nationally.  For the past three years, attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been below age- related expectation, although there were improvements in mathematics in 2018, when standards were in line with age-related expectations. However, teacher assessments for 2018 and work in pupils’ books show that pupils are now making good progress in reading and mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving greater depth in reading is also improving.  The proportion of pupils who pass the Year 1 phonics check is below the national average. Most of these pupils are provided with the support they need to catch up with their peers by the end of Year 2. However, pupils are not consistently given the help

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Outcomes for pupils Good

they need to use their knowledge of phonics to improve their writing.  Children join Reception with knowledge, skills and understanding that are broadly at the standard typically expected for their age. They make good progress and achieve a good level of development that is close to national standards.  Higher proportions of pupils are now reached age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. Assessment information and work in pupils’ books show that current pupils are now making at least good progress in these subjects. However, this is not yet consistent in all subjects in all year groups.  Pupils with SEND make strong progress because staff provide effective interventions. Leaders identify clear starting points and track interventions closely so that they can measure small steps of progress and the impact of additional support.  The school’s own information has identified that a significant number of disadvantaged

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Outcomes for pupils Good

pupils across the school are also pupils with SEND. Although the majority of pupils in this group are making good progress due to effective support in class and through regular interventions, some pupils do not make good enough progress, particularly in writing across key stage 1, due to the inconsistent application of their phonic skills and knowledge.

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Early years provision Good

 Leadership of the early years provision is good. The leader has undertaken significant professional development and now has the confidence to develop the skills and knowledge of the staff team. This means that teaching is now good.  The leader knows the strengths and areas for development of the provision well. She ensures that assessments are accurate and that staff use this information in order to plan next steps in learning. She moderates these assessment judgements carefully and also attends local networks to ensure that these judgements are accurate.  Most children start school with skills and abilities in all areas of the curriculum that are broadly typical for their age. The early years leader tracks this information carefully and ensures that children who need additional support receive extra help.  Teaching meets children’s learning needs well. Staff plan stimulating activities that are

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Early years provision Good

matched well to children’s interests, and this helps children sustain engagement and concentration in their learning. Staff ask questions that help children build on what they already know. As a result, children make secure progress in all areas of the curriculum.  Staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour. Staff show children how to help one another and encourage children to share their ideas on how to look after each other and what to do when someone is upset. This means that children develop strong personal and social skills, which support good attitudes to learning as they move into Year 1.  Well-established routines support learning. During registration time, children settle quickly. An engaging and well-organised outdoor area is provided, where pupils collaborate well and demonstrate sustained shared attention due to the broad range of activities available, including role play and construction. Children gain an understanding

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Early years provision Good

of risk through visits to adventure centres. They develop confidence in learning quickly due to effective support from adults.  Staff work with children to help them apply their knowledge of phonics in guided writing. However, children do not apply their phonics skills consistently in independent writing activities and so this prevents them from making more rapid progress.  Children get off to a good start in the pre-school and wraparound setting. The environment is vibrant and well organised so that pupils settle quickly, collaborate well and develop positive attitudes to learning.  Leaders and staff have established strong relationships with parents. Many opportunities are provided for parents to be involved with their children’s learning. These include regular ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, as well as workshops to help parents know what their children are learning so that they can support them at home.

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Early years provision Good

 All early years welfare requirements are met. Staff ensure that daily risk assessments are completed and that children are happy, well cared for and supervised appropriately.

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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 jstevens@bromhills.dudley.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1–2 March 2017

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Information about this school

 Bromley Hills Primary School is a slightly larger than average primary school with a governor-led nursery on site. Most year groups have 45 pupils in mixed-age classes.  Almost all pupils are White British, with small numbers of different ethnic groups, mainly White and Black Caribbean, White and Black African and Asian British.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than the national average, and levels of deprivation are in the highest 40% of all schools nationally.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors examined a range of documentation, including information on the school website, records of governance, leaders’ self-evaluation summary and records of monitoring of teaching and learning. Inspectors also looked at training records, behaviour and attendance information, policies and information about pupils’ achievement.  The inspection team reviewed pupils’ work from across the school and observed lessons, some jointly with senior leaders. They heard pupils read. Inspectors also met with members of the school council and spoke to pupils informally in lessons and during breakfast club, playtime and lunchtime to seek their views about school.  Inspectors spoke informally to parents to ask their views on the school. Inspectors took into account the 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the 34 additional comments on the parent free-text survey. The 20 responses to

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted’s online staff questionnaires were also considered.  Inspectors met with the chair of governors, school staff and a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Johanne Clifton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Diana Pearce 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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