Bradley Green Primary Academy

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

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Mrs Vicky Cameron Principal Bradley Green Primary Academy Bradley Green Road Newton Hyde Cheshire SK14 4NA

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

Following my visit to the school on 10 July 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 your predecessor school was judged to be good in July 2015.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since your appointment in September 2018, you have worked to ensure that pupils at Bradley Green are well educated and develop as well-rounded individuals. With the effective support of the leadership team and from academy trustees and chief executive officer, you have established a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils. The school continues to improve and pupils benefit from effective teaching. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

You have worked hard to ensure that every member of staff and all pupils have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Staff are very appreciative of the leadership of the school and all feel valued members of the team.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

The school provides a welcoming and caring environment for pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils are harmonious. Pupils value the education they receive. In discussions held during the inspection, pupils made comments such as, ‘All the staff are really kind and look after us’, and they appreciate the opportunities you provide, which they describe as ‘wonderful’. These comments reflect the breadth of the curriculum and the wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities the school offers.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

Pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. All classrooms are purposeful and pupils are excited about their learning. Pupils collaborate well and are encouraged by their teachers to ask each other questions to deepen their own understanding. Pupils have a strong understanding of the school values of respect and equality. Pupils were eager to tell me that when someone new arrives at the school their teachers insist that they make them ‘feel a part of the Bradley Green family’. The older children show great maturity in their roles; for example, in their roles on the School Council and Eco Committee. Pupils are proud to be play leaders and house captains. Pupils reported that incidents of bullying are very rare because of the respect they have for each other. Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their above-average attendance.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

At the inspection prior to the school converted to an academy, senior leaders were asked to improve teaching and learning by helping teachers to identify ways in which their classroom practice could be more effective, through better use of time. During the inspection, I spent time walking through the school with you and your vice-principal. What was clear was that staff are very aware of ensuring that pupils do not waste time and maximise their time on tasks.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

We visited a number of lessons in which staff were seen to be efficient and precise in explaining what they wanted pupils to learn. They encouraged the pupils to collaborate in their learning and challenge each other to move onto more difficult tasks. When we looked at books it was evident that teachers are making sure that, as you say, ‘every lesson counts’. The formal monitoring system, supported by trust leaders, means that the checks on pupils’ work are ensuring that most pupils produce their best work in all subjects.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

Leaders are keen to maintain strong links with the local community. They ensure that parents are fully informed about the content of the curriculum and consult them regularly on key issues. As a result, the school is well regarded in the community. The parents I talked to during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the warm welcome you give them and know that staff are always there to talk to them if they need to do so.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

The school benefits from some effective collaborative activity. Staff say that they appreciate and benefit from the professional development opportunities with other schools in the trust and the positive relationships with the local authority.

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

Safeguarding is of paramount importance in the school. Leaders, with the support of the multi-academy trust, ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. As the designated safeguarding leader for child protection, you are unrelenting in your focus to ensure the safety and welfare of the pupils. All of the appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out on staff to ensure that they are safe to work with the children. All staff and governors have regular training. Through updates and regular reminders about the importance of being vigilant, leaders make sure that all the adults who work at the school have the knowledge and the confidence to identify and protect vulnerable pupils. Leaders work well with external agencies to support pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe at school because they are confident that staff would help them should they have problems. The school curriculum includes teaching pupils about

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Short inspection of Bradley Green Primary Academy

adopting safe behaviours, especially when using social media and the internet. Pupils are made aware of what constitutes bullying and why it is not acceptable.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, we agreed our key lines of enquiry. I have already written about how well you have addressed the area for improvement identified in the previous inspection report. I have also commented on how effectively you manage safeguarding.  The first line of enquiry was to look at the actions that leaders have taken to improve provision and pupils’ outcomes at key stage 1. During our visit to classrooms, and in looking at books together, it was very evident that this key stage has improved since you took charge of the school. You have established good links between early years and key stage 1. An increasing number of pupils are now working at the expected standard for their age. This is particularly the case in reading and mathematics.  Building on the good progress children make in the early years, staff are now more focused on planning activities that match the specific needs of groups of

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Inspection findings

learners, including the most able pupils. Most pupils now make progress throughout key stage 1. However, a small number of pupils need further support to develop good letter formation and improve their spelling and sentence construction.  For the second line of enquiry we agreed to check on how well children are supported in their reading throughout the school. For the past three years pupils’ progress in reading by the end of key stage 2 has not been at the same standard as mathematics and writing. As a result, you have made reading across the school a main priority.  The teaching of phonics is good. When we visited early years together, we saw the children engrossed in their learning. They made some outstanding progress in developing the initial ‘f’ sound and using this to build and write simple words. The teacher was very skilled in allowing the pupils to work cooperatively and encouraging them to ‘teach each other’. All staff are well trained and the quality

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Inspection findings

of phonics sessions, including those led by teaching assistants, are consistently good. The number of pupils achieving at the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check is above the national average. This means that pupils get off to a good start in their reading.  During the inspection I listened to pupils read, spoke to them about reading and we looked at pupils’ reading comprehension work together. Reading culture across the school is strong. Pupils I spoke to said they appreciated the reading corners in their classrooms. They like the school library and Year 6 pupils enjoy their librarian role.  The English leader in the school is passionate about reading and the priority it has for driving the school curriculum. The school’s plan to develop reading is strong. Teachers ensure that texts are carefully selected to enhance pupils’ vocabulary and understanding what they are learning. Pupils are enthusiastic

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Inspection findings

about the knowledge they gain from reading. For example, Year 4 developed some excellent vocabulary in reading related to history about the destruction of Pompei. The quality of reading comprehension work is consistently good in all key stage 2 classes.  The final line of enquiry was to look at the quality of the curriculum for the pupils. Leaders, supported by the trust, have developed a curriculum that excites and motivates the pupils. Teachers use high-quality books to plan learning in science, geography and history.  Pupils make good progress in their knowledge and skills in science. Evidence in pupils’ books shows that science is a strength of the school. Pupils throughout key stage 1 and 2 have regular opportunities to carry out investigations. Progress in scientific knowledge and key scientific vocabulary is checked regularly and shows that pupils are making good progress.  To support the pupils in accessing the curriculum you ensure that there are

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Inspection findings

appropriate educational visits and visitors. As part of their study of habitats, Year 5 pupils spoke about their visit to Blackpool Zoo. In learning about the Romans, pupils had recently visited Chester. Pupils further benefit from a range of additional activities, including dance, cricket and chess clubs after school.  Pupils have good opportunities to learn about social and moral issues within the curriculum and assemblies. When I spoke to them, they told me about learning about other faiths and cultures as part of their topic work. In their books there was only limited evidence of the pupils learning about other cultures within their local area and the United Kingdom.

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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

 a small number of pupils at key stage 1 are challenged to improve their letter formation, spelling and sentence construction to ensure that they maximise their progress  pupils are provided with more first-hand opportunities to experience and learn about other cultures within their own area.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Tameside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

Alongside you and your assistant principal I observed learning in lessons throughout key stages 1 and 2 and the early years. I carried out a joint work scrutiny with the assistant principal.

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Information about the inspection

I held meetings with school leaders, the chair of governors and the chief education officer of the trust.

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Information about the inspection

I met with pupils to discuss aspects of safety and learning. I listened to three Year 2 pupils read.

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Information about the inspection

I looked at documentation that the school produces as part of its self-evaluation and development planning. I scrutinised safeguarding evidence, including the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks on staff. I reviewed policies and documents published on the school’s website and made available during the inspection.

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Information about the inspection

I considered the 48 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I also spoke to some parents at the start of the school day.

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