Berridge Primary and Nursery School

Berridge Primary and Nursery School Brushfield Site, Berridge Road West, Hyson Green, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 5LE

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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

 The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have a clear vision for improvement. Leaders at all levels are effective in bringing about improvements.  Teaching is good. Pupils make good progress from their different starting points, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children in the early years make a good start to their school life. From their different starting points, children make good and often better progress.  Leaders and staff make effective use of additional funding including the pupil premium. Disadvantaged pupils make good and often better progress.  Pupils behave and conduct themselves well at all times of the school day. They have impeccable manners.  Pupils’ personal development is promoted very well. Relationships are positive. There is an

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

ethos of mutual respect.  Pupils are kept, and feel, safe.  The governing body is effective in supporting and holding leaders to account.  Staff develop pupils’ language skills very well. Teachers are skilled in helping pupils to understand and use important vocabulary in different subjects.  Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils’ learning.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. They often plan effectively, sequences of learning that enable pupils to make good progress.  Sometimes, teachers do not match work as well as they could to pupils’ abilities in different subjects, particularly for the most able.  Pupils are making improving progress in phonics. However, sometimes they are not as confident as they could be in applying their knowledge to spell unfamiliar words.  Pupils are making improving progress in mathematics. However, teachers do not ensure consistently well that pupils apply their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

knowledge to reason and solve problems.  Teachers’ expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation are sometimes not as high as they could be.  Leaders take a range of actions to emphasise the importance of attendance to parents. Nonetheless, persistent absence is too high.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Senior, middle leaders, and other staff should continue to improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that: – they refine and consolidate approaches to the teaching of phonics and early reading, so that pupils can use and apply their knowledge more effectively – all teachers use information about pupils’ learning effectively to ensure that activities and tasks across the curriculum are matched well to pupils’ abilities, particularly for the most able – pupils are able to accurately apply their learning about spelling, grammar and punctuation to improve further the quality of their writing – teachers are consistent in ensuring that pupils can apply their knowledge in mathematics to reason and solve problems.  Leaders should continue to explore strategies to reduce persistent absence and further improve attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have a clear vision for improvement. They know the school’s strengths and the areas in which it needs to improve. Their plans for improvement are sharply focused on the most important priorities, with measurable targets to hold staff to account. They, and other staff, are effective in bringing about improvements to the quality of teaching and standards, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders and other staff are committed to ensuring that pupils thrive in their personal development as well as their academic learning and progress. They ensure that the school has a welcoming ethos and is a positive place in which to learn and work. Pupils and staff are proud of their diverse school culture and its role in the local community.  The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. Pupils learn about different faiths and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

religions. A typical comment from the pupils was, ‘It’s important to understand others.’ Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils make good progress, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders and other staff check pupils’ progress carefully. They identify pupils who may be falling behind. Leaders meet with teachers to discuss potential barriers to pupils’ learning and the actions that need to be taken to help them catch up. Their focused work to improve the progress of, for example, boys in writing, disadvantaged pupils, or pupils with special educational needs is effective.  Leaders identify where teaching is less strong and provide support, coaching and training to bring about improvements. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on the strengths of their own practice, and identify the training they think will be most useful to them. Teachers are reflective practitioners and this is helping to improve the quality of teaching

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

continually. While some inconsistencies remain, the quality of teaching is good.  Middle leaders are enthusiastic and know their subjects or other areas of responsibility well. Middle leaders check standards and support and work alongside staff to secure improvements.  Leaders are mindful of staff’s work-life balance and consider ways of reducing teachers’ workload as part of their improvement planning.  Many pupils join the school during the school year, many of whom speak English as an additional language. The school has an effective and well-structured approach to support pupils who are new to the school. Staff assess pupils’ language and learning needs carefully, and provide relevant support, including through the school’s ‘International Unit’. Pupils rapidly acquire the language and other skills they need to access and make progress in the curriculum, as well as to participate positively in school life.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The coordinator for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ensures that additional funding is used well to support pupils’ learning. Staff review pupils’ learning carefully. Pupils make good progress from their different starting points.  Leaders make effective use of additional funding. The pupil premium is carefully targeted and reviewed by leaders and the governing body. Leaders use the additional funding for physical education and sports effectively to support the development of teachers’ expertise in teaching physical education as well as widening pupils’ opportunities to engage in sporting activities including external competitions and events. The funding is also used to develop orienteering, kayaking and climbing activities, as well as for improvements to playground equipment.  External support from the local authority over time through the Nottingham Schools Trust has had positive impact in supporting improvements to leadership and the quality

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of teaching. Staff have also benefited from the expertise of external consultants to, for example, support improvements to the teaching of mathematics and reading comprehension skills.  Very nearly all parents and carers who spoke with the inspectors were positive about all aspects of the school’s work. They said their children enjoy school, are learning well, are kept safe, and behaviour is good. Many commented on the effective transition arrangements when starting or joining the school. A typical comment made by parents was, ‘We are so pleased with how she has settled and with the progress she has made. Her teachers are friendly, helpful and have definitely helped with her smooth transition into school.’  Leaders have focused in the current academic year on developing further, a ‘mastery’ approach to the teaching of mathematics and improving the quality of the teaching of reading. A new phonics programme has been introduced as well as approaches to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

promote pupils’ reading comprehension skills. These initiatives are having considerable impact. However, some inconsistencies remain.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body knows the school well. It has a clear overview of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Governors are effective in their roles to both support and hold leaders to account.  The minutes of their meetings show that governors often ask probing questions to challenge leaders, including in relation to the use of additional funding or the school’s actions to improve attendance. The governing body is adept at asking questions of school leaders about information about pupils’ progress and attainment.  Governors have clearly defined roles and areas of interest, such as provision for pupils with SEND, the early years, or other specific aspects of the school’s work. Members of the governing body undertake regular visits to the school to, for example, meet with school staff, check standards or review safeguarding arrangements. This knowledge helps them to be effective in their role.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body is proud of the school and the work it does for the pupils. It helps ensure that the school meets the needs of the pupils in the community it serves.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff ensure that pupils are kept safe.  The designated leaders for safeguarding ensure that staff receive regular training and are kept up to date with the latest guidance on keeping pupils safe in education, including in relation to the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty guidance on radicalisation, or the dangers of gang culture.  Staff know the signs and indicators that might raise concerns about pupils’ welfare. Staff and leaders record any concerns raised carefully, and the actions they take. This includes the involvement of external agencies where this is relevant. Records are well organised and maintained.  Leaders ensure that the record of recruitment checks for new staff is thorough.  Pupils say that they feel safe at school. Parents were nearly unanimous in saying that the school keeps their children safe.

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Safeguarding

 Instances of bullying or derogatory behaviour are very rare. Pupils who spoke with the inspectors said that bullying does not occur. Many said that while there were sometimes some fallings-out, bullying ‘does not happen here because that would be disrespectful’. Pupils are very confident that staff will quickly resolve any worries they may have. A very small minority of parents did raise some concerns. However, inspection evidence shows that leaders and staff follow up the small number of concerns raised and follow school policies carefully.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge which they use to plan interesting lessons. They are positive and enthusiastic, and often use creative teaching strategies to engage pupils. Teachers use well-chosen resources to support pupils’ effective learning. For example, they provide a range of prompts, such as writing ‘checklists’, so pupils can review their own work. Teaching assistants are deployed well to support pupils’ learning.  Teaching is focused and teachers set clear expectations of what they want the pupils to learn. They plan logical sequences of lessons in which learning builds on what went before. Teachers make sure that pupils know what they are learning in lessons and this helps pupils to consider the things they understand, as well the things they may be less sure of.  The teachers ensure that classrooms are calm orderly places to learn. Teachers organise classrooms well to support pupils’ learning. All classrooms have dedicated

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

reading areas to promote positive attitudes and interest in different books. Staff encourage the pupils to have positive attitudes to learning. Relationships are positive. Staff foster an ethos of mutual respect.  All staff successfully promote pupils’ language skills and understanding, and use, of important vocabulary in different subjects. Pupils were observed in Nursery and in other classes, for example, ‘word crunching’, to read and explore the meanings of new words. In a class in key stage 1, a teacher helped a pupil who was new to the school understand classroom instructions. Pupils’ vocabulary development is strongly evident in their writing.  Work to implement a mastery approach to teaching and learning in mathematics has been effective and is improving pupils’ progress. Staff are often very effective in using visual imagery and physical apparatus to support teaching and pupils’ learning. Pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in Year 6 spoke of how they enjoy mathematical challenges: ‘I like them, because they’re challenging. They’re not straightforward.’  Teachers teach pupils to be confident readers who have a range of strategies for reading words about which they are not sure. The teaching of phonics is improving and often sharply focused. Pupils are taught to segment and blend sounds well. Books are matched to pupils’ abilities. New initiatives are promoting pupils’ inference and deduction skills well. However, teachers sometimes do not enable pupils to consolidate their knowledge as well as they could and apply their understanding more effectively in their writing.  While the quality of teaching is good overall, some inconsistencies remain. Sometimes, teachers are not as effective as they could be in using information about pupils’ learning to match work to the abilities of the pupils, particularly for the most able. The

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

teaching of problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics and teachers’ expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar are inconsistent.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are friendly, polite and welcoming. They are proud of their school. They enjoy learning and school life. They are positive about playtimes. Pupils in Year 6, for example, spoke with enthusiasm and humour about the new yo-yo zone, following an assembly about perseverance.  Pupils appreciate and value their learning. They like and respect their teachers. Staff ensure that pupils take increasing pride in their work.  Pupils enjoy the leadership roles the school offers such as the school council or the playground buddies. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm about how they had enjoyed supporting younger pupils in the early years and key stage 1 sports day. Such opportunities help pupils to develop a sense of responsibility.  Staff teach pupils how to keep safe, including when online or in relation to road safety. Pupils understand different types of bullying. Pupils who spoke with the inspector were

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Personal development and welfare

emphatic that there is no bullying in the school. They are confident that staff will rapidly resolve any concerns that they may have and know that they can use the class ‘worry boxes’ if they want to discuss something with their teacher.  There is a strong ethos of mutual respect between staff and pupils, and between the pupils themselves. Pupils speak eloquently about what makes a good friend and of the importance of respecting others who are different from themselves or have different family backgrounds.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff manage the pupils’ behaviour consistently well. The pupils know what is expected of their behaviour. They conduct themselves well at all times of the school day, whether during playtimes or in school corridors. Lunchtimes are calm and orderly.  The pupils are welcoming, thoughtful and their manners are impeccable. As well as holding doors open for inspectors, many asked ‘Do you need any help?’ The youngest pupils in Nursery were observed thanking lunchtime staff for their food and drinks.  Pupils are very diligent. In an assembly, the pupils learned about ‘perseverance’ and pupils of all ages apply this school value to their work. They are resilient and demonstrate a positive work ethic. They are keen to apply themselves to all that staff ask of them in lessons.  Leaders work hard to emphasise the importance of attendance with parents. Leaders and members of the governing body check attendance very carefully. They, together

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Behaviour

with the family support worker, follow up and investigate absences. They offer support for families of children with persistent absence. Current overall attendance has improved. Some pupils are absent for legitimate reasons, and this has negatively affected the school’s attendance figures. Nonetheless, despite leaders’ efforts, attendance is below that seen nationally, and persistent absence is higher than the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ progress is improving. At the end of key stage 2 in 2018, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was above, and sometimes well above, the national averages. The proportions of pupils achieving a good level of development in the early years has been close to the national averages for the last three years.  Some measures for attainment in key stages 1 and 2 are below the national averages. However, from their often low starting points, pupils make strong progress. The large majority of current pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The quality of teaching as well as the commitment of staff to pupils’ personal development and welfare, ensure that pupils are well prepared for each new stage of their education.  As a result of focused support, disadvantaged pupils make at least good and often better progress from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make strong progress in writing. Leaders’ and other staff’s work to improve the progress of boys is increasingly effective. The pupils’ work throughout the school shows they are able to write at length in different subjects and styles. They use different types of sentences and the sophistication of their work improves over time. However, the quality of pupils’ writing, including that of the most able, is sometimes reduced by weaker spelling, grammar and punctuation and varies in different subjects.  The pupils make good progress in mathematics. Staff promote well pupils’ mathematical fluency learning, for example, multiplication facts, as well as their knowledge of calculation methods. In some classes, pupils deepen their knowledge effectively and develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills. This helps them to achieve the higher standards in mathematics. However, in some classes, this is less effective.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils are making improving progress in reading, both in their understanding of phonics and development of their inference and deduction skills. The proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is improving. Reading initiatives are having considerable impact. However, pupils are sometimes not as confident as they could be in applying the phonics and early reading skills they gain in their writing.  Sometimes, in different subjects, the most able pupils are not challenged to make the progress of which they are capable in order to achieve the higher levels.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The majority of children join the early years with knowledge and skills below those typical for their age. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is close to the national average. From their different starting points, children make at least good, and often better, progress. Children have a strong start to their education in the early years and are very well prepared for key stage 1.  The early years is very well led. Leaders have a focused oversight of teaching, the curriculum and the children’s needs. Leaders have identified relevant priorities to improve these aspects.  Staff understand children’s learning and development very well. Children’s needs are assessed when they start or join the school. Staff identify what is needed to help the children to make good progress. Many children who join the school are disadvantaged and many speak English as an additional language. Leaders and other staff promote

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Early years provision Outstanding

children’s speaking, listening and reading skills very well. This prepares the children well for their educational futures.  Leaders and other staff ensure that indoor and outdoor classrooms across the early years are very well organised and provide children with a broad range of interesting opportunities for learning across the curriculum.  Staff ensure that routines are very well established. They place a clear focus on helping children to understand the systems and behaviours they need to be effective learners. Children show high levels of independence and perseverance. They listen carefully and concentrate well. These attitudes contribute to the strong progress they make.  The quality of teaching and learning is consistently high in the Nursery and Reception classes. Staff understand pupils’ learning and development very well. Staff have the expertise and skills they need to ensure that teaching is sharply focused. Staff have

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Early years provision Outstanding

high expectations of what the children can achieve. In Reception, for instance, the children were observed applying their phonics skills to write simple sentences and, for more-able children, combinations of sentences. In mathematics, children were able to say a cone ‘has a circle face on the bottom’.  Staff ensure that children are purposefully busy and inquisitive in the early years. Children were observed, for instance, excitedly showing each other a ladybird they had found in the outside area. Teachers record questions children ask as well as their ideas for answers on the class ‘Wonder Wall’ board. Examples included, ‘What is a magnet made of?’ and ‘How does my brain work?’  Staff develop children’s personal development well. Children have exceptionally positive attitudes to their learning and behave well. They collaborate and are respectful of each other. Children were observed, for example, cheerfully sharing play dough as they

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Early years provision Outstanding

worked on an activity together.  Parents are encouraged to contribute to assessments of children’s learning and development.  Staff ensure that all the early years welfare requirements are met.

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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 office@berridge.nottingham.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 November 2017

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Information about this school

 Berridge Nursery and Primary School is much larger than an average-sized primary school. The school is based on two sites: one for the early years and key stage 1, the other for key stage 2.  Since the previous inspection, an assistant headteacher has been appointed who is responsible for developing teaching and learning. A new chair of the governing body was appointed in 2018.  The school receives support from the local authority through regular visits and support, including through the Nottingham Schools Trust.  The school has a breakfast club.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of pupils who speak English as an additional language are above those seen nationally.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is similar to the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders, middle leaders and other staff. The inspectors met with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority who is also a representative of the Nottingham Schools Trust which is providing external support for the school. Discussions explored a wide range of subjects, including safeguarding arrangements.  The inspectors observed 33 lessons, many jointly with senior leaders. During these visits, the inspectors looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils to evaluate the quality of their learning. The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work with leaders. The inspectors listened to pupils read and met pupils informally, as well as meeting formally with a group of pupils.  The inspectors spoke with parents at the start of each day. Account was taken of the 19 free-text responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the

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Information about this inspection

school’s most recent survey of the views of parents. There were no responses to the staff and pupil questionnaires.  A range of documents was scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, pupils’ attainment and progress, and staff performance. The inspectors looked at plans for improvement as well as leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance. The inspectors also considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Buffham 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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