Brimington Manor Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Brimington Manor Infant and Nursery School Manor Road, Brimington Common, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 1NT

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Outcome

Brimington Manor Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they enjoy coming to school. They feel that their teachers like them and help them to get on well with each other. Pupils say that any disagreements are sorted out. The LEARNER’s (listen, effort, achieve, respect, neat, enthusiasm, resilience, safe) code helps pupils to behave well. Leaders make sure that pupils are safe in school. Bullying is very rare, but when children are unhappy teachers take it seriously. They make sure that pupils know what bullying is and who to tell. Teachers check that upsets do not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils listen to teachers and try their best. They are eager to learn. However, when the work is too easy, a few switch off. Younger children get off to a good start in the early years. Many older pupils are ready to start junior school. However, teachers do not always think about what pupils already know and can do when they plan activities. Sometimes work is too easy and does not help pupils know and remember more. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not always get the help that they need.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, including trust leaders, have not made sure that the curriculum builds on what pupils already know and can do. Leaders have not made sure that all areas of the key stage 1 curriculum are challenging enough.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children settle well into the early years. They enjoy the wide range of activities indoors and outdoors. Staff have high expectations of what children can do. They build on what children already know. For example, after matching numbers to pictures, staff asked children to think about what ‘zero’ would look like. Children learn the sounds that letters make quickly. Children grasp new ideas because staff explain them well. Staff make learning exciting. 10 September 2019

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In key stage 1, teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils. They check what pupils already know but do not use this to plan work that is demanding enough. Sometimes they teach things that pupils already know. Equally, they do not always make sure that pupils who are struggling get the help that they need.

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Most pupils have gained the knowledge and skills that they need by the time they leave the school. However, teachers do not make sure that they build on what pupils already know well enough so that pupils learn as much as they could.

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Teachers do not make sure that the books that pupils read help children to practise the sounds that they know. Sometimes the books are too hard. They have words in them that the pupils cannot read. This prevents them from learning to read fluently.

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Teachers want pupils to have an understanding of the world around them. They use technology to help them do this. For example, we saw pupils using the internet to zoom in on photographs of the local area. However, teachers do not make sure that pupils build on what they learned in early years. Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum builds on what pupils already know.

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Pupils listen carefully to all adults in the school. They are respectful and enjoy helping each other. For example, the older pupils help to serve meals to the younger pupils. They are good role models. Pupils enjoy being on the school council and part of the ‘healthy friends’ group. Leaders listen to what pupils have to say. This helps them to decide which sports clubs to organise. Pupils enjoy going to a wide range of clubs. However, leaders’ plans to help pupils find out about different cultures are at an early stage.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. They value the training that they have had and the chance to work with other teachers. Leaders consider staff workload and well-being. Leaders want disadvantaged pupils to do well. They make sure that teachers include activities to help disadvantaged pupils to catch up. Leaders check that this is working. However, leaders have not made sure that staff have had enough training so that they can help pupils with SEND. Leaders have not checked well enough that pupils with SEND are getting the help they need.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff have the training that they need to keep pupils safe. They make sure that this training is up to date and that staff understand it. Leaders make appropriate referrals when they are worried about a pupil’s safety. They make sure that families receive the support that they need. Teachers help pupils to recognise dangerous situations. They teach them how to cross the road safely and how to behave near water. 10 September 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not always build on the gains that they have made during the early years. Leaders should make sure that, in all subjects, the curriculum is coherently planned so that pupils have the chance to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils are not always challenged well enough. Sometimes the work is too easy for them or they repeat work that they have already done. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to work on demanding subject content so they are able to learn more. Leaders should make sure that teachers use information about what pupils already know and can do when planning activities.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils with SEND do not always get the support that they need. Leaders should ensure that staff are trained to provide the necessary support. Leaders need to check that teachers adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can learn more. Leaders should check that this is helping pupils with SEND to remember more.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good or we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Brimington Manor Infant School, to be good on 8 December 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 10 September 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 10 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110112 Type of school Nursery/Infant

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School details

Website https://www.learnerstrust.org/brimington- manor Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in the LEARNERs’ Trust in December 2016.  Prior to conversion, the last inspection of the predecessor school was in 2011.  The head of school has been appointed since the previous inspection. She has received support from an executive headteacher in the trust.  Governors have been appointed since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with leaders, including the executive headteacher from the LEARNERs’ Trust and two members of the local governing body.  Inspectors considered the teaching of reading, mathematics and geography. They spoke with teachers and pupils, visited lessons, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work. They considered documents that leaders provided.  Inspectors checked the records of the checks that have taken place before adults can work with pupils. They spoke with staff about the training that they had received. They 10 September 2019

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spoke with parents at the beginning of the day and considered the views expressed on Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They spoke with pupils during the day and considered the views on the pupil survey. They spoke with leaders about the actions that they take to keep pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Hazel Henson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Chambers Ofsted Inspector 10 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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