Bramley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bramley Church of England Primary School Bramley Lane, Bramley, Tadley, Hampshire RG26 5AH

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Outcome

Bramley Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school. 11–12 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They understand the importance of their school’s values of ‘Love, Respect and Courage’. They proudly share the bracelets they are awarded for being good ‘Bramley citizens’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for every child. As a result, pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. A high proportion of pupils achieve the higher standards. All teachers have a clear understanding of ‘The Bramley Way’. They teach lessons that help pupils develop good ‘learning behaviours’. These are key to the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. Their parents agree. Staff and pupils know the school’s behaviour system well. They behave well in and around school. Pupils are friendly, and get on and work together well. Pupils say that bullying is rare. Should any incidents of unkind behaviour happen, they are managed effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are positive about the school. They value the ‘happy community’ created. They believe staff ‘go above and beyond’ for their children. Many parents commented about how approachable leaders are. They appreciate seeing the head of school on the gate in the mornings. They know leaders listen to them.

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

Leaders have worked effectively to provide an engaging curriculum and a safe environment for learning. As a result, pupils’ attendance at school has improved significantly since the last inspection. Exclusions are rare.

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

The curriculum is well planned. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good in most subject areas. For example, their knowledge about natural resources helps pupils in Year 6 to learn and remember more in geography. Leaders know that some staff need more training to develop their subject knowledge in certain areas of the curriculum.

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

Curriculum plans are ambitious and help pupils to learn new things. There are many opportunities to practise newly-learned skills. For example, in Year 1 pupils have been comparing Australia to the United Kingdom. Staff have made links with an Australian school. Pupils are writing letters to learn more about each other. They use their new knowledge about comparisons to ask how things are different or the same.

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

Teachers keep a close check on pupils’ progress in lessons. This is particularly strong in reading, writing and mathematics. Work is underway to strengthen how teachers check that pupils know and remember more in other subjects.

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

The curriculum is not limited to academic subjects. Pupils enjoy learning outside in their grounds or on school residential trips. They have many opportunities to develop their awareness of the environment and how to care for it.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Staff help pupils to develop a love of reading. There are effective arrangements to support pupils to catch up if they find 11–12 February 2020

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reading difficult. In early years, phonics teaching starts at the earliest opportunity. Teachers use effective ways to engage pupils in phonics learning. For example, children race one another on body boards. They successfully match their sounds to the signs around the hall. Staff deliver the phonics programme well across early years and Year 1 to develop pupils’ phonics skills. Staff use books that are well matched to pupils’ abilities. As they progress through key stage 2, pupils become fluent and expressive readers.

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Leaders have made sure that staff know how best to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their ongoing training is effective. All staff know pupils’ specific needs and how best to support them to learn. This helps all pupils with SEND access the curriculum. For example, in Year 2 pupils were writing about their favourite pets. Pupils with SEND used pictures and word cards to help them learn new skills.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff make good use of the indoor and outdoor areas to develop children’s skills progressively across the curriculum. Children enjoy the varied activities staff plan. Children use inventive ways to sing the school song, for example by using a metal wheel as a musical instrument.

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Leaders have worked successfully to enhance provision for pupils’ personal development. Pupils are encouraged to pursue their interests. They enjoy the many after-school clubs that staff run. These include gardening club, Pokémon club, and a variety of sports activities.

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Staff know that leaders’ expectations of them are high. Staff say their workload is manageable. Every member of staff enjoys working at the school. The work of governors is effective. They hold leaders to account and keep a careful eye on staff and pupils’ well- being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff are clear about how to keep pupils safe and do so appropriately. Staff know what signs to look out for and how to share their concerns. Leaders have made sure that all staff are well trained. Recruitment processes are followed correctly and records are detailed and thorough.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with external agencies to make sure that pupils and families are getting the help they need. Leaders have no hesitation in challenging other professionals if they feel that children are not supported well. There is a high level of trust between leaders and families. As a result, vulnerable pupils and their families are well supported. 11–12 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff need further training to develop secure subject knowledge in areas of the curriculum where they are less experienced or confident. Leaders should ensure that staff receive effective support where it is needed, to ensure that all areas of the curriculum are taught consistently well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good 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 Bramley Church of England Primary School to be good on 22–23 March 2016.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10111353 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Angela Adams

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School details

Headteacher Mr Glen Golding (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22–23 March 2016

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Information about this school

 In September 2016 the school collaborated with the Bishopswood Federation of Bishopswood Infant school and Bishopswood Junior school.  Governors employ an executive headteacher who works across the three schools and a head of school, Mr Steve Moore.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the special educational needs coordinator, the school business manager and the home school link worker.  The inspector met with representatives of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority by phone.  The inspector did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing and geography. The inspector met with subject leaders and visited lessons with them. The inspector talked 11–12 February 2020

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to pupils about their work and discussed the school’s approach to curriculum delivery with teachers.  The inspector reviewed the safeguarding procedures in place. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss safeguarding systems and processes to keep pupils safe.  The inspector met with a range of staff to gather their views on the quality of education, on pupils’ behaviour and their work-life balance. The inspector gathered the views of parents at the beginning of the school day.  The inspector considered 101 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View along with a number of associated free-text comments. The inspector considered the views of the 29 staff and 46 pupils who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Sarah Varnom, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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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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