Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School Berry Brow I & N School, Birch Road, Berry Brow, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 7LP

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto of ‘Reach for the Stars’ sums up the school’s vision well. All pupils and their families are cared for deeply by everyone involved in the school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive high levels of support. This has created a caring and nurturing environment that permeates throughout the school. One parent said, ‘We have been welcomed with open arms into the school community from day one.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects. This is because leaders have not ensured that new learning builds on what pupils already know. Some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school. Pupils feel safe and happy. They talk positively about the support they receive from adults. Pupils behave well. They show good manners and are polite. The behaviour policy is well understood and is fairly applied. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, it is dealt with swiftly. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff plan visits for pupils with the aim of widening their experiences and broadening their understanding of the curriculum. Pupils talk positively about the trips that they attend. One pupil told an inspector about a recent trip to Castle Hill, where pupils deepened their knowledge of the local area. Pupils benefit from links with local groups. Pupils meet with local authors. This helps them to develop their love of reading. Leaders’ vision is to make the school a real hub of the community. They achieve this well.

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

In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders have developed a curriculum that identifies the knowledge that pupils should learn and the sequence in which they should learn it. This helps pupils build knowledge over time so they can achieve well. Pupils 16 March 2022

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become confident and fluent in calculations and other aspects of mathematics. Pupils use correct mathematical vocabulary. They remember the knowledge that they have been taught; this helps them to understand new learning. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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Leaders know that the curriculum for some other subjects needs further development. The subject knowledge that pupils should learn, in history and geography for example, is not detailed. This means that teachers do not know the detail of knowledge they should be teaching and in what order. As a result, pupils do not remember the important knowledge that they ought to. Leaders know this and have started to develop the curriculum in these subjects.

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Teachers foster pupils’ enjoyment of reading and of stories. In the Reception class, pupils were seen enjoying a story being read to them. Pupils say that ‘Berry Brow Best Books’ are their favourites. There is a strong emphasis on children’s communication skills. However, the current curriculum for early reading is not effective in enabling some pupils to be confident and fluent readers quickly. The books pupils read are not well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils who struggle the most with reading are given additional support. However, there are inconsistencies in how effectively staff help pupils to catch up. This is because some staff have not received sufficient training in how to deliver the phonics and early reading curriculum effectively.

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Staff understand the different needs of pupils well. Teachers adapt learning so that pupils with SEND take part in lessons fully. Staff provide effective support for these pupils. For example, they may break down an activity into smaller steps to make it accessible.

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Pupils have a range of opportunities to broaden their experiences beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils develop a strong moral purpose. They demonstrate this through their role as active citizens, for example as play leaders and health and safety representatives. The children’s committee has supported pupils to understand the rule of law. The programme of after-school activities has been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders are reinstating these activities where they can.

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Staff feel supported by leaders. They say that their workload is taken into account. For instance, training is provided for teachers to meet their professional development needs and interests.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are aware of the individual safeguarding needs of pupils and potential risks to their safety. Leaders make sure that the school acts to protect pupils from these dangers. Leaders work well with other agencies to make sure that pupils are safe. The school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils are regularly checked by the governing body.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about online safety. Some pupils take on the role of e-safety digital leaders. They help others to stay safe online. 16 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for some subjects is not well considered. Leaders have not identified what pupils should learn in these subjects and how pupils’ knowledge should build over time. Leaders need to make sure that all schemes of work are precise about the knowledge and skills pupils will learn. Leaders should ensure that teachers check to make sure that pupils remember the intended subject content so they are ready for the next stage of their education.  The curriculum for early reading is not well implemented. It is not successful in enabling some pupils to become confident and fluent readers soon enough. Pupils who need help to catch-up in reading do not receive the right support quickly enough. Leaders must ensure that the school’s curriculum for early reading is well implemented and all pupils develop the knowledge they need to help them learn to read.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 7 and 8 December 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 16 March 2022

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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. 16 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211074 Type of school Infant and Nursery

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 December 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school works in a formal partnership with Newsome Junior School. The headteacher leads the two schools.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, early reading and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work, which in early reading, took the form of listening to pupils read to a familiar adult. 16 March 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, groups of teachers and members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. An inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Senior and subject leaders accompanied inspectors on visits to lessons and examined pupils’ work and planning documents alongside inspectors.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks made of staff.  Inspectors spoke to parents during the inspection and considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors considered the views of staff from conversations and took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with pupils formally and informally about their day-to-day experiences at the school.

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Inspection team

Gerry Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe Ofsted Inspector 16 March 2022

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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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