Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School Birch Road, Berry Brow, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 7LP

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 3 and 4 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambitions for what they want pupils to achieve. Leaders have made changes to the curriculum. This includes identifying the important things they want pupils to learn and how pupils’ knowledge should build on previous learning. However, teaching does not reflect leaders’ ambitions. Some lessons are not effective in supporting pupils’ development. At times, adults model learning incorrectly. As a result, pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get the opportunity to go on trips, including to the seaside. Leaders have arranged visitors to the school, such as the Iman from a local mosque. This helps pupils to learn more about the world in which they live.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in school is not consistently good. Some pupils do not have a positive attitude towards their learning. At times, pupils misbehave in lessons. This can disrupt other pupils and prevent them from being able to focus and concentrate. When adults address this, the approach that they take is not always effective. As a result, some pupils are not able to concentrate on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. Bullying is rare. Pupils say that if they had any concerns or worries, they would tell a teacher. Pupils say that adults would take what they say seriously.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Pupils read books that are well matched to their reading knowledge. This helps them to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Adults have received training to support them to teach pupils to read. However, some staff still do not have a good understanding of how to teach early reading. In some lessons, adults make mistakes when modelling the sounds that pupils are learning. This means that some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they could. Pupils take part in catch-up sessions if they begin to fall behind in reading. However, some pupils’ poor behaviour limits how successful these sessions are.

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better?

Leaders have strengthened the curriculum for many subjects. However, they do not check that improved curriculums are well taught. Leaders have not identified that in some lessons, teaching is inconsistent. What is taught is not always in line with what leaders want pupils to learn. As a result of the weaknesses in the way the curriculums are taught, pupils do not build their knowledge over time as well as they could.

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better?

In some lessons, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not given work in line with what they need to learn next. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

Teachers check to make sure that pupils have remembered what they have been taught in some subjects effectively. However, this is not consistent for all subjects. 3 and 4 July 2023

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As a result, some subject leaders do not know if pupils are learning the knowledge identified in each curriculum. Because of this, leaders do not recognise where there are weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum.

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Leaders have clear aspirations for what pupils will learn in the early years. The early years curriculum is carefully considered. This is realised through carefully constructed and successful learning areas. Children use these opportunities to practice and develop their understanding. This supports children in their next steps in learning. This prepares children well for Year 1.

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While pupils experience some trips and visitors, the wider personal development offer does not prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. The school does not offer any opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils say that they would like there to be clubs they can go to.

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There is a positive approach to behaviour management. Staff record any incidents of poor behaviour. However, leaders do not monitor behaviour incidents. They are not clear about the behaviour across the school. As a result, leaders are not able to support staff in improving behaviour.

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Staff say that leaders are mindful of their workload. They say that they can go to leaders if they have any questions or concerns. They say leaders consider their well- being.

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There have been changes to the governing body. It has the skills and systems in place to support the school to improve. It has been proactive in ensuring that leaders access external support and development. This includes engaging with the local authority and a local multi-academy trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive appropriate training so that they can identify any safeguarding concerns. Staff raise any concerns about pupils’ safety swiftly. Leaders take timely action. They provide support for families and pupils when necessary. Governors effectively discharge their responsibilities relating to safeguarding. They challenge and support leaders to maintain and improve what the school is doing to safeguard pupils. Pupils learn how to use the internet safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not check the implementation of the curriculum carefully enough. They have not identified that some teaching does not effectively help pupils learn and remember the knowledge identified in the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that systems to check the quality of education enable them to evaluate the 3 and 4 July 2023

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implementation of the curriculum effectively.  The process of checking what pupils know and remember in foundation subjects is not as effective as it could be. As a result, leaders are not able to identify the impact of recent changes to the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that assessment clearly aligns with what pupils are taught so that leaders can evaluate impact and make any changes needed to improve the curriculum.  Leaders do not provide any extra-curricular clubs. As a result, pupils do not have opportunities to explore their talents or interests beyond the classroom. Leaders should make sure that pupils access a range of clubs so that they can explore or develop their interests and talents.  Some pupils do not behave well. As a result, learning can be disrupted. Leaders should make sure that the approach adults use to address and improve behaviour is consistent and effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Claire McCartney

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 March 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding and SEND.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and physical education. As part of the deep dives, inspectors visited lessons, 3 and 4 July 2023

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listened to pupils read, reviewed curriculum plans and spoke with curriculum leaders, pupils and teachers.  Inspectors visited lessons and observed pupils at various times of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Taylor Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 July 2023

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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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