Great Berry Primary School

Inspection of Great Berry Primary School Forest Glade, Langdon Hills, Basildon, Essex SS16 6SG

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Damian Pye. This school is part of Cresco Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Damian Pye, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Judith Gibbon.

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago, and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 18 and 19 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Great Berry is a happy, calm and welcoming school. Pupils have positive relationships with staff. They feel safe in school. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They work hard and behave well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a curriculum that helps them build their knowledge in a range of subjects. They are keen to learn new things and recall what they have learned well. Staff help pupils to understand content that is tricky so that pupils succeed in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn what it means to be kind, caring, resilient and curious. They use these values in all they do. Pupils are proud to have leadership roles such as sports captains, pupil councillors and Year 6 head and deputy head pupils. These roles help pupils to develop responsibility and play a wider role in the school community. Pupils make a difference in their local community through fundraising and food collections.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities and trips that help them to take risks and try new things. These include ‘kurling’, animal handling and performing at music concerts.

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better?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. The curriculum begins in the early years and builds on pupils’ knowledge as they go through the school. In most subjects, the school has set out precisely what it wants pupils to learn. Where this is working effectively, the curriculum is more detailed and staff have a secure understanding of what to teach. They know how to check what pupils have learned and remembered. In some subjects, this is not the case. This means that staff do not teach with the same level of detail and gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not always identified quickly.

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better?

Reading is a priority for staff. They follow the school’s phonics programme, but it is not taught as well as it could be for some pupils. Staff check what pupils have learned but the support put in place as a result of these checks does not always meet some pupils’ needs. This means that a small group of pupils do not catch up quickly when they fall behind with their reading. Staff work hard to ensure that most pupils become confident readers. This includes ensuring that pupils have books that match their reading stage so that pupils can practise what they have learned. Pupils are proud of their reading achievements and work eagerly towards receiving reading rewards.

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better?

Teachers use additional resources and adaptations that help pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Staff know how to identify pupils’ needs and the support in place is effective. The school works with a range of external 18 and 19 October 2023

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agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND get the help and support they need to succeed in their learning.

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In the early years, staff plan activities for children that target language development skilfully. Staff create opportunities for purposeful talk with children so that they can support language development effectively. Children engage in learning and show perseverance with tasks. However, children do not get as many opportunities to explore and take risks across the different areas of learning. This means that some children develop gaps in their learning, such as scissor control, and are not ready to build on some skills in Year 1.

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Pupils behave maturely and sensibly. They know that behaviour choices have both positive and negative consequences. They work hard to always make the right decision. Pupils listen well in lessons and are calm when moving around the school. The school promotes high attendance and is working with parents to reduce the number of pupils who miss school due to holidays in term time.

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Pupils help to make decisions through the pupil council and know the positive impact this can have on their school. They understand the democratic approach to making decisions. Pupils learn about healthy living, including nutrition, sleep, mental health and exercise. They know why being healthy is important and how this contributes to being a better learner. Pupils make good use of the activities and clubs on offer. They have positive experiences of competitions and events that staff plan to enrich the curriculum.

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The trust works with governors and school leaders to ensure that pupils’ learning and progress are a priority. Governors know the school well. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, including phonics, the knowledge that pupils should learn is not identified precisely. Teachers do not always check pupils’ understanding systematically. As a result, gaps in some pupils’ knowledge are growing. The school needs to ensure that the knowledge they want pupils to learn is clearly set out and that this is checked consistently in all subjects.  In the early years, children do not get all the opportunities to explore and take risks across the different areas of learning that they could. This means that some children develop gaps in their learning. The school needs to ensure that children have the opportunity to express their creativity and develop their knowledge and understanding further across the seven areas of learning. 18 and 19 October 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 18 and 19 October 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 and 31 January 2012

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Cresco Multi Academy Trust. The headteacher is also the CEO of the trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. The lead 18 and 19 October 2023

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inspector also met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, the chair of the trust and one member of the trust board to gather information about the trust’s support and development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum with the subject leader, 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. Inspectors also looked at other curriculum plans and pupils’ work, including in history, geography and personal, social and health education.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took account of the 137 responses and free-text comments submitted to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors reviewed the 33 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 178 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Inspectors also spoke to pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes and during lessons to seek pupils’ views. Inspectors spoke with a group of staff to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Nutman Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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