Brownsover Community School

BROWNSOVER COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 9 th May 2000

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BROWNSOVER COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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BROWNSOVER COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Brownsover Community School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Webb Drive Brownsover Rugby

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Elizabeth Jones

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 th – 6 th March 1996 Brownsover Community School - 4

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Team members

Hugh Protherough Registered inspector Andy Anderson Lay inspector Janet Edwards Team inspector

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Team members

Hugh Protherough PO Box 396 Banbury SO Banbury Oxfordshire OX15 5XJ

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brownsover Community School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Brownsover is a small community infant school with 128 pupils on roll, almost all of whom are of white ethnic origin. The area is socially mixed with children coming from both local authority housing and privately owned homes. Most families have at least one parent in work, but about ten per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is just beneath the national average. The school’s baseline assessment shows that the attainment of the pupils on entry reflects the full ability range and taken overall is slightly above the average. About a quarter of the pupils are included on the school’s register for special educational needs which is above average, but there are no pupils with statements of special educational need.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

A new nursery class opened in 1999 and admits children in the September following their third birthday. Admission to the Reception class is in the September following their fourth birthday.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

A significant feature of this school is the exciting range of community activities encouraged by the staff and governing body as a result of their imaginative use of the school buildings and their commitment to the encouragement of lifelong learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Brownsover is a very effective school because the headteacher, staff and governing body all strive continually to improve the quality of their educational provision for the children. Lessons are exciting and as a result the children are eager to learn. Pupils of all abilities make very good progress in their work and achieve high standards in many subjects, but especially in reading, writing and mathematics. The leadership generates a large additional income from the many community projects based at the school and this money is used effectively in the pursuit of excellence. The school offers very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Children quickly learn to read, write and work out simple calculations. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and the results achieved by pupils in similar schools. • The leadership is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s improvement. It sets challenging targets in many areas and checks progress rigorously. • Lessons are lively, exciting and stimulate the children’s enthusiasm and love of learning. • The teachers get to know their pupils exceptionally well. They make excellent use of their knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the brighter ones.

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What could be improved

• Systems for making all staff aware of procedures for identifying child protection issues. • Attendance is below the national average and there is a high level of lateness at the start of the school day. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, the school has gone from strength to strength. Standards have risen rapidly and are now well above average in reading, writing, mathematics, science and art. This is because the quality of the teaching has improved still further and is now very good in the vast majority of lessons. At the same time, the school has successfully sustained the high quality of advice and support provided by the subject managers, and continues to develop the outstanding range of community initiatives with which it is involved. Brownsover Community School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by seven-year-olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

Reading B A A A well above average above average A B Writing C B A A* average below average C D Mathematics C B B B well below average E

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Key

The table shows that standards at the school are getting better year by year. In 1999, standards in reading and writing were well above average when compared with both the national picture and the results achieved by pupils in similar schools. In writing, the pupils’ results were particularly strong being in the top five per cent of all similar schools. The results in mathematics were above both the national average and those of pupils from similar schools.

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Key

The inspection findings confirm that standards continue to be high. The proportion of pupils working at the expected level in reading, writing, mathematics, science and art is much larger than usual. A further significant indicator of high standards is the fact that almost a half of the current Year 2 cohort is working comfortably at the higher levels normally expected of pupils in the early part of Key Stage 2. These figures are very high and well above the national average.

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Key

The teachers make excellent use of their assessments of the pupils to set realistic, but challenging targets each year. The subsequent results achieved by the children have exceeded these targets for the past two years.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The children are polite, considerate and very well behaved.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. The school is like a large family. Everyone gets on well together because there are high levels of mutual respect.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Below average. Too many pupils arrive late each morning. Brownsover Community School - 8

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Very good Not applicable Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The teaching has improved since the last inspection and was very good in the vast majority of lessons observed. On this occasion, the inspectors saw no unsatisfactory teaching. Seventy per cent of lessons were of very good quality, 24 per cent were good and 6 per cent [one lesson] satisfactory.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very strong. Lessons are planned in great detail and the teachers are extremely clear about what they expect the children to learn. The work and activities are matched closely to the abilities of the children; there are extension activities for the higher attainers and smaller steps in learning for those that find the work hard. The reason why teachers are so good at this is that they check and mark the pupils’ work in great detail and use this information exceptionally well when planning the next lesson. Another reason why lessons are so often successful in meeting their objectives is because the teachers try to make learning enjoyable. The children respond positively to the opportunities to grow seeds in science, make African masks and join in favourite poems. The fun of learning contributes significantly to the high standards achieved by so many children at this school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school offers a very broad and well-balanced curriculum. Regular educational trips and the visits of artists, authors and musicians to work at the school enhance this.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school identifies these pupils at an early stage and makes very good provision for their support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school’s commitment to personal and social education and the arts results in particularly strong provision for the pupils’ social, moral and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Arrangements for health and safety are secure. However, the systems for making all staff aware of procedures for identifying child protection issues need improving. Brownsover Community School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school benefits from the strong, enthusiastic and purposeful leadership of the headteacher. She encourages the entire staff team to accept wide-ranging management responsibilities. The diligent monitoring of the quality of education provided underpins the school’s success.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors work very effectively with the headteacher to guide the work of the school. They cover fully their statutory requirements.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher, staff and governing body have detailed knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses based on secure evidence.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school makes full use of its budget and generates valuable additional income by offering a wide range of services for its community.

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Aspect Comment

The school makes extremely effective use of its buildings through a very good range of imaginative community projects that ensure the site is used from early in the morning till mid-evening. The principles of best value are rigorously applied.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy school. • The teachers know the children very well and help them to work hard and do their best. • Standards at the school are very high. • The teachers make sure that the bright children are stretched and that those that need extra help receive it. • The accessibility of the teachers and the good quality of information they provide about the children’s progress. • There is an excellent range of organisations that provide care before, during and after the end of the school day. • A tiny minority of parents would like to see more opportunities for parent consultations after 6.00 p.m.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the overwhelmingly positive views of the parents about most aspects of the school’s provision for its pupils. The school’s arrangements for negotiating later consultation appointments with parents and carers are adequate. Brownsover Community School - 10

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

the results achieved by pupils from similar schools.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

Standards at the school are getting better year by year. In the national tests for 1999, the pupils’ results in reading and writing were well above average when compared with both the national picture and with the results achieved by pupils in similar schools. In writing, the pupils’ results were particularly strong being in the top five per cent of all similar schools. The results in mathematics were above both the national average and that of pupils from similar schools, but only very marginally outside the range described as ‘well above average.’

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

The inspection findings confirm that standards continue to be high. The proportion of pupils working at the expected level in reading, writing, mathematics and science is much larger than usual. A further significant indicator of high standards is the fact that almost a half of the current Year 2 cohort is working comfortably at the higher levels normally expected of pupils in the early part of Key Stage 2. These figures are very high and well above the national average.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

The teachers make excellent use of their assessments of the pupils to set realistic, but challenging targets each year. The subsequent results achieved by the children have exceeded these for the past two years.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

The provision for the pupils under the age of five has been greatly enhanced by the creation of the new nursery that opened last September. As a result, forty-seven three-year-olds are attending nursery on a part- time basis. This makes a positive impact upon their learning and is preparing them extremely effectively for full time school next September. The school’s thorough arrangements for checking the pupils’ abilities at the start of their Reception year show that overall, the children’s achievements on entry are slightly above average. In both the Nursery and Reception classes the children are making very good progress towards the national targets for five-year-olds as a result of thorough teaching across all of the nationally agreed areas of learning. Thus, by the age of five, most pupils have exceeded the expected levels and are working comfortably in the early stages of the National Curriculum. For example, every child has a good

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

understanding that printed text carries meaning and that books are a good source of enjoyment and information. Many children are already beginning to form their letters correctly and they can all recognise and write their own names. The children enjoy their work and most respond in a mature, friendly and articulate fashion when visitors ask them to talk about their work. Almost all of these children can count aloud to twenty and use a number square to help them to work out three more or less than a given number. They also have a keen sense of the meaning of the terms heavier, lighter, equal and balanced. This is because the teachers take care to ensure that activities are varied and practical, and that the correct mathematical language is used at all times.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

These children are also gaining a very good appreciation and understanding of the world around them. For instance, many know the sorts of conditions that help seeds to grow and can record the progress of their bean seeds systematically. Their drawings and paintings reveal well-developed observational skills. They make regular use of the class computer to design simple pictures and add captions. At the time of inspection, the children were beginning to learn a few of the basic keyboard operations necessary for word-processing.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are well on the way to becoming literate and numerate and are using these skills to good effect across the full breadth of the National Curriculum. It is clear that the seven-year-olds are developing strong tastes and preferences in their reading. They read a good range of contemporary Brownsover Community School - 11 children’s literature and are currently enjoying more traditional rhymes and tongue-twisters during their literacy hour. A good number are increasingly skilful in reading aloud unfamiliar passages because they have a secure knowledge of the sounds of letters and have been encouraged from an early age to makes sensible guesses about unfamiliar words using clues from the surrounding text.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

Analysis of the children’s writing reveals rapid progress for all ability levels over the course of this year. In September, the higher attaining Year 2 pupils were writing half a page about their holidays in a slightly wobbly joined script. By April, they are writing as Florence Nightingale, complaining about the facilities for injured soldiers at Scutari in the Crimea. Almost a half of seven-year-olds are now writing quite lengthy accounts many with an increasingly fluent joined handwriting. Although at the start of the year the few lower attaining pupils knew that they wanted to get their ideas down on paper, most were struggling to present a line of letters that resembled those in the alphabet. Now they manage to write about half a side unaided, printing their letters and making sure they are of consistent size and shape. Their accounts are increasingly clear, for instance, in explaining the design of a Chinese origami dragon. Part of the reason why writing

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

continues to improve across the board is because the children are encouraged to write for good range of purposes in all areas of the curriculum. As a result, the majority understands how useful it is to be able to explain an idea or a point of view. For instance, one pupil when asked to consider where rules come from wrote, “Rules are set by mum, dad, God, my teacher and the government.” The author then proceeded to explain the significance of each!

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

When considering the results of previous national tests, the leadership was concerned at what appeared to be the comparatively lower standards in mathematics. As a result, the school introduced aspects of the National Numeracy Strategy a year early. This has paid dividends because the mental maths skills of the current Year 2 pupils are very good indeed. The vast majority of pupils have a secure grasp of the value of numbers up to a hundred. For instance, when presented with three digits they can arrange them into their highest and lowest possible values. They understand odd and even numbers and can round numbers up and down to the nearest ten or hundred. Most have a good recall of the 2, 5 and 10 times tables and understand how a whole can be broken down into simple fractions. The teachers have carefully ensured that the pupils learn to apply their mathematical thinking across the curriculum. Thus, when designing pizzas in design and technology, the

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

pupils practised calculating the cost of different types of pizzas based upon the sorts of toppings they were using. This work was further enhanced by the well-considered use of information technology to present designs and price lists. The pupils are also increasingly competent in estimating the mass of a range of objects and ordering them from lightest to heaviest before checking the exact weight with scales.

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writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with both the national picture and

The parents regularly listen to their children reading, make sure that spellings are learnt and assist with other homework tasks. This support also makes a significant contribution to the high standards achieved at the school.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

improvement. It sets challenging targets in many areas and checks progress rigorously.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The school’s mission is cogently encapsulated within the statement “to make a positive contribution to education within our community.” This is successfully achieved because the headteacher, staff and governing body are working together with increasing effectiveness in providing a high quality education for the children of Brownsover. The school aims are brief and to the point, but they are clearly reflected in a school community that is friendly, orderly and studious in its pursuit of excellence.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The headteacher is a very strong leader. Since taking up her post, she has continued to drive up standards to a very high level. She assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the school with acuity. In order to achieve this she consults widely on many important issues and amasses a range of compelling data that successfully inform both school policy and the development plan. For example, her analysis of the results of national tests and other assessments enabled her to identify a mismatch in the achievements of pupils in mathematics and Brownsover Community School - 12 reading and writing. As a result, the school decided to focus upon the teaching of mathematics since when there has been considerable improvement in the pupils’ achievements.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

In order to secure the desired improvements the headteacher recognises the crucial importance of a united and effective staff team. The school has recently gained the ‘Investors in People’ award and it is evident that the processes involved in preparing for this assessment have played a significant part in shaping the thinking of those involved with the school. Each member of staff has a clear and specific job description that outlines precisely their duties and responsibilities. This is further supported by very good evidence of the effectiveness of each teacher, nursery nurse, learning assistant or mid-day supervisor, acquired by the regular monitoring of the quality of their work across the school. Teacher appraisal is carried out assiduously and the targets for improvement provide a clear focus for subsequent classroom observations.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

A further strength of the leadership is the way that it seeks to provide all staff with management responsibilities at a level appropriate to their age and experience. New roles and responsibilities are carefully supported with appropriate training. For instance, the recently appointed deputy headteacher has attended three half-day courses offered by the local education authority. Similarly, a number of learning assistants have been trained in the support of literacy and numeracy lessons. The subject co-ordinators are encouraged to assume full responsibility for their management roles by checking standards, monitoring the teachers’ planning and observing lessons.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The governors fulfil their responsibilities in full. They work enthusiastically on behalf of the school making regular visits to check the quality of the school’s curriculum and the way that it is being taught. For instance, the new subject manager for English has held several meetings with the literacy governor to review the progress of the National Literacy Strategy and to agree a programme of monitoring visits. Each observation is written up in considerable detail and the evaluations are shrewd and informative. Many governors attend training events aimed at enhancing their knowledge and skills. It is typical of this school’s quest for continuing improvement that at a recent meeting a survey was carried out to discover those areas where additional governor training might be required.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The school’s development plan sets out a very good range of initiatives. Each development priority is broken down into a series of key actions. These make it clear who is responsible for action, how much money is involved and the time by which action should be completed. There are precise criteria against which success can be judged and very good evidence of hard-nosed evaluation. The plan covers all aspects of the school’s life; from building maintenance and decoration to the plans to encourage healthy eating; from the further development of play and learning opportunities for children aged three to four and to the extension of opportunities for adult education. Many of these initiatives are well on the way to completion, but the school does not stand still. At the time of the inspection, the next stages of development were already being drawn up as the school continues to review its performance and strives to enhance its provision for the families of

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

Lessons are lively, exciting and stimulate the children’s enthusiasm and love of learning.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The reason why the children achieve high standards and enjoy learning is because they are well taught. The teaching has improved since the last inspection and was very good in the vast majority of lessons observed. On this occasion, the inspectors saw no unsatisfactory teaching. Seventy per cent of lessons were of very good quality, 24 per cent good and 6 per cent (one lesson) satisfactory.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The teachers are able to make learning interesting because they are extremely well prepared. The lessons are planned in great detail and build carefully on what has gone before. The teachers set precise objectives for what they expect the children to achieve and make this clear to the class. For example, in one science lesson the children continued their study of seeds and the conditions necessary for successful growth. The classroom was alive with purposeful activity because the teacher carefully explained what she wanted the Brownsover Community School - 13 children to do. An excellent range of resources had been prepared in advance so that different groups might work independently whilst the teacher focused upon setting up a simple experiment with some of the higher attaining pupils. One group sorted an exciting range of seeds into different categories. They made extremely good use of the magnifiers to look closely at the colour, texture and marking of each seed. Other pupils

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

checked the progress of the broad beans that are being cultivated in plastic containers. They recorded carefully the first buds and shoots emerging from their seeds.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The skill of the teacher in this situation lies in ensuring that the pace of learning is sustained throughout the lesson. Having set the higher attainers the task of writing up their proposed experiment, the teacher began an examination of the seeds of fruit with the remainder of the class. There was a buzz of excitement as the fruit and vegetables were cut open and examined. The teacher questioned carefully throughout the session so that effective links were made back to previous work about healthy eating. Predictions were made about how many seeds each fruit might contain and a few pupils encountered new fruits such as mango, kiwi fruit and avocado pears. Time flew by and the lesson was successfully concluded with a brief plenary where the different sorts of learning were shared and evaluated.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

This type of exciting learning was observed in many lessons over the two days of the inspection. In the Nursery, the teaching makes wonderful links between all the different areas of learning. For example, the children have recently heard the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears.’ They know the story well and talk about it as they use a computer program to recreate different scenes from it by using the mouse to ‘click and drag’ characters and objects around the screen. The making of porridge was particularly successful because it provided an excellent opportunity for some simple mathematics and science. With the help of the teacher, each child measured out four spoons of instant porridge into a bowl. They tested the temperature of the cold milk before the teacher heated it in the microwave and then observed the steam and bubbles. They checked that the teacher measured out the correct amount of milk for each bowl and mixed their porridge

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

carefully. Throughout the session, the teacher questioned carefully and modelled language thoughtfully by getting the children to describe what they saw. For instance, the pupils described the dry porridge as ‘flaky’ or ‘powdery,’ but recognised that when milk was added it became ‘sticky’ or ‘like glue.’

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The teachers at Brownsover receive very good support from an effective team of well-trained learning assistants. They make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning because they help to ensure that teachers are able to offer such a good range of exciting, practical activities. For instance, whilst the teacher in the Nursery was making porridge, one learning assistant helped children to make simple ‘books’ shaped like bears into which they then ‘wrote a story.’ The nursery nurse encouraged a group to make beds and chairs for each of the three bears out of Lego. In the science lesson, the learning assistant took a small group of lower attaining pupils into the attractively developed school grounds in order to look at plants and shrubs and collect seeds such as fir-cones. The learning assistants are clear about the purposes of each lesson because the teachers share their planning in advance. In some cases they create their own notes for

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

lessons and keep a record of what happens in order to update the teacher's assessment record. These additional adults make a significant contribution to the quality of education offered by the school.

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

The teachers bring similar approaches to the teaching of literacy and numeracy. Poetry and rhymes are carefully chosen to illustrate particular features of language. Thus the Year 2 children are taking great delight in reading a good range of traditional tongue twisters, and most can now explain about alliteration. The children also take great delight in the opportunities provided for them to apply their mathematical skills in a variety of settings. For example, information about favourite food, pets and hobbies is collected and then presented in graph form using the class computers. Time lines in history also help pupils gain confidence in recognising and using larger numbers. Brownsover Community School - 14 The school also makes regular use of visitors to promote special projects and occasions. The children's work on healthy eating became real and immediate with the arrival of ‘The Cooking Bus’ and the opportunities to

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The leadership of the school is very effective because it presents a clear vision for the school’s

plan and cook their own healthy food. There is a strong focus on broadening the children's cultural awareness through the exciting use of stories from China. This led to high quality art work such as the vibrant dragon paintings that combine chalk, paint and collage, as well as a good range of pained pottery dragons. Other such events have included African drumming and the design of masks and fabrics. Throughout the school, teachers are regularly helping the children to make connections between the different subjects of the National Curriculum. They do this in a way that stimulates interest and enjoyment, but at the same time always with a view to raising standards.

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knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the

The school’s strongly stated commitment to its local community is confirmed from the moment a child is identified as a potential entrant. Besides the well-established programme of preliminary visits for the child to experience school before starting full-time education, the teachers take time to visit each family at home. A photograph of the child is taken for the pupil profile and particular skills, interests and enthusiasms are carefully noted along with any other relevant information provided by the parents. This process helps the overwhelming majority of children to settle quickly into the routine of school and provides the teachers with a valuable insight into their new pupils.

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knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the

Throughout the school, the teachers are generally very skilled at matching the work they set to the abilities of the children in the class. Their lesson plans set clear objectives for learning and these are frequently modified for different groups of pupils. For instance, in one Year 2 maths lesson, the higher achieving pupils were expected to round three digit numbers up and down to the nearest ten and hundred, whilst the lower achieving pupils focused on two digit numbers. Similarly, in an English lesson involving Reception children, the higher attaining pupils were expected to identify the correct phoneme to complete missing words in a range of different sentences. Those who are at an earlier stage read with the learning assistant to check and extend the number of common words they recognise.

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knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the

The reason that the teachers are able to create such a close match between pupil and task is because they have extremely good skills of assessment. A significant feature emerging from the inspection is the way that so many teachers ask shrewd questions of their pupils. Sometimes they ask open questions, for an opinion or point of view. At other times they demand a response for which there can only be one right answer. All the time they listen closely to see just how much each child understands and keep careful note of progress. The excellent, thorough marking of the pupils’ written work supports this type of informal assessment. The teachers write encouraging comments for the pupils that tell them how they’ve done and how they can improve their work. They also annotate the work for themselves and for parents to draw attention to any significant progress or specific difficulties that need to be addressed. These notes are frequently of a very

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knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the

high quality and show that the teachers are extremely skilled in identifying the key points in the progression of pupils’ learning.

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knowledge not only to support those children who find learning hard but also to stretch the

Further conclusive evidence of the care and pride taken in the achievements of the children are the ‘Big Books.’ Each of these books has the child’s photograph on the front cover, and examples of their work and achievements across the entire curriculum are stuck onto the large pages. The samples analysed during the inspection provided a compelling account of exciting learning, improving standards and very good progress. The Big Books are presented to the pupils during their final days at the school prior to transfer to the junior school. They provide a memorable account of the children’s earliest schooldays and are a testament to the work of the teachers who know so much about them and help them to achieve so well. Brownsover Community School - 15

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Systems for making all staff aware of procedures for identifying child protection issues.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The school has adopted the local education authority policy and guidance for Child Protection. The headteacher is identified as the responsible person and both she and the deputy headteacher have received appropriate training. The child protection register is properly maintained. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide regular staff training, the next session being scheduled for September. However, new staff members have arrived since the last training event. They have received neither adequate briefing nor training about what to look out for and the procedures to follow if they are concerned about the welfare of a child. They have no copy of the policy and there is no guidance within the staff handbook. This is a key issue for action.

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Attendance is below the national average and there is a high level of lateness at the start of the

The school’s data on attendance show that there is much more authorised pupil absence than is usually the case. This has been the case for several years. Analysis of the registers suggests that many parents are taking their children out of school for their annual holidays.

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Attendance is below the national average and there is a high level of lateness at the start of the

Of even more concern is the apparently casual approach of a minority of families to punctuality and prompt attendance at school each day. The headteacher’s letters to parents and her reports to the governing body show that for some time now it has been difficult to make a prompt start to lessons each morning. This is because a number of families straggle into school up to ten minutes after the start of the school day. On one day during the inspection, 28 pupils were observed arriving after the bell had gone. In some classes the teachers had to break off from teaching either to receive dinner money or answer parental enquiries. This hinders the education of the majority of pupils who arrive promptly, and is unfair on teachers who are conscientious in their time keeping and who generate a brisk pace of learning in the vast majority of their lessons. Although the attendance registers are completed in accordance with legal requirements, the school

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Attendance is below the national average and there is a high level of lateness at the start of the

should consider further action to bring home the serious nature of persistent lateness. This could be done, for example, by introducing a lateness book held at the school office, in which parents and children sign to acknowledge late arrival. The leadership might also consider offering rewards for those who manage to improve their time-keeping. This is a key issue for action.

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Attendance is below the national average and there is a high level of lateness at the start of the

The headteacher and governing body sensibly request that all parents avoid driving into school at the start and end of the school day. The overwhelming majority of parents comply with this ruling. However, a minority persistently refuses. Again, on one day during the inspection, two parents were observed driving down the steep entrance to deliver their children to school despite the fact that many other parents, carers, children and toddlers were using the same drive. This is unsafe and the school should take steps to ensure that this type of thoughtless action cannot occur. This might be achieved, for instance, by securing the gates at the start and end of the school day. This is a key issue for action.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve further the high quality of education offered by the school the headteacher, governors and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the systems for making all staff aware of the procedures for dealing with Child Protection issues. Brownsover Community School - 16 • Work with parents and carers to improve levels of attendance, increase punctuality and ensure pupils’ safety at the start and end of each school day.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 24 104

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 10

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 6 27

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

% % Brownsover Community School - 17 School data 7.2 School data 0.1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 14 30

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 14 13

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 93 100 97 at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 15 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 13 13

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 97 97 93 at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 Brownsover Community School - 18 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Brownsover Community School - 19 Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.2 Financial year 1998-99

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total expenditure 231814

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 2089

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 108 Balance brought forward from previous year 34798

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 39230

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Brownsover Community School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 72 24 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 50 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 54 39 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 33 7 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 15 4 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 28 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 61 28 9 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 65 24 4 7 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 65 28 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 41 4 2 7

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Other issues raised by parents

A very few parents raised concerns about the times offered at parent consultation meetings. They wanted greater opportunity to attend during the evening rather than between 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm.

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