Brookhouse Primary School

BROOKHOUSE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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BROOKHOUSE PRIMARY 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. Brookhouse Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Troy Street Blackburn Lancashire Postcode: BB1 6NY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr S Hussain

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 February 1998 Brookhouse Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

8245 L Furness Registered inspector Foundation Stage of Learning Mathematics What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19431 J Holmes Lay inspector How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 32189 Y Clare Team inspector Science Information and Communication Technology Religious Education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

32174 P Ford Team inspector English as an Additional Language English Physical Education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

32346 L Wylam Team Inspector Special Educational Needs Educational Inclusion Art and Design Design and Technology History Geography Music Brookhouse Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Focus Education (UK) Ltd 113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth OL3 6BD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brookhouse Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Brookhouse School is a medium size primary school situated in Blackburn. The Brookhouse area has a high percentage of families who are of Asian heritage, mainly Pakistani and Indian. This is reflected in the school population as all but one of the 212 pupils on roll is of Asian origin. All pupils speak English as an additional language with 67 pupils at early stages of English language acquisition. The mother tongues are mainly Gujurati, Punjabi and Urdu and the majority of pupils speak at least two different languages. Most pupils’ families originate from Pakistan and a number of pupils travel to Pakistan for extended holidays, during term time. The school is situated in an area of economic and social deprivation and a unique feature of the school is that all pupils are Muslim. The school acknowledges the pupils’ Islamic beliefs and has been granted a Determination by the Standing Advisory Council for religious education that it is inappropriate for collective worship to be of a

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

mainly Christian character. From the age of five pupils at the school attend a number of different Mosque schools each evening. Approximately 32 per cent of pupils claim their entitlement to school meals free of charge which is above the national average. Over 12 per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs list which is below the national average and three pupils have statements for special educational need. When they first start school in the reception class the majority of children speak very little English and their personal, social and emotional skills are well below those expected for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with a significant number of strengths. The pupils’ achievement is good because there is good quality teaching overall. Pupils enjoy coming to school, they are very interested in their work and try extremely hard to do their best. The leadership and management of the school are very good and provide very clear direction for the school’s work. Considering the skill levels of children on entry to the school and the standards attained by pupils in Year 6, the school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The leadership of the school has successfully established a team of people who are fully committed to doing their best for the pupils in this school. • Relationships between pupils and adults are very good, resulting in pupils greatly enjoying school and wanting to learn. • There is a strong commitment to valuing the cultural and religious backgrounds and traditions of all pupils. • Teaching support assistants and bilingual assistants have a positive effect on pupils’ learning. • Throughout the school, high quality, attractive displays enhance the learning environment and show pupils how much their work is valued. The overall impression is stimulating, warm and welcoming. • Extra-curricular provision greatly enhances curriculum provision.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards of attainment in English and in information and communication technology. • Pupils’ knowledge of how well they are achieving and what they need to do to improve. • Provision in the Foundation Stage of Learning. All of these issues have been identified by the school as priorities for development. 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

The school was last inspected in February 1998 and it has made good progress towards addressing the key issues identified. Parents are now more involved in the work of the school and pupils’ attendance continues to improve. The governors contribute well to the long-term improvement plan and assist the school well in ensuring greater parental involvement. Large play equipment has been purchased, Brookhouse Primary School - 8 although there are still issues with regard to continuous outdoor provision for reception children. The school has implemented national initiatives successfully and the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level for their age in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 has improved. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and the school has made good improvement since the previous inspection.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E E E C well above average above average A B mathematics E E D B average below average C D science E E E C well below average E

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STANDARDS

Pupils’ performance in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests in 2002 was well below the national average in English and science and below the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance matched the average in English and science and was above average in mathematics. Over the last three years the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level in all three subjects has been steadily improving. The majority of pupils currently in Year 6 are working at levels that are below those expected for their age in English but matches that expected in mathematics and science. There is limited evidence of higher attainment in all three subjects. In Year 2, pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests was below the national average in reading, matched the national average in writing and was above the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ performance matched the average in reading and was well

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STANDARDS

above average in writing and mathematics. On the basis of teacher assessment, pupils’ performance in science was above the national average and well above average in comparison with similar schools. However, the school recognises that these results were not a true reflection of the pupils’ capability and were believed to be overly high. Pupils currently in Year 2 are working at levels below those expected for their age in reading and writing and match the levels expected in mathematics and science. Although over the last three years there has been little difference in the attainment of boys and girls by the end of Year 2, there is a different picture by the end of Year 6 when boys outperform girls by one term in English and science and three terms in mathematics. By comparing the level of skills that many children have when they start at school and the levels they attain by the time they leave, achievement is good. Despite satisfactory progress overall in the Foundation Stage, the

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STANDARDS

majority of children enter Year 1 with attainment well below the level expected for their age in communication language and literacy and below the level expected in mathematical development and in personal, social and emotional development. Pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of English language acquisition make good progress and they achieve well because of good support. The targets set for 2002 were not attained in English but were very narrowly missed in mathematics. It appears that the targets set for 2003 are more realistic and will be met by the school in both subjects. In all other subjects the standards attained by the majority of pupils matches those expected for their age by Years 2 and 6 apart from in information and communication technology where standards of the majority of pupils are below those expected. In physical education there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on standards overall.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils really enjoy school and have very good attitudes to learning. They listen carefully to teachers and show interest when others are speaking, responding interestedly to teachers’ questions. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are aware of the expectations of their teachers and behave accordingly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils very willingly and enthusiastically take responsibility for many aspects of school life, for example, being ‘buddies’ or ‘sport captains’. Relationships between the pupils and staff and each other are very good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Although attendance is below the national average it is improving. The majority of pupils are punctual and lessons start promptly.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Good 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 AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. The majority of lessons were at least satisfactory and very few lessons were unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning in the reception class is satisfactory overall with good features. The adults in this class place good emphasis on helping these children to develop communication skills, including enabling them to listen appropriately. Adults have a satisfactory understanding of how young children learn, but the opportunities for continuous outdoor play are limited and in many instances activities are too adult directed. Teaching and learning in English and mathematics are good. Strengths include the way that teachers encourage pupils to answer questions even when unsure of the answer. Very good relationships make pupils feel safe and secure knowing their answers will be valued. Management of pupils is a good feature in the majority

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

of classes which results in pupils who enjoy learning and who behave well. Although overall teachers’ expectations of their pupils are satisfactory and there are high expectations in some classes, there needs to be more account taken of the levels of challenge for the higher attaining pupils. Pupils’ self knowledge of their learning is satisfactory, but pupils throughout the school need to be encouraged to become more aware of what they need to do to improve the standard of their work. The quality of marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and some comments made by teachers are not followed up by the pupils. The teaching and learning of pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition is good. Pupils throughout the school receive good support from the class teachers, the teaching and bilingual assistants and the language support teachers from the Ethnic Minority Achievement project. A good programme of support has been developed for those pupils who take

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

extended holidays. Pupils are asked to record their experiences both by taking photographs with the camera provided by the school and by writing a diary.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum which is provided for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is good. A very good range of extra curricular activities successfully enhances the curriculum. The lack of continuous outdoor play Brookhouse Primary School - 10 provision is a weakness in provision for children in the Foundation Stage. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by the teaching assistants and bi-lingual assistants.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. All pupils are polite and welcoming and they respond positively both to other pupils and adults. Good attention is given to the cultural and religious background of all pupils as they learn to appreciate the similarities and differences that exist in the way people live and worship in different parts of the world.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The child protection policy and the procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. There are very good systems in place to track pupil’s attainment and progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents who responded to the questionnaire and those who attended the parents’ meeting have good opinions of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The leadership provides clear educational direction and provides staff with commitment and support, ensuring that all staff feel valued.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body is well informed and deeply committed to the school and effectively fulfils its statutory responsibilities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school’s very good systems for analysing test results and data enable it to identify any areas for improvement and the results are used well to make necessary adjustments to curricular planning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Spending is clearly linked to planned priorities and developments. The school ensures the basic principles of value for money are carefully applied.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The accommodation is satisfactory overall. All classrooms are suitable for the purpose, except for where there are large year groups for example in Year 4, where space is restricted. The match of the teachers and support staff to the curriculum is good. The school is well staffed so that good support is available to pupils who require it. Learning resources are good in all subjects apart from information and communication technology where they are just satisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school. • Children are making good progress. • Behaviour is good. • The school is helping children to become mature and responsible. • There are no areas that a significant number of parents would like to see improved.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents are right to be appreciative of the school and its work and the inspection team agrees with all of the positive views. Brookhouse Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. All pupils in the school have English as an additional language and the majority when they start at school in the Foundation Stage (reception class) are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Initial testing of language skills in their mother tongue shows that many children have under developed communication skills and their personal, social and emotional skills are also well below those expected for their age. By the time the children enter Year 1, few children achieve the ‘early learning goals’ in the six areas of learning recommended for children of this age. However progress and achievement are at least satisfactory and in some instances good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In Year 2, pupil performance in the National Curriculum tests in 2002 was below the national average in reading, matched the national average in writing and was above the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ performance matched the average in reading and was well above average in writing and mathematics. On the basis of teacher assessment, pupils’ performance in science was above the national average and well above average in comparison with similar schools. However, the school does not think that these results were a true reflection of the pupils’ capability and were overly high. This was confirmed by internal assessments carried out during the autumn term when these pupils were in Year 3. Pupils in Year 2 now, are working at levels below those expected for their age in reading and writing and match the levels expected in mathematics and science. There is no significant difference in the attainment of girls and boys and there

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

is limited evidence of higher attainment, particularly in reading and writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupil performance in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests in 2002 was well below the national average in English and science and below the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools the pupils’ performance matched the average in English and science and was above average in mathematics. Over the last three years the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level in all three subjects has been steadily improving. However, over this period of time boys have outperformed girls by one term in English and science and three terms in mathematics. The majority of pupils currently in Year 6 are working at levels that are below those expected for their age in English but match those expected in mathematics and science. Although there is limited evidence of higher attainment in all three subjects pupils’ achievement and progress are good. The targets set for 2002 were not attained in English and were very narrowly missed in mathematics. It

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

appears that the targets set for 2003 are more realistic and will be met by the school in both subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The attainment of pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of English language acquisition throughout the school is well below that expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. Lower than average skills in reading and writing also mean that standards in the other subjects are lower than expected for their age. However the early identification of those needing support and the good support they receive from the teaching and bi-lingual support assistants result them making good progress and their achievement is good. As yet the school does not identify pupils who are gifted and able.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Throughout the school, standards of speaking are well below national expectations whilst pupils’ listening skills are good. The majority of pupils listen carefully and in order to ensure that all pupils understand teachers’ explanations bi-lingual assistants often translate the introductions and key points of lessons in the pupils’ mother tongue. In Years 1 and 2, Brookhouse Primary School - 12 pupils listen and produce appropriate answers to the teachers’ questions and in good lessons teachers encourage answers which are in full sentences. However, pupils throughout the school lack the specific vocabulary required to talk at depth about particular subjects and in the older classes, boys can sometimes dominate classroom discussion. In reading, pupils in Years 1 and 2 make satisfactory progress in learning basic skills and in developing the ability to read fluently and with expression. Good progress is seen in Years 3 to 6 and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils make good use of intonation when reading aloud, and are developing strategies to read unfamiliar words. However, many pupils lack the ability to infer and deduce meaning from the texts they have read. Although the writing skills of pupils in Years 2 and 6 is below that expected for their age pupils’ achievement overall is good. At the end of Year 2, higher and average attaining pupils are beginning to write independently. Higher attaining pupils use simple punctuation correctly and are generally secure when spelling simple words. However other pupils do not use punctuation correctly and lower attaining pupils struggle to write in full sentences. Spelling is inaccurate and on occasion pupils do not leave spaces between words. Handwriting is not well formed and pupils print rather than using the joined style of writing. By Year 6 the work of higher attaining pupils is structured but the accurate use of the full range of punctuation is still insecure. Letter formation is

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

accurate and most pupils are able to join letters fluently. The presentation of work is neat and well structured. The sentence construction of average and lower attaining pupils is limited and they use a narrow range of vocabulary. However, words used are usually spelt correctly. Handwriting is not always joined and spelling needs to be improved. Pupils are however, encouraged to use their developing literacy skills in other subjects. For example, using reading skills when researching information in history and writing skills when writing directions in geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In mathematics achievement is good overall. By Year 2, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of number, shape and space and measures. They can tell the time using “o’clock”. Although the majority know the language of time a minority are insecure when asked the question ‘What is the time 1 hour before or after 2 o’clock?’ Lower attaining pupils put events that happen throughout the school day in order whilst higher attaining pupils convert analogue times to a digital clock. By Year 6, pupils solve simple problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They estimate accurately to 10,000 and convert decimals to fractions, for example 0.33 is 1/3. The use of numeracy skills is encouraged in other subjects, for example, in science when Year 6 pupils use their recording skills to complete line graphs to record how wheel sizes affect the distances travelled. In Year 4, pupils use measuring skills to design ‘Pandora’s box’ in the context of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In science, achievement is good overall. By Year 2, pupils have a secure knowledge of life and living processes, physical processes and different materials. For example, they understand that plants need water, soil and light to grow effectively and have a good knowledge of the skeleton and its functions. In their study of materials and their properties, pupils know that different materials are attracted by magnets. In their investigative work on electrical circuits, pupils record their findings by drawing a diagram; however the labelling is not always fully completed. By Year 6, pupils are developing a good understanding of forces. They have a secure knowledge of reflection and of how shadows are formed. Pupils’ investigative skills are developing satisfactorily.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In art and design the standards attained by pupils in Years 2 and 6 match those expected for their age and their achievement is good. In all year groups pupils are offered a wide range of opportunities to develop new skills and techniques. In design and technology standards attained in Years 2 and 6 are at the levels expected for their age. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. By Year 2, pupils use simple tools to cut and join materials and show imagination in their designs of pop-up pictures for example. By Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of planning and making. They list the materials and equipment Brookhouse Primary School - 13 needed for a project and also explain how models will work. However, their skills of evaluation are under developed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In geography, attainment in Years 2 and 6 matches the level expected for their age and achievement is good. In Year 2 pupils are developing a sense of place knowing that know that London is in the south of England and that it is larger than their own town of Blackburn. They can locate on a world map England, Pakistan and India, countries that are important in their own lives. Pupils in Year 6 know about the climatic differences between Pakistan and England and explain the effect on the environment of destroying the rainforests. In history, the standards attained by Years 2 and 6 match those expected for their age and achievement overall is good. By Year 2, pupils learn about changes overtime and realise the importance of a family tree. By Year 6, pupils know about inventions such as the telephone and sewing machine. They demonstrate a good understanding of chronology as they talk about the Anglo Saxons, Tudors and Victorians and have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

researched these periods using books and the Internet.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In information and communication technology, the attainment of most pupils in Years 2 and 6 is below the national expectation. Achievement throughout the school however, is satisfactory. By Year 2, pupils know how to program movable toys, such as the programmable robot. They are developing ‘mouse’ skills and are becoming confident in the use of a variety of literacy and numeracy programs. By Year 6, pupils enter and save text and graphics correctly. Many cut, paste and copy pictures from the Internet to a word document. Some pupils are able to enter data accurately in order to produce graphs of their favourite subjects. A minority of higher attaining pupils demonstrate good skills in sending and retrieving e-mails and in creating slide shows on a multi-media presentation program.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In music, pupils in Year 2 attain standards that match those expected for their age and their achievement is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on standards by Year 6. Pupils throughout the school enjoy singing and during assemblies and singing sessions they are tuneful following the good example of the adults who lead them with enthusiasm. Pupils in the recorder group demonstrate that they are able to read music and maintain the correct rhythm. In the choir, pupils are enthusiastic, singing in harmony to taped music, their facial expressions and body movements demonstrating their enjoyment as they perform their favourite songs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. There was insufficient evidence available during the inspection to make a secure judgement on attainment and achievement overall in physical education.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils really enjoy school and have a very good attitude towards learning. They work very well together and the relationships are very good. Pupils are friendly and very polite in class and around the school; they speak easily with adults and other pupils. Pupils listen carefully to teachers and show interest when others are speaking, responding interestedly to teachers’ questions. Questions are answered sensibly and pupils try hard to contribute to discussions

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ behaviour is good in class and around school. There was no oppressive behaviour observed in the school during the inspection. There have been no exclusions in the past year. Pupils display a very good level of self-discipline at lunch-time and break-time and play together well showing that the school promotes pupils’ social development well. The aims of the school for pupils to believe in themselves and show kindness and respect for each other are reflected in and around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Although pupils’ personal development is very good there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop initiative in their learning. Pupils of all ages take responsibility for some Brookhouse Primary School - 14 small aspect of school life, even in reception where the children help by acting as milk monitors. A number of pupils in Year 6 act as buddies to care for younger ones at lunch- time, helping them with their lunches and ensuring that the tables are cleared ready for the next pupils to have their lunch. The lunch-times are an orderly time with approximately half the school having a cooked meal and the remainder bringing packed lunches. The pupils queue in an orderly way to be served and clear their plates away afterwards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils enjoy being members of the school council and feel that the ideas they raise are listened to and, if the school is able, are introduced. For example, the pupils were involved in the design of the outside play area and they also run a stationary shop each week to supply fellow pupils with equipment such as pencils, rulers and rubbers. The school council has a very good impact on social development by raising pupils understanding of working together as a team. The money they raise from the stationary shop and from non-uniform days is used for improvements in the school. The pupils are also involved in charity fund raising, such as ‘red nose day’ for Children in Need. The pupils from Year 6 organised a stall on the autumn fair to raise money for the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities. For example, pupils act as sports captains, a role they take very seriously. This involves taking out and bringing back games at break and lunch-times. The pupils in Years 1 and 2 are helped by older pupils to take out games and to play with them. Pupils are involved in caring for the library and act as librarians keeping the library tidy by ensuring books are correctly placed in the right order on the shelves. Two pupils from Year 6 felt that they would like to help to keep the school tidy and volunteered to pick up litter from the area, which they do in a safe manner; this shows a good awareness of care of the environment. Pupils in a geography lesson looked at the moral and social issues involved in the deforestation of the rainforest and they understood the impact of the actions of others on all our lives.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Whilst still below national average, attendance has improved over the past three years due to the school targeting authorised as well as unauthorised absence. The level of unauthorised absence matches national average. Parents are generally good at notifying school of absence but if they have not, first day of absence calls are made. The school has encouraged parents to take any extended holidays with part of it during school holiday time with a suggested time limit of four weeks. Parents have responded well to this initiative. The school, being sensitive to local religious festivals, authorises such absence for the pupils and obviously this does have an effect on the attendance figures. The rewards given for attendance are well received and enthusiastically enjoyed by pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall which is similar to that in the last inspection. The majority of lessons were at least satisfactory and very few lessons were unsatisfactory. Teaching is good in English, mathematics, science and religious education. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching overall in art and design, design technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music and physical education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching and learning in the reception class is satisfactory overall with good features. As the majority of children speak very little English and many are not confident in using communication skills in their own language, adults in this class place good emphasis on helping these children to develop communication skills, including enabling them to listen appropriately. The children’s interest level is maintained because there is a bilingual teaching assistant available to help them understand what it is they have to do. Adults have a satisfactory understanding of how young children learn, but the opportunities for continuous outdoor play are limited and in many instances activities are too adult directed. Brookhouse Primary School - 15 There are occasions when children are inactive for far too long. This is usually at the beginning of the lesson when children are sitting together for more than half an hour as seen

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

in literacy and numeracy lessons. Assessment is used satisfactorily to provide tasks in line with children’s progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Strengths of teaching throughout the school include the way that teachers encourage pupils to answer questions even when unsure of the answer. The very good relationships that the majority of teachers have established make pupils feel safe and secure knowing their answers will be valued. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good overall in the majority of subjects. Management of pupils is a good feature in the majority of classes which results in pupils who enjoy learning and who behave well. Pupils are well motivated and work enthusiastically as teachers use different teaching and learning strategies to ensure lessons move at a good pace. In the very good lessons teachers have high expectations, the teaching assistants and bilingual assistants are used very effectively and a variety of activities engage pupils’ interest. For example, in an extended writing session in Year 3, pupils worked on writing a set of instructions to make carnival masks. The audience for this work was Year 2

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils and the teacher very effectively challenged pupils to think about the use of vocabulary in their instructions. Aware that boys sometimes dominate the conversation this teacher uses ‘talk partners’ to effectively engage all pupils in the learning. In a mathematics lesson for Year 5 pupils, the effective use of ‘talk partners’ enabled all pupils to share their answers when solving word problems involving division and multiplication. The use of correct vocabulary is stressed in mathematics also. Teachers frequently use, refer to and check pupils’ understanding of the key vocabulary needed during lessons, as well as encouraging pupils to use the correct vocabulary in their discussions and explanations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Although overall teachers’ expectations of their pupils are satisfactory and there are high expectations in some classes, there needs to be more account taken of the levels of challenge for the higher attaining pupils. Often these pupils complete similar work to others. For example, in a lesson on rhyme in Year 1, two groups of pupils completed the same worksheet, when the more able pupils were clearly capable of producing their own sentences which ended with rhyming words. Also in mathematics and science there is evidence of work in some classes lacking challenge for more able pupils. Pupils’ knowledge of their own learning is satisfactory, but pupils throughout the school need to be encouraged to become more aware of what they need to do to improve the standard of their work. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and many comments are not followed up. Presently teachers do not make enough use of the way that pupils in Years 3 to 6 write the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

learning intention as the title of their work. In their marking they do not indicate how well pupils have achieved the learning intended.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The support offered to pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition is good. When children enter school in reception assessments made by bilingual assistants show that they have limited English and often speech in their mother tongue is also under- developed. Pupils throughout the school receive good support for their learning from the class teachers, the bilingual assistants and the language support teachers from the Ethnic Minority Achievement project. These teachers work with groups of pupils who are identified as in need of support at the beginning of each year. Lessons are planned and delivered alongside the class teachers. Support in the classroom takes a variety of forms including team teaching, dual language teaching, group teaching and individual work with pupils who have specific needs. A good programme of support has been developed for those pupils who take extended holidays. Pupils are asked to record their experiences both

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

by taking photographs with the camera provided by the school and by writing a diary. Brookhouse Primary School - 16

p.15

PUPILS?

24. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum and the quality and range of learning opportunities is good. Policies and schemes of work, based on nationally agreed programmes of work have been adapted to support the teachers’ planning and make the curriculum relevant for the pupils of the school. The provision for the pupils’ personal, social and health education and the relationships with other primary and secondary schools are good. In addition the contribution which the community makes to support the curriculum is also good.

p.16

PUPILS?

25. The curriculum which is provided for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is good. Good programmes of work are in place and these provide a progressive curriculum which successfully reflects the pupils’ religious and cultural heritage whilst extending their aptitudes and abilities. Both the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are implemented and these are working well to raise standards. Programmes of work to support pupils who have not made the expected progress are established and these include Early Literacy Support and the Springboard programmes in mathematics.

p.16

PUPILS?

26. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Detailed planning addresses all the six areas of learning recommended for children of this age. However opportunities for continuous outdoor provision are limited and activities are sometimes too adult directed. Children do not have sufficient opportunities to make independent choices and initiate their own learning.

p.16

PUPILS?

27. There is a very good range of extra curricular activities on offer for all pupils. The school has worked closely with the local mosque to ensure that these activities do not overlap with or detract from the pupils’ commitments to mosque school both before and after the normal school day. The school has established a homework study centre for Year 6 pupils which takes place on Saturday morning. This is staffed by 3 specially trained staff from the local education authority. The programme of extra-curricular clubs is well attended by pupils and a selection of the clubs currently offered includes, choir, library, prayer (during Ramadan), knitting, sewing, football and cricket. A new initiative scheduled to take place in the summer term is the Pyramid club where pupils will take place in activities to raise their self-esteem. Year 6 pupils have recently benefited from a 10-week study support programme which is provided by Blackburn Rovers Football club. This work has

p.16

PUPILS?

specifically focused on the development of pupils’ skills in numeracy and information and communication technology.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. Teachers are aware of the variety of needs of the pupils including the affect which cultural heritage has on attitudes to learning. Inspection evidence highlights differences in the way in which boys and girls engage with the teaching on offer and this is reflected in the standards attained by pupils in Year 6. The provision for those pupils with a special educational need and those who are at an early stage of English language acquisition is good however provision for more able and gifted and talented pupils is limited. This needs to be developed further in order for the curriculum on offer to be fully inclusive.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The school has worked hard to embed provision for personal, social and health education in the curriculum. The emphasis the school places on this aspect of the curriculum has a significant impact on pupils’ personal development. Planned time is given to this area which enhances pupils’ understanding of self-worth and relationships with others both in and out of school. A school council made up of elected pupils is in place, as is ‘Circle time’ (the opportunity for all pupils to take part in discussions on the issues which affect them.) The school promotes healthy eating and has taken part in a Healthy Schools week and the Brookhouse Primary School - 17 local education authority drug relations officer has worked in school on drug misuse. There is a limited programme of sex education on offer. The governing body of the school has agreed a statement on sex education which is in line with Muslim beliefs and the school

p.16

PUPILS?

nurse visits to talk specifically to girls.

p.17

PUPILS?

30. Links with the community are good. The school works closely with the local mosque and the Lancashire Council of Mosques and mutually supportive relationships have been formed. During the inspection two inspectors visited the Mosque school and this helped to increase the understanding of the teachings of the Islamic faith and of the pupils’ experiences at Mosque school. The school has links with a local bank through the Local Education Business Partnership and staff from the bank have taken mathematics lessons in school. There are many visitors to school and these include Action Factory (artists working in school) the school nurse, fire and police officers. The school organises many visits to places of interest, many of which support learning in different areas of the curriculum. Pupils have taken part in the Roman experience at Chester, visited the Tudor Hall at Smithills in Bolton and attended a concert given by the Halle orchestra. All Year 6 pupils

p.17

PUPILS?

visit an outdoor activity centre for the day.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. The school has good links with three secondary schools however there is little liaison with the Islamic secondary school. A number of primary schools take part in an established liaison group to share both information and concerns. A Family Learning Cluster has also been set up using funding from the local high school. The school has a long established link with a Roman Catholic primary school. Year 5 pupils visit one of the local secondary schools for taster days and pupils from a special school visit the school to take part in physical education and dance lessons with Year 4. Secondary teachers have observed and taught lessons in the school and the Primary Sports Link uses secondary expertise to give pupils experience of a range of different sporting activities. There are satisfactory links with the nursery where the majority of children attend before starting at the school in reception.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The pupils’ spiritual development is promoted well through the National Curriculum, the syllabus for religious education and by collective acts of worship. The faith background of the pupils of the school is respected and understood well by all members of staff. A significant contribution towards spiritual development is made by the religious teachings offered by the Madrassahs which pupils attend on a daily basis. The major festivals of Christmas and Easter are studied from a knowledge and understanding perspective and in parallel with Muslim belief. The school works hard to promote an understanding of world religions. A good example of the way in which spirituality is developed in school was seen in a Year 2 classroom. The teacher asked pupils to describe what pride meant and one pupil suggested that this meant ‘feeling tall inside.’ Prayer clubs are operated during Ramadan

p.17

PUPILS?

and there are a number of very good quality displays around school which highlight traditions of world faiths. One particular impressive display is the one that relates to the different ways in which baptismal ceremonies are carried out.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good and is an important part of the school ethos. All pupils are polite and welcoming and able to respond in an effective manner to both other pupils and adults. There is a positive behaviour strategy and this helps pupils be clear about what is and is not acceptable. The system of ‘golden rules’ in each classroom is based on the school rules, and these rules successfully enable pupils to take responsibility for their own actions. When pupils break one of the rules they are asked to consider why they did it and suggest how they could make amends. ‘Circle-time’ sessions are used as an effective way of promoting good moral values with pupils being able to discuss the consequence of their actions upon others. In addition, each class has a system of rewards and team points which are received for good work and behaviour. There are good social development opportunities provided. Pupils’ are encouraged to work together by

p.17

PUPILS?

Brookhouse Primary School - 18 talking to their partners and in group situations. This was evident in both English and mathematics lessons. There are very good relationships through school. The staff act as positive role models for pupils and are particularly good at promoting good behaviour. Displays around school show positive role models from sport and music and contain statements about attitudes to work. Other displays around school highlight the thought or value of the week.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. There is good provision for pupils’ cultural development through work in art and design, music, history and geography. The school has ensured that the timetable and educational experiences which are provided closely link to the religious needs of the children and the local Muslim community. A good example of this is that both staff and pupils are given time to celebrate the festival of Eid. Books and artefacts have been carefully selected and displayed to ensure that the environment reflects the value attached to different cultures and communities. There are many opportunities for pupils to study other cultures and these include studying work on Chinese New Year and world music. In geography, pupils’ have studied contrasting localities and these include St. Lucia and Egypt. In religious education lessons, an emphasis is placed on learning about beliefs and traditions of other faiths and cultures. Pupils in Year 6 have been visited by a Buddhist and pupils in Year 5 have had the

p.18

PUPILS?

opportunity to speak to a Sikh. The school has a well established link with St. James’s church and the vicar has visited school to support discussions on Christianity. The school is good at providing opportunities to develop the pupils’ awareness of life in a diverse cultural Britain.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The child protection policy and the procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. The policy was updated last year and the headteacher, who is the named person, and the deputy have both had child protection training in the last year. Staff have been made aware of the requirements and further training is planned for the summer term to ensure all staff are trained adequately.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The working environment is safe and secure and pupils of all ages are supervised at work and play. The school is very clean and well maintained and it has statutory safety checks on electrical, fire and gymnastic equipment carried out under contract. The school has a good health and safety policy and the governing body are involved appropriately in the producing of health and safety policies and procedures. The headteacher, deputy, site manager and the physical education co-ordinator have all attended risk assessment training and risk assessments are carried out for site issues and for intended visits. The school grounds are checked and cleared of debris by the site manager daily. The school is subjected to vandalism at the rear of the building. The public footpath that runs across the ground makes the school vulnerable to vandalism.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The staff know the pupils as individuals and have good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development. The school has very good procedures to monitor and promote good behaviour and very good procedures to monitor and eliminate oppressive behaviour. The school celebrates achievement by giving awards during the achievement assemblies. The school has very good procedures to monitor attendance and encourages pupils to attend school. The attendance certificates encourage pupils to attend and the school works closely with the local education authority and the education welfare officer to improve pupil attendance. The occasional parent who fails to notify the school of non- attendance is contacted on the first day of absence.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The pupils are well supervised at lunchtime in the dining hall with the pupils having a school meal and the ones bringing a packed lunch sitting together with two separate lunch times. The welfare assistants are very ably assisted by the school buddies who look after the Brookhouse Primary School - 19 younger pupils in the dining room and help them in the playground. The outdoor facilities for pupils to use at break and lunch-times are suitable with an all weather surface that is used by the older pupils and a play area for the younger pupils, where they have an adventure area .

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has very good systems in place to track pupil’s attainment and progress. There is good use of assessment to support and guide curricular planning. There are good tracking systems in place to check the progress of pupils. The school’s very good systems for analysing test results and data enable it to identify any specific areas for improvement and the results of such analyses are well used to make necessary adjustments to curriculum planning. To promote more independent learning, pupils need to become more involved in the learning process. Currently pupils have targets, but these need to be simplified and based on the raising of standards. Marking needs to be more focussed, comments are not always followed up and full use is not made of the learning objective to show progress.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school’s relationship with parents is good and improvement since the last inspection is good. The attendance at the parents’ meeting was good with 23 parents attending. The questionnaire had a low response with only 33 returned out of the 212 sent out. However, the responses from the parents who returned their questionnaires indicated overwhelming support for the school with 75 per cent of parents responding positively to all the questions. There were no areas of improvement identified by a significant number of parents. Parents present at the meeting felt that having the bi-lingual assistants made communications with them very good and assisted pupils to settle well. The inspection team agreed fully with the views of parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The information to parents about the children’s progress is good. The reports give parents a clear view of what their children are capable of doing and gives targets for improvement for the pupil. The reports and targets are discussed with parents at the consultation evenings where the bi-lingual assistants help them with any communication problems. The attendance at consultation evenings is good; parents are supportive of the school and its efforts to support the children, especially those who may have a problem. The appointment of a parental co-ordinator has helped in the process of encouraging participation. Parents support the special assemblies and other events such as the autumn fair that are held at the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents have been involved in a number of learning projects to help them better understand the curriculum. The school has held literacy, numeracy, reading workshops, parents as educators, transition projects and ‘SHARE’ and Kerbcraft sessions. The Kerbcraft project had parents helping to teach road safety to pupils, this was well supported; parents who helped were presented with a certificate by the school for their involvement and this was carried out at an achievement assembly. The art day had parents in school to work with pupils, which was very successful.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The school sends out regular newsletters about events and information each term on topics to be covered. The school has a home school agreement in place and parents are happy to approach school and talk to the teachers. Those who may have communication difficulties in English approach the bi-lingual assistants which appropriately enables all parents to be involved in their child’s education. The school has a very informative prospectus in dual language that includes details of the curriculum in each subject. The governors’ report to parents fulfils requirements. The school sends out much of the information in both English and the home language to help parents. Brookhouse Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher, together with senior staff, provide a clear sense of purpose and direction. In addition, they provide staff with commitment and support, ensuring that all members of the staff are aware of the significant part they have to play in the development of the school. The school is proud of its good links with the community and the headteacher and all staff make a full and effective commitment to pupils’ care, welfare and health and their personal, social and emotional development is very good. These values are central to the school’s mission statement and aims and they are reflected in the ethos of the school, which is happy, vibrant and supportive. One of the strengths of the school is the way it respects the cultural values and traditions of its pupils and their families. This is shown in the very many high quality displays around the school and its responsiveness to the needs of the pupils in its

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

organisation of extra curricular activities. Parents are appreciative and supportive of the work done by the school and they make a good contribution to the pupils’ learning both at home and in school. The governing body is equally committed to the school and is proud of its friendly atmosphere, good reputation locally and its achievements. Teamwork and the contribution of staff with management responsibilities are good and all the staff are fully committed to improvement and have very good capacity to succeed.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Action taken, in response to the issues raised in the last inspection has, in the main, been successful. In order to encourage the greater involvement of parents, the school has appointed a parental liaison assistant to provide bi-lingual support and, in addition to parents’ evenings, school assemblies and performances, workshops and family learning days are offered, all of which are supported well. The role of governors has developed significantly since the last inspection and governors now contribute fully to all the areas of the school’s work. Large outdoor play equipment provision has also improved.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The monitoring and evaluation procedures in order to develop the quality of the teaching and learning are good. Curriculum co-ordinators provide good expertise and monitor the quality of learning by a variety of methods, Most classroom observations are undertaken by members of the senior management team and, in the main, focus on the core subjects. This means that most co-ordinators have not had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning or its contribution to standards in the school, but all have analysed pupils work, talked to pupils and scrutinised teachers’ planning. One particularly effective feature is the monitoring schedule for each subject area, which is displayed in the staff room, so that all staff are aware of when areas are to be monitored and what will be needed. Subject co- ordinators all have detailed subject files with good action plans for their subjects, which highlight priorities for the subject and feed into the school development plan. All subject

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

co-ordinators are given their own budgets to manage each year, extra funds for specific developments in the subject being allocated on appropriate identification of need

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The overall effectiveness of the governing body is very good. It is well informed, deeply committed to the school and has an efficient committee system that effectively oversees various aspects of school life and designated subject governors provide valued support. It is fully involved in the school development planning process and the review of the document and its role in shaping the direction of the school is good. Governors demonstrate a good understanding of their roles and many of them undertake training in order to further support the school. A notable strength is the dedication of the active members of the governing body who work hard to support the school with advice and encouragement. They are not afraid to challenge decisions which they believe are not in the best interest of the school and its staff. The governing body celebrates the school strengths in promoting the very good attitudes, relationships and personal development of its pupils. It has good knowledge of the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school’s strengths and weaknesses and is, therefore, able to act as a critical friend. Brookhouse Primary School - 21 48. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. The school has invested carefully in its provision for special educational needs and this is beginning to pay dividends. High quality support is appropriately targeted and identified pupils make good progress in their learning. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are identified early and improvements have already been made in the short time that she has been in post. All statutory requirements are met.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school development plan is thorough, detailed and very well written. All subject areas are represented and the leadership team is responsible for drawing up a list of priorities. These draft proposals are taken to the broader leadership team, staff and governors before the final document is produced. This reflects the diligence of the senior management team in its determination to involve all colleagues in this. The document clearly and very appropriately identifies priorities and details action to be taken with clear success criteria and review times. The school uses the Local Education Authority recommended model of self-evaluation, ‘Smarter Moves’. This is a comprehensive document involving parents, pupils, staff and governors in its completion. Regular reviews are undertaken and all those involved in the school’s directional planning complete detailed questionnaires in order to ascertain comprehensive views, which feed into the school’s priorities for improvement.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The governing body is properly involved in decisions related to setting the budget. Spending is clearly linked to planned priorities and developments. The school does not benefit to a great extent from any of the many grants available, although it has recently put in a bid for Seed Challenge money. Despite this, school has managed to allocate, by careful financial management, a sum of money to complete the creation of the computer suite. In its most recent audit, the school’s financial controls applied were found to be operating effectively. The minor areas identified for improvement have all been fully implemented. In daily practice the school ensures the basic principles of value for money are carefully applied. The school’s application of the principles for best value are good.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The administrative officer carries out her day to day administration efficiently. Her duties include liaising with the local education office in Blackburn with regard to admissions, as the school is always oversubscribed, and managing the petty cash for the school. As the school manages its own bank account, she is responsible for keeping the value added tax records. In addition she gives good general clerical support to staff throughout the school, has a good relationship with parents and provides a genuine welcome to visitors to the school. Good use is made of information and communication technology in dealing with financial transactions, planning, record keeping and analysing data.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The match of the teachers and support staff to the curriculum is good. The school is well staffed so that appropriate support is available to pupils who require it. There is a good range of experience, with one teacher being newly qualified. She benefits from warm support from her mentor and other colleagues. She has a planned programme for support with regular meetings. The school’s performance management system effectively helps teachers to contribute to the school’s aims and priorities. Individual professional development is discussed and, in line with school training priorities, teacher and non- teaching staff attend appropriate training to enhance their skills. There is a large number of classroom assistants, bi-lingual assistants and Support for Ethnic Minorities Achievement (SEMA) staff available, all having good levels of expertise to provide effective support to pupils. They work well to give pupils in their care support and guidance. Most of the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

support staff have taken on a variety of roles of responsibility, including running the library with its lunch time clubs, display co-ordinator and a mentoring role for the college students in reception and Years 1 and 2. In addition, four of the staff have undertaken training for the Pyramid club, which targets pupils with low self- esteem. This is particularly exciting and challenging for the support staff responsible, as they will plan and co-ordinate all the activities themselves, drawing on their own particular strengths. School is pro-active in Brookhouse Primary School - 22 encouraging professional development and as a result of the support received, several members of the support team are intending to go on to teach. There is good teamwork and good team spirit within the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is satisfactory overall. All classrooms are suitable for the purpose, except for where there are large year groups for example in Year 4, where space is restricted. The school is maintained and cleaned to a good standard, reflecting the commitment of the premises staff. The kitchen staff and lunchtime supervisors make a valued and valuable contribution to the smooth running of the school. Throughout the school, high quality, attractive displays enhance the learning environment and show pupils how much their work is valued. The overall impression is stimulating, warm and welcoming. The school environment reflects the languages spoken by pupils. There are dual language books in the library and on display around school. Notices are in dual languages as are displays which reflect the pupils’ religion and culture. Dual language is used in letters to parents and in the school prospectus. The school works hard to support and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

promote learning in both the pupils’ mother tongue and in English. Learning resources are good in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education and religious education. In information and communication technology resources are just satisfactory.

p.22

In order to maintain improvement, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

1. Continue to raise standards in English by: § ensuring that opportunities for speaking and listening are maximised in all classes; § improving pupils’ skills in reading for meaning; § ensuring that the younger pupils are taught a structured programme of how to read words using letter sounds; § promoting pupils’ independent writing skills. (paragraphs: 5, 63, 64, 65 & 70 )

p.22

In order to maintain improvement, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

2. Raise standards in information and communication technology (ICT) by: § implementing the detailed development plan for ICT; § improving the quality of resources; § ensuring pupils have sufficient time using ICT in all relevant subjects; § developing assessment and record-keeping procedures. (paragraphs: 10, 107, 112 & 113 )

p.22

In order to maintain improvement, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

3. Involve pupils more in the assessment process by: § ensuring that the curriculum target setting system complements the existing good tracking system; § developing the existing target-setting system so that pupils are more aware of their learning targets; § improving the quality of written marking, so that pupils know if they have achieved the learning objective, the features of their work that are good and how to improve the quality of their work. (paragraphs: 22, 39, 66, 68, 78, 82, 87, 91 & 126 )

p.22

In order to maintain improvement, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

4. Improve provision in the Foundation Stage by: § developing continuous outdoor play opportunities; § providing a more appropriate balance between adult directed activities and those chosen by the children themselves; (paragraphs: 20, 55, 60 & 61 ) Brookhouse Primary School - 23

p.22

As well as these key issues the school should include the following in the action plan:

• Raise teachers’ expectations of more able pupils (paragraphs: 22, 67, 74 & 100 ); • Continue to improve attendance (paragraph: 18 ); • Monitoring and evaluation role of the curriculum co-ordinator (paragraphs: 46, 77, 84, 90, 94, 106, 112, 118 7 127 ). Brookhouse Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 2.4 19 38 35.8 4.8 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one two percentage points.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 212

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 67 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 3

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 26

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 212

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brookhouse Primary School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 19 17 36

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 18 17 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 97 (65) 94 (79) 97 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 18 19 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 97 (62) 100 (85) 97 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002] 19 10 29

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 10 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 7 8

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 62 (52) 72 (45) 83 (73) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 11 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 7 7

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 66 (70) 72 (55) 76 (82) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Brookhouse Primary School - 26

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 137 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Brookhouse Primary School - 27

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.07 Financial year 2001-2002

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.05

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 658658

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 646057

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 245 Expenditure per pupil 2964

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 44270

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 56871

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3.6

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1 FTE means full-time equivalent. Brookhouse Primary School - 28

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 52 0 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 45 0 3 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 52 45 3 0 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 61 30 3 6 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 27 3 6 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 76 18 6 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 67 27 3 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 39 3 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 70 27 0 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 27 3 3 9 Brookhouse Primary School - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The school provides a sound start to children’s education in the reception class. The quality of teaching and learning in the reception class is satisfactory overall with good features. Most children join the school at the beginning of the school year in which they become five. During the inspection, there were 29 full-time children of reception age. The majority of children have a range of skills that are well below those expected for their age when they join the reception class. Most children speak very little English and many are not confident in using communication skills in their own language. The school has put emphasis on helping these children develop appropriate communication skills, including enabling them to listen appropriately. The bilingual teaching assistant is used well to ensure that children understand what is expected of them and much of the tuition is in the children’s own language. Although they make good progress by the time they enter Year 1, the majority of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children do not achieve the ‘early learning goals’ in the six areas of learning recommended for children of this age and their attainment is well below that expected for their age in communication, language and literacy and below that expected in the other five areas of learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Adults in school have a satisfactory understanding of how young children learn. They manage the children well and provide a wide range of interesting activities. As a result, the children are happy and work with interest. However, the opportunities for continuous outdoor play are limited and in many instances activities are too adult directed. Children do not have enough opportunities to make choices for themselves and to take charge of their learning. Adults assess children’s understanding satisfactorily and provide tasks in line with their progress. Staff have good relationships with the children and provide them with good role models. Children with special educational needs and those who are at a very early stage of English language acquisition receive good assistance both from the class teacher and from the bilingual teaching assistant. As a result, they make good progress.

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Personal, social and emotional development

56. Adults are effective in developing children’s personal and social skills and teaching is good in this area of learning although there could be more opportunities provided for children to be involved in decision making. Children enter the reception class happily and are quickly occupied by a wide range of activities. Children have learnt classroom routines and they know to put their hand up to answer questions and how to take turns when sharing resources. In one lesson, children listened carefully as they took turns to answer questions about a story they were reading together. Children sit quietly while they drink their milk talking together politely. They eat their lunch sensibly and treat staff respectfully. When working in small groups or independently most children show respect for the equipment they use, work co-operatively and share resources. After carrying out practical activities children appropriately assist in tidying up the tables. At the end of the day or before going

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Personal, social and emotional development

outside to play, most put their own coats on unaided. Adults encourage children to be thoughtful and to look after each other. The teaching and bi-lingual assistants play an influential role in keeping the children involved in the whole class activities that occur at the start of sessions. Children make good progress in developing social skills; however their level of personal, social and emotional development is still below that what is typical by the end of the reception year. Brookhouse Primary School - 30

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Communication, language and literacy

57. Teaching of language and literacy skills is satisfactory. Most children have speech and language skills well below that expected for their age when they first start at school. Adults constantly talk to children to introduce new words to their vocabulary. Adults ask open- ended questions in order to develop fluency and confidence in their speech. The bi-lingual assistant is particularly effective in translating key words and phrases for children. Although good role play activities are available, often this is an area were children work independently and children would benefit from more support. Children listen to stories enthusiastically, and enjoy looking at books. They know how to hold books correctly and turn the pages over carefully. Children are taught the sounds and the names of letters and most can identify the initial sounds of common words. They are beginning to join in with the teacher when recognizing familiar stories. Children are given appropriate opportunities

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Communication, language and literacy

to develop their writing skills. They make good attempts at early writing children are beginning to write simple words reasonably accurately. Children are taught to recognise the sounds associated with the letters of the alphabet and higher attaining children write recognizable letters when writing their name. Overall, children make satisfactory progress although by the end of the reception year standards are well below the ‘learning goals’ expected for their age.

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Mathematical development

58. Teaching is good and children are given many opportunities to count, to use numbers, measure and to explore shape and size. Children enjoy counting and the teachers rarely miss an opportunity to count objects and sing a range of counting songs. Children enjoy number rhymes and join in activities interestedly. Children count up to 20 and back accurately, sort the numbers to 20 into the correct order, and identify numbers ‘one more than’ and ‘one less than’. They recognise which items are ‘long’ or ‘short’ and make simple addition and subtraction number stories. Practical resources are used well to support their learning. Children develop an understanding of time learning the names of the months of the year and the days of the week. By the end of the reception year, most children have mathematical skills that are close to the ‘learning goals’ expected for their age.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. When children first start at school many have little experience of the world beyond the immediate area that they live. Satisfactory teaching ensures that there are appropriate opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. Children use a range of resources to discover facts about people who help us. They learn about features of living things for example the names of their own body parts and the parts of a plant. They observe the local weather each day, and develop their understanding of time by sequencing pictures. Children learn to use a computer mouse to click onto the correct pictures on the computer screen. They also learn how to use a tape recorder to listen to story tapes. A strength is the way in which children are engaged in considering the celebrations that take place during religious and cultural festivals. Although children make satisfactory progress, their levels of

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

knowledge and understanding of the world is below the ‘learning goals’ expected by the end of the reception year.

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Physical development

60. When children enter reception, their manipulative and co-ordination skills are well below that expected for their age. Teachers provide many good opportunities for children to develop better control and manipulative skills by using scissors, crayons and paintbrushes. They pour water and sand into containers, assemble construction toys, put jigsaws together and learn how to use scissors. When given the opportunity children co-operate happily, take Brookhouse Primary School - 31 turns and share equipment sensibly. However, teaching is often too adult directed and there is limited opportunity for children to explore and investigate their own ideas. There are also limited opportunities for continuous outdoor play activities and this restricts children’s development in this area of learning. Children do have access to the school hall regularly where children have the opportunity to develop their physical skills. Teaching overall is

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Physical development

satisfactory and children make satisfactory progress. By the end of the reception year children’s physical development is below the ‘learning goals’ expected for their age.

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Creative development

61. Satisfactory teaching ensures that children make satisfactory progress in developing their creative skills. Children have access to a wide variety of paints, paper, card, fabrics and construction materials, but the opportunities for them to choose their own equipment are limited. They made handprints and learned how to hold a brush correctly to paint animals. They enjoyed working together to paint a large picture of a chimpanzee. They painted pictures of rainbows and used tissue paper to make shapes to stick onto a collage. They use a variety of tactile resources to make string and spiral patterns. Although there is good evidence of children’s art work on display in the classroom, much of the work is teacher- directed. Children do not have enough opportunity to develop their own ideas and thoughts. One child who was experimenting with ‘playdoh’ was told by another child that he is not allowed to do that! Children enthusiastically sing a range of simple songs and nursery

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Creative development

rhymes. They join in happily with the actions that often accompany the songs. Although enthusiastic, children’s artistic and musical skills are below the ‘learning goals’ expected for their age at the end of the reception year.

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ENGLISH

62. The attainment of pupils now in Years 2 and 6 is below that expected for their age. One of the main reasons for this is the low attainment on entry to the school and the fact that English is not the mother tongue of many of the pupils in the school. There is limited evidence of pupils working above the level expected for their age in Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ achievement by Year 2 is satisfactory whilst the achievement of pupils by Year 6 is good.

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ENGLISH

63. Throughout the school, standards of speaking are well below national expectations whilst pupils’ listening skills are good. Although many pupils are able to share their opinions and describe the detail of their everyday experiences, they struggle to use the specific vocabulary required to talk at depth about particular subjects. The school has recognised this and as a result has concentrated support from bilingual assistants in the classes of younger pupils in order to try to develop their early speaking skills. The majority of pupils listen at length and in order to ensure that all pupils understand teachers’ explanations bi- lingual assistants often translate the introductions and key points of lessons. In Years 1 and 2, both boys and girls are able to listen and produce appropriate answers to the teachers’ questions. In good lessons teachers praise answers which are in full sentences. In Years 3 to

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ENGLISH

6, boys can sometimes dominate classroom discussion. In order to try and address this, the school has implemented systems which allow all pupils to demonstrate whether they know the answer to a question. For example, in good and very good lessons, pupils are encouraged to work as ‘talking partners’ discussing their ideas together before speaking aloud in front of the class. Opportunities for speaking and listening are not clearly identified on teachers’ planning and there is limited evidence of the use of role-play and drama throughout school.

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ENGLISH

64. In reading, pupils in Years 1 and 2 make satisfactory progress in learning basic skills and in developing the ability to read fluently and with expression. However not all pupils are able to use these skills to access different levels of meaning. During the inspection there was limited evidence of the consistent use of a structured programme to increase pupils’ Brookhouse Primary School - 32 awareness of the sounds of letters. This is an important omission in provision as for example, in Year 1, a significant number of pupils were unable to identify the first sound of an initial letter to help them read unknown words. Pupils know the difference between a fiction and non-fiction text and know how to use the contents and index pages. In Years 3 to 6 pupils make good progress with their reading skills. They are confident when reading, make good use of intonation and are developing strategies to read unfamiliar words.

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ENGLISH

However, many pupils lack the ability to infer and deduce meaning from the texts they have read. Pupils are able to use the dictionary to look up the meaning of unfamiliar words but are less familiar with an encyclopaedia and how this might be used to research information. They are able to use the internet to research particular authors and this enhances their reading experiences.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils’ attainment in writing in Years 2 and 6 is below that expected for their age. At the end of Year 2, higher and average attaining pupils are beginning to write independently and are able to put their ideas in a logical sequence. The higher attaining pupils use full stops and capital letters accurately to denote sentences and are generally secure when spelling simple words. Pupils who are considered average by the school are insecure in their use of both capital letters and full stops and the spelling of some simple words is not yet accurate. The lower attaining pupils are at an earlier stage of development. They understand that print carries meaning but struggle to write in full sentences. Spelling is inaccurate and on occasion pupils do not leave spaces between words. Pupils write for a range of purposes and these include retelling stories, instructions, character description and accounts of their

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ENGLISH

own experiences. There is a tendency to use printed sheets which pupils complete in Year 1 and in some cases in Year 2. These do not develop the pupils’ ability to write independently. Handwriting is not well formed and pupils print rather than using the joined style of writing. The presentation of pupils’ work is generally untidy and this is mainly caused through over use of an eraser to correct mistakes.

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ENGLISH

66. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are given good opportunities to write for a range of purposes and these include letters, pamphlets, biographies and autobiographies. There is also evidence of the use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. The work of higher attaining pupils is structured but the accurate use of the full range of punctuation is still insecure. Letter formation is accurate and most pupils are able to join letters fluently. The presentation of work is neat and well structured. Average attaining pupils have similar opportunities for writing but their sentence construction is limited and they use a narrow range of vocabulary. However, words used are usually spelt correctly. Lower attaining pupils write their ideas in order and are beginning to use full stops and capital letters to demarcate sentences. Their handwriting is not always joined and spelling needs to be

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ENGLISH

improved. All pupils record the learning intention for the lesson at the beginning of each piece of work and this is effective in focusing the pupils’ work. However, when teachers mark the pieces of work their comments do not reflect what the pupil has done well nor do they suggest how the work could be improved.

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ENGLISH

67. Taken overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is satisfactory whilst in Years 3 to 6 teaching is good. The majority of teachers establish very good relationships and manage the pupils well and as a result most of the pupils behave well. In good lessons teachers have high expectations, the teaching assistants and bilingual assistants are used very effectively and a variety of activities engage pupils’ interest. For example, in a lesson in Year 2, the bilingual assistant provided a translation of the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and in the guided reading session the class teacher effectively used individual pupils to role play Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf to teach about direct speech. By the end of the lesson, most pupils had developed well their understanding of how speech is presented in text. In an extended writing session in Year 3, pupils worked

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ENGLISH

on writing a set of instructions to make carnival masks. The audience for this work was Year 2 pupils and the teacher very effectively challenged pupils to think about the use of Brookhouse Primary School - 33 vocabulary in their instructions. The use of ‘talking partners’ in this lesson also effectively engaged all pupils in their learning and effectively promoted pupils’ personal and social development. In a number of lessons there is a lack of challenge for more able pupils. Often these pupils complete similar work to others and this was evident in a lesson on rhyme in Year 1 where two groups of pupil completed the same worksheet, when the more able pupils were clearly capable of producing their own sentences which ended with rhyming words.

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ENGLISH

68. The school has developed good procedures to assess the achievements of pupils in English. Termly assessments take place and information gained from end-of-key stage tests and optional tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 is analysed to highlight areas of weakness. The pupil tracking system is good and details the progress made by individual pupils. However the curriculum target setting system which should complement this is not sufficiently defined. This needs to be simplified and firmly linked to the next steps which pupils should take to make improvements to their work. Pupils need to be more involved in the assessment process. They should understand the targets which are set for them and what they need to do to achieve them.

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ENGLISH

69. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English language acquisition make good progress towards the targets set for them. Their specific needs are clearly identified and the initiatives introduced to improve the pupils’ skills of reading and writing has good impact. Teaching and bilingual assistants provide good support for learning during literacy lessons. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 take part in the Early Literacy support programme which is delivered by a bilingual teaching assistant and this has been particularly effective in improving pupils’ literacy skills. In addition, pupils in Years 3 to 6 take part in additional and further literacy support work. Teachers from the Ethnic Minority achievement project, work in both Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6 providing whole class teaching and support for groups and individuals. There is a good development plan in place for improving provision for pupils with English as an additional language.

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ENGLISH

70. The National Literacy Strategy has been effectively implemented and the format of the literacy hour is being used to improve the learning opportunities for all pupils. However, there was little evidence of learning to read through recognising sounds in words and as yet the new unit plans from the National Literacy Strategy have not been introduced. Recognising that writing is a weakness the school has appropriately dedicated extra time to teaching writing. This time is often used to write extended pieces of writing and to write independently in other curriculum areas. Examples of this were seen during the inspection when pupils were asked to write directions in geography. The school is well resourced to teach literacy skills. There is a good supply of big books and an extensive number of books to support developments in reading. The school library has been an area which has recently been a priority for development. The library has a good range of fiction, non-fiction and

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ENGLISH

dual language texts. There are two computers in the library one of which is used to catalogue books whilst the other is connected to the internet to support research. Each class has a specific time in the library and this work is supported effectively by both teaching and bilingual assistants.

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ENGLISH

71. Leadership and management are good. The subject co-ordinator and the headteacher have identified the need to raise standards through school. Issues for improvement are appropriate and are clearly identified on the school development plan. The school has an up-to-date policy which has recently been audited and amended. The scheme of work is that suggested by the National Literacy Strategy and this is adapted to meet the needs of the pupils in each year group. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the standards on entry and at the end of each key stage. There are regular opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching in the classroom; however opportunities for all staff to check and agree on the marking of pupils’ writing are not sufficient. The teaching of English makes a good Brookhouse Primary School - 34 contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils. For

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ENGLISH

example, pupils read texts from different cultures, they discuss the way in which characters differ and work together in pairs sharing ideas. Overall improvement since the last inspection is good.

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MATHEMATICS

72. The standards of attainment of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 matches the level expected for their age. Although overall pupils’ achievement is good, achievement is satisfactory by Year 2 and good by Year 6. This is because the quality of teaching and learning is good in Year 3 to 6. The achievement of pupils’ with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English language acquisition is good overall because of the good support they receive from teaching support assistants and bilingual assistants.

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MATHEMATICS

73. By Year 2 pupils can count, read and write numbers to 100. They know addition and subtraction facts to at least 10 and can tell the time using “o’clock”. Although the majority know the terms ‘before’ and ‘after’ a small minority are unsure when answering questions. Lower attaining pupils put events of the school day in order whilst higher attaining pupils convert analogue clock times to digital ones. By Year 6 pupils are able to solve simple problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They are able to estimate accurately to 10,000 and can convert decimals to fractions, for example 0.33 is 1/3. They use a calculator accurately to solve problems that have high numbers.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Teaching is good in classes of pupils in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 although there is evidence of good teaching in Year 2. Teachers’ have at least a good knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy and use the framework well to ensure that learning for each year group builds on what pupils already know. The majority place good emphasis on the teaching of basic skills. The work is well planned and in the main matches the ability of the pupils. Although teacher expectations are satisfactory, higher expectations would ensure that the more able and gifted and talented pupils were challenged at an appropriate level. Teachers make effective use of a range of different of teaching strategies. They try hard to ensure that girls and boys contribute equally in whole class and group sessions. In Year 5 for example, pupils were solving word problems using division and multiplication and the

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MATHEMATICS

effective use of ‘talk partners’ enabled all pupils to share their answers and explain their thinking to others. Management of pupils is a good feature in the majority of classes. This results in pupils who enjoy mathematics and who behave well. Pupils are well motivated and work enthusiastically as teachers use different teaching and learning strategies to ensure lessons move at a good pace. The use of teaching and bi-lingual assistants is effective in helping pupils to achieve well.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The subject effectively supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are good opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, for example, in Year 5, pupils’ worked in groups on problem solving activities and in Year 2, when pupils worked in pairs to complete practical activities relating to time. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults are very good and there is evidence of mutual respect in lessons. There is satisfactory use made of homework to further develop pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

76. In all classes the use of mathematical vocabulary is a good feature. Teachers frequently use, refer to and check pupils’ understanding of the vocabulary during lessons. The also encourage pupils to use the correct vocabulary in their discussions and explanations. Display work is used to good effect through out the school, reinforcing learning intentions, mathematical vocabulary and concepts. The use of interactive displays presented greater challenge for pupils, for example in Year 4 the ‘challenge of the week’ presented the pupils’ with an interesting problem to solve. Bi-lingual labelling ensures equal access and Brookhouse Primary School - 35 understanding for all pupils’ and the bi-lingual assistants often repeat key words and instructions to the pupils in their mother tongue during lessons to maximise understanding. There is evidence of numeracy being used in other subjects, for example, pupils in Year 3

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MATHEMATICS

use graphs to record results of science experiments and in design and technology in Year 4 pupils use measuring skills to design ‘Pandora’s box’ in the context of their work in history. The use of information and communication technology is used effectively in some classes to support pupils’ learning. This was evident in Years 2 and 5 where pupils used computers to work on activities relating to time and word problems using multiplication and division.

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MATHEMATICS

77. Leadership and management of the subject are good. Although the co-ordinator has only recently taken over the co-ordination of this subject there is good educational direction and the subject very effectively reflects the school’s aims and values. School priorities in the subject have been well identified and good action is being taken to ensure that the targets are met. There is a high level of commitment to improving standards as well as the ability to succeed. The co-ordinator and teachers have had the opportunity to observe leading maths teachers employed by the local education authority and this has helped raise the quality of teaching and learning in school. The co-ordinator does not have enough time to observe lessons across the school to allow her to have very precise knowledge of standards across the school and therefore be more focused when identifying how standards could be raised.

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MATHEMATICS

78. There is a good tracking system in place that enables the school to track individual pupils, the cohort and gender achievement. Record keeping systems are in place, however the usefulness of these records is questionable and the school would benefit from reviewing what information is passed on to the next teacher at the end of each academic year. The curriculum target setting system which should complement the tracking system is not sufficiently defined. This needs to be simplified and firmly linked to the next steps which pupils should take to make improvements to their work. Pupils need to be more involved in the assessment process. Good use is made of learning objectives, which are often displayed in the classroom and are shared with pupils’ at the beginning and end of lessons so they clearly know what is expected of them. In Years 3 to 6 the lesson objective is used as the title for pupils’ work, however, in teachers’ marking there is no system for recognising if

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MATHEMATICS

the objective has been met. The quality and range of the curriculum is good with an appropriate statutory curriculum in place. Pupils are offered a variety of relevant and interesting activities. Accommodation, staffing and learning resources are good overall. Resources are accessible and used well. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

79. The standard of attainment of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 matches that expected for their age. Achievement is satisfactory by Year 2 and good by Year 6. Progress of pupils with special educational needs and those at early stages of English acquisition is good, because of the additional support from classroom assistants, bilingual assistants and the Support for Ethnic Minorities staff (SEMA).

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SCIENCE

80. In Year 2, in their work related to life processes and living things, pupils apply their knowledge of living things to describe conditions basic to plants’ survival. They understand that plants need water, soil and light and are keen to point out the sunflowers they have planted. Complementing this work is the display of painted flowers, concept maps, recording what pupils already know and the life cycle of the sunflower. Pupils have good knowledge of the skeleton and its functions. In the study of materials and their properties, pupils know that different materials are attracted by magnets and work seen shows the ability of pupils when recording their observations, to use simple tables, when appropriate. When asked to explain, pupils are able to say whether happenings were as expected. In their Brookhouse Primary School - 36 investigative work on electrical circuits, pupils record their findings by drawing a diagram;

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SCIENCE

however the labelling is not always fully completed.

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SCIENCE

81. In Year 6, pupils working on physical processes are developing a good understanding of forces. In their work on physical processes they display secure knowledge of the reflection of light and shadows. Pupils’ investigative skills are developing and they complete line graphs to record the work of wheel sizes affecting distances travelled. In a very good Year 6 lesson about finding the best conditions for growth, pupils demonstrated good knowledge and understanding of what comprises a fair test. Due to the very appropriate intervention of the class teacher and the member of SEMA staff pupils were able to work independently to achieve the objective of the lesson. Pupils were encouraged to make predictions of the outcomes. Homework in Year 6 contributes positively to standards achieved.

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SCIENCE

82. Overall the quality of teaching and learning in science is good and throughout the school, teachers' subject knowledge is good. Although overall teachers’ expectations of their pupils are satisfactory there needs to be more account taken of the levels of challenge for the higher attaining pupils. There was little evidence of work being matched to the needs of all pupils, with the majority of pupils completing the same work. In a good year 4 lesson, and the very good lessons seen in Years 5 and 6, teachers were aware of the prior knowledge of individual pupils and asked them direct and specific questions to assess their learning. Their subject knowledge is very good and they make good use of correct terminology. Teachers manage their pupils well overall and their planning and teaching methods are good. Pupils’ knowledge of their own learning is satisfactory, but pupils are not sufficiently aware of

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SCIENCE

what they need to do to improve the standard of their work. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and many comments are not followed up. Presently not enough use is made of the way that pupils in Years 3 to 6 write the learning intention as the title to show progress. Pupils with special education needs make good progress when supported by teaching or bi- lingual assistants.

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SCIENCE

83. Pupils throughout the school show consistently very good attitudes to their work in science and their behaviour is good. They listen with attention and show delight in achieving success. They especially enjoy investigative work and they collaborate well and share resources, where necessary, sensibly. The subject effectively supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Effective cross curricular links with other subjects are also being developed and there is evidence of information and communication technology being used to download information and create graphs, whilst numeracy skills are used to measure and record correctly. Pupils are encouraged to give full answers to questions in some classes, promoting speaking and writing skills.

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SCIENCE

84. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator, who is new to her role, has good knowledge of the subject’s strengths and areas for development. This has enabled her to plan and budget well to improve provision, in order to raise standards. There is an appropriate programme of work in place to promote continuous learning throughout the school. This has been modified in order to raise attainment and each science lesson has more than one member of staff to support the pupils. The co-ordinator monitors her subject by talking to pupils, scrutinising teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. There is currently no opportunity to undertake classroom observations of teaching and learning. Resource provision is good and the learning opportunities are enhanced by encouraging pupils’ to use their home language, where appropriate, to promote full participation and understanding. The school enjoys good links with the Groundwork trust

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SCIENCE

and each year the school has a travelling science show. Environmental projects are undertaken, with Year 3 pupils currently gardening and there are plans for a family learning day. The school has made good improvement in science since the last inspection. Brookhouse Primary School - 37

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ART AND DESIGN

85. The standards attained by pupils in Years 2 and 6 match those expected for their age and their achievement is good. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition make good progress because of the additional support they are given by teaching and bi-lingual assistants. During the period of the inspection there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching and learning overall.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. A shared commitment to improving standards ensures that art and design is strongly promoted throughout the school. There is a wealth of evidence in every classroom and corridor that demonstrates pupils’ achievements are valued and celebrated through bright, stimulating and good quality displays. The care taken by staff in presenting pupils’ work helps to create an environment that is rich, interesting and lively. Where displays are interactive, this feeds pupils' imagination and fosters the development of their thinking skills though not all teachers use this strategy as well.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. In all year groups pupils are offered a range of opportunities to develop new skills and techniques. For example, pupils in Year 3 experiment with a variety of techniques, such as curling, fringing and layering, to create masks in connection with their study of a Caribbean Carnival. Pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are very good and their behaviour in lessons is good. Pupils take care with their presentation and readily praise the efforts of their peers. The sharing of the learning intention enables pupils to know what is expected of them and to settle to their practical tasks promptly and work productively. Each pupil has a sketch book in which ideas are committed. However, more effective use could be made of these to develop techniques in drawing, shading and composition. Teachers write positive comments on work in these books, but do not inform pupils of how to improve their skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Art and design is successfully incorporated in a wide range of subjects, including English, science, geography, history, information and communication technology and religious education. For example, Year 5 pupils, in connection with the history work on the Tudors, have produced portraits of the wives of Henry VIII, using a variety of materials, and in Year 6, pupils have created models of rainforests linked to their geography studies. Throughout the year, there are special events which effectively focus on art and design. These include an ‘Art Week’ and workshops, where artists are invited into school to work with pupils on developing their skills in art and design.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. There is a positive impact on the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and moral development through this subject. Pupils are offered good opportunities to work collaboratively, they readily help one another, ideas are valued by peers and staff and special events in their lives are depicted using a variety of media, for example Eid celebrations, the birth of a sibling and building relationships with pupils in other schools.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. Leadership and management are good. Although there has been no opportunity for the co- ordinator to observe teaching and learning, she has gained a good knowledge of standards through sampling pupils’ work, displays and talking to pupils. A recent survey showed that the majority of pupils enjoy art and this is upheld in the quality and range of their work and the care they take in presentation. Appropriate priority is placed on the development of the subject. There is recognition that the existing portfolio of pupils’ work, levelled to national standards, is in need of updating to ensure consistency in teacher assessments. Resources for the subject are good and, although storage is a problem, they are organised well and easily accessible. Pupils are able to work independently, as the staff carefully ensure that appropriate materials for their lesson are readily available. Improvement since the last

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ART AND DESIGN

inspection is good. Brookhouse Primary School - 38

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. The standards attained by pupils in Years 2 and 6 are at levels expected for their age. Overall, pupils make satisfactory progress and their achievement is also satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition are supported well and make good progress. It was not possible to observe any lessons during the inspection, but supporting evidence of workbooks and finished designs indicates that, by Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of planning and making. Activities are planned in workbooks in the form of listing materials and the equipment needed. There are also explanations of how models will work, but there is little evidence of evaluation, which is a key skill in the designing and making process. Although teachers write positive comments on pupils’ work, they do not support improvement by indicating ways in which pupils could improve their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are provided with planning sheets that support them well in developing their skills. They use simple tools to cut and join materials and show imagination in their designs of pop-up pictures. Throughout school, there are good links with other subjects, such as English, science, history and religious education. For example, in connection with their topic on transport, pupils in Year 2 designed their own vehicles and Year 4 pupils, in their topic on Ancient Greece, produced cardboard models of the Parthenon. Pupils use their numeracy skills, such as measuring and estimating, to ensure accuracy in drawing and building designs. However, at times, activities are too teacher- directed, as with the making of Pandora’s Box, and this does not offer pupils opportunity to investigate for themselves ways to create models.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. Pupils have good attitudes towards the subject and take care with their presentation. Their achievements are valued and celebrated through attractive and interesting displays that are evident all around the school. Opportunities for collaborative work, celebration of achievement and carefully planned links with geography and history topics help to further pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. Extra-curricular activities, such as clubs for knitting and sewing enhance provision in this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Although the co-ordinator monitors standards through displays of pupils’ work, there is not sufficient regular scrutiny of planning and lesson observations to ensure consistency of teaching throughout school. This is particularly important if pupils’ skills in evaluating their own work are to be fully developed. There is a good range of resources, which ensures effective delivery of the programme of work. Storage space in school is limited; nevertheless, resources are well organised and easily accessible for both staff and pupils. Overall improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain standards that match those expected for their age and their achievement overall is good. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching and learning overall. However, the evidence from the two lessons observed, talking to pupils and scrutiny of their work, indicates that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition, make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very good. Their behaviour is good. Pupils are attentive in lessons, work productively and are able to talk knowledgably about what they have learned. For example, pupils in Year 2 know that London is in the south of England and that it is larger than their own town of Blackburn. They can identify landmass and sea on a map of the world and locate England, Pakistan and India, countries that are important in Brookhouse Primary School - 39 their own lives. Pupils in Year 6 explain convincingly the effects on the environment of destroying rainforests. They can explain seasonal changes in relation to the earth’s orbit and climatic differences between Pakistan and England.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. All pupils, but particularly those with special educational needs and those who are at early stage of English language acquisition, benefit from working closely with classroom and bilingual assistants, enabling them to make good progress. For example, pupils in Year 2 were supported in making a simple map of Red Riding Hood’s journey to grandmother’s house by being offered instructions in dual language. This ensured all fully understood the learning intention and raised their confidence to complete the task successfully. Teachers and support assistants share the planning and preparation, which leads to effective deployment of staff, efficient use of time available and a good pace of learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. Geography is used well to support pupils’ developing skills in literacy and numeracy. For example, in connection with their topic on rainforests, pupils in Year 6 created posters and wrote poems. Good links are made with design and technology as pupils design and create models of rainforests. Pupils’ studies are further enhanced by working with a visiting musician, who shares stories with them about life in Ghana. Opportunities are offered to pupils in each year group to visit sites of interest connected with their topics, such as a farm and another primary school, with whom strong links are established. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily in this subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Geography has a positive effect on the pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. Teachers manage their classes well, developing pupils’ confidence and esteem by commenting positively about their effort. Opportunities are created for pupils to work together, where they value the ideas of others and are quick to offer support. Projects such as Kerbcraft support the pupils in learning how to cross the road safely. All around the school, there are displays that celebrate pupils’ achievements, inform and question. For example, on the map of the British Isles, pupils are asked, ‘Which town do you live in?’ and ‘Find a seaside town. Is it on the east or west coast?’ Displays of traditional costumes of other countries encourage pupils to recognise cultural differences and reason why. Supporting materials, such as books, leaflets and posters accompany displays, offering pupils opportunity to extend their learning independently.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator recognises the important areas for development, which are prioritised in the subject development plan. Although there is a need to increase resources for the study of ‘Britain and the local area’, there is a good range of resources overall, which enables effective teaching and learning to take place. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are satisfactory. However, measures need to be taken to ensure that the capabilities and needs of individuals are carefully monitored, in particular those of higher attaining pupils, in order to target support appropriately and maintain good progress. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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HISTORY

101. Standards attained by pupils in Years 2 and 6 match those expected for their age. It was possible to observe only two lessons during the inspection and, therefore, there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching and learning overall. The evidence from the lessons observed, talking to staff and pupils and scrutiny of their work, indicates that by Year 2 pupils’ progress is satisfactory, improving to good by Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition make good progress as they benefit from the effective support offered by teaching and bilingual assistants. Brookhouse Primary School - 40 102. Pupils are attentive in lessons, their attitudes are very positive and they are keen to share their knowledge. Behaviour is good. In Year 2, pupils can explain their family tree and speak fondly of their relatives. Year 6 pupils can talk about the changes brought about by

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HISTORY

inventions during the Victorian period, such as the telephone and sewing machine. They demonstrate a good understanding of chronology as they talk about the Anglo Saxons, Tudors and Victorians and have researched these periods using books and the Internet.

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HISTORY

103. Classes are well managed and adults are quick to praise individuals for their efforts. Effective questioning skills encourage pupils to share their opinions and feelings, at the same time as affording opportunity to assess their level of understanding, as was observed in Year 4. Where possible, visits are made to places of interest and these help to bring history alive for the pupils. Displays of pupils’ work, timelines and artefacts, help to develop pupils’ sense of change over time.

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HISTORY

104. Pupils achieve better when the learning intention of the lesson is shared with them. However, at times, they are expected to sit for too long and, although there are opportunities for them to share their ideas, it is the more confident pupils often boys, who dominate the session. In one lesson, some pupils underachieved as they were intent on drawing lines on their paper before completing any writing.

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HISTORY

105. Learning resources are good and teachers are creative in their planning, developing good links with other areas, which enables a broad curriculum to be delivered. For example, writing letters home as a soldier in World War II, creating portraits of the wives of Henry VIII, building models of the Parthenon and recounting Greek myths and legends. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social, moral and cultural development through visits to other schools, studies of various cultures and their beliefs and opportunities to work collaboratively.

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HISTORY

106. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has been in post since September 2002 and has a clear view of standards of attainment through sampling of pupils’ work. Her role in monitoring direct teaching and learning needs to be developed in order to ensure consistency in provision and appropriate levels of productivity in all year groups. Overall, assessment arrangements are satisfactory. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching and learning overall, but evidence indicates that, by the end of Years 2 and 6, the attainment of most pupils is below the national expectation for pupils of these ages. Although individual pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain appropriately, the majority does not have enough planned access to computers to practise their information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Few pupils have access to computers at home. Achievement throughout the school is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition are well supported by teaching and bilingual assistants and make good progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. By Year 2, pupils know that some robotic toys can be programmed and most pupils are able to programme movable toys, in order to make things happen. They are developing mouse skills and are becoming confident in the use of literacy and numeracy programs. Pupils are able to produce simple pictures using drawing programs and are beginning to develop confidence in word processing programs. Classroom displays feature an ICT objective for the week and a good range of ICT vocabulary is displayed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. By Year 6, pupils enter and save text and graphics correctly. Many cut, paste and copy pictures from the Internet to a word document. Good examples of this are the pupil Brookhouse Primary School - 41 passports and Eid cards, where pupils have also inserted borders and changed font colours. Some pupils are able to enter data accurately in order to produce graphs of their favourite subjects. A minority of higher attaining pupils demonstrate skills in sending and retrieving e-mails and in creating slide shows on a multi-media presentation program. Displays are bright and well presented and there is ‘Golden ICT work’ which shows a compilation of the best work from around the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The attitudes of the pupils are very good. During their work in pairs, pupils collaborate well, sharing ideas. They treat equipment with care and respect, they are well behaved and show interest and enjoyment in their work. The subject impacts positively on pupils’ spiritual, moral and social education. One particularly good example of this was seen in a Year 2 maths lesson, using a time program, where when the bell rang at the correct answer, the girls spontaneously clapped their hands with glee.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. School are successfully developing cross-curricular links in ICT and many programs are available to develop literacy and numeracy skills. ICT is planned for and used in mathematics lessons, in Years 1 and 2 and also in Year 5. In a Year 4 English lesson, a teaching assistant very competently supported a pupil in using the Internet to extract information about mini-beasts. Pupils are encouraged to use the Internet to download information on relevant topics and displays featuring the Tudors and the Greeks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. In the absence of the subject co-ordinator, the role is conscientiously overseen by another member of staff. There is a detailed development plan for the subject, which assesses the needs of the subject well. There are very clear plans ensuring progression, and the breadth and balance of the subject curriculum are good. The co-ordinator monitors her subject well by collecting evidence from pupils and talking to them, scrutinising teachers’ planning and wall displays, but does not monitor sufficiently in classrooms. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 keep an ICT diary, but pupils throughout the school are not sufficiently involved in the assessment of how well they are progressing in their ICT work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. At present resources are satisfactory, but the school recognises ICT as a priority area and has secured funding to create an ICT suite during the summer term. Assessment for the subject is currently being developed in conjunction with input from the ICT adviser from the Local Education Authority. At the present time pupils’ learning opportunities are enhanced by links with the local secondary school and with the use of the outside library, which now offers workshops to Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils. Workshops are held for parents weekly in order to improve their ICT skills so they are able to support their children’s learning. There has been satisfactory improvement in the subject since the last inspection.

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MUSIC

114. Pupils in Year 2 attain standards that match those expected for their age and their achievement is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on attainment and achievement by Year 6. Teaching and learning were at least satisfactory in the lessons observed and in one of them excellent. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition make good progress due to the effective support offered by teaching and bilingual assistants.

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MUSIC

115. Pupils progress better where planning is thorough, activities are matched to their prior learning and pace and rigor are good, as was the case in the recorder lesson taught by the specialist music teacher. In a Year 2 lesson aimed at developing pupils’ understanding of how symbols are used to represent sound, the teacher’s careful planning and preparation meant that pupils quickly identified the purpose of the task, using a variety of percussion instruments to create their own sounds. However, there are times when pupils are expected Brookhouse Primary School - 42 to sit for lengthy periods and this leads to some losing interest when they have to be passive listeners for too long.

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MUSIC

116. There is a small music room where the good range of learning resources is stored, although it is too small for whole class teaching. In assemblies, taped music is played and pupils listen attentively and sing tunefully to various tracks. Members of staff set good models by joining in and developing actions to aid pupils in recalling words. The curriculum is enlivened very effectively by the visiting musician, who charismatically engages both pupils and adults, in exploring the sounds they are able to make with different parts of their bodies. Her enthusiasm is infectious and all show their enjoyment as they participate in the activities. The majority of pupils demonstrating that they are able to repeat, with precision, rhythms that grow increasingly more complex.

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MUSIC

117. Various extra-curricular activities take place during the lunch break and are taught by a visiting specialist teacher and the co-ordinator. These activities effectively enhance curriculum provision. Although these groups are open to all pupils, it is girls who attend more regularly. Pupils in the recorder group demonstrate that they are able to read music and maintain the correct rhythm. They are prompt to show sincere appreciation of others’ achievements. In the choir, pupils are enthusiastic, singing in harmony to taped music, their facial expressions and body movements demonstrating their enjoyment as they perform their favourite songs. Further musical experiences and opportunities are offered to pupils, such as working with musicians from different cultures, visiting the Halle Orchestra, performing in assemblies, singing in the Ewood Music Festival, performing for community groups, such as Help the Aged and producing a pantomime at the end of the summer term.

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MUSIC

This activity has a positive effect on the pupils’ social, moral and cultural development.

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MUSIC

118. Leadership and management are good. The coordinator has implemented changes, such as amending the programme of work so that it supports staff in becoming more confident in teaching music. She is willing to devote additional time to extra-curricular activities during lunch breaks, when all pupils are welcome. She has gained a view of standards of attainment through sampling of pupils’ work and working with different groups and recognises the need to engage boys more in extra-curricular activities. However, her role in monitoring teaching and learning is not sufficiently developed in order to ensure consistency in provision in all year groups. Overall, assessment arrangements are satisfactory and improvement since the last inspection is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. There was insufficient evidence available during the inspection to make a secure judgement on attainment and achievement overall or the quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. In a dance lesson in Year 2, pupils responded well to the teachers’ instructions and a minority of pupils were able to portray a seed growing and pushing against the soil. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were satisfactory although occasionally, boys’ behaviour was a little boisterous. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils learnt the basic steps of a folk dance and again a number of boys behaved inappropriately colliding with each other as they skipped around in a circle. The organisation of the groups into sets of eight took some time and this resulted in long periods of inactivity and pupil restlessness.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Although the subject co- ordinator has only recently taken on the role the co-ordinator has a good understanding of attainment in this subject through school. There is a useful up-to-date policy and a development plan for the subject. The co-ordinator regularly monitors progress of the Brookhouse Primary School - 43 developments identified in the plan. As yet, there has not been the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in this subject. The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to all pupils. There is satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 attend swimming lessons. Although initially many pupils lack confidence in the water by the end of year 6 the majority are able to swim at least the expected requirement. The provision for

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

extra-curricular activities in physical education is good. There are a large number of activities which pupils take part in and these include: football, cricket, rounders and cross- country. The school has recently benefited from input from a teacher from the local secondary school who has an expertise in physical education. Through this initiative both boys and girls have recently taken part in new sports which include rugby and judo. In addition girls have been members of both the football and cricket teams. The school has not yet identified gifted and able pupils in this subject. The accommodation is satisfactory whilst there are good resources to promote learning. Procedures for assessment and record keeping are in place although this need to be more focused in order to ensure that learning is continuous through school. Pupils’ moral and social development is satisfactorily promoted by this subject and there has been satisfactory improvement since the last

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 are working at the levels expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education and their achievement is good. Pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of English acquisition are supported well by classroom and bilingual assistants and make good progress. This maintains the position outlined when the school was last inspected.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn aspects of Christianity and Year 2 pupils talk knowledgeably about Christmas, Easter and the Muslim festivals. In Year 2, by means of a Good News ‘flowchart’ pupils are beginning to connect the ideas of celebrating their own lives and the lives of others. In their drawings of the Holy Temple in Mecca, they are beginning to consider how special places are of interest to different people and they demonstrate knowledge of Islam in their independent writing on the five pillars of Islam. By Year 6, pupils discuss the effect of the Quran on their lives and they transfer their understanding of the significance of sacred texts to those of other faiths. The pupils relate differences and similarities between the different religions and teachers are skilful in highlighting these, in order to enhance pupils’ understanding of the different faiths. An excellent example of this

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

is the impressive display in the entrance area contrasting Christian, Islamic and Hindu christenings. Original birth certificates, christening robes and other artefacts create an interesting and exciting display for pupils and visitors to the school. One of the themes in Year 6 is ‘journeys’ and all pupils talk enthusiastically about their life journeys, incorporating Hajj, their once in a lifetime visit to Mecca. Although pupils assimilate facts and re-tell stories from the different faiths, teachers are developing opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own and others’ beliefs.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. Throughout the school, pupils show a very good level of interest in religious education and their behaviour is good. Pupils value the contributions of others and listen well. This was particularly evident in the lessons seen in Years 3 and 5 where pupils listened attentively to their peers. The breadth and balance of the curriculum is good and pupils’ learning experiences are enhanced by the links with the local community. Pupils visit the local mosque and church and enjoy a variety of visiting speakers from different charities. School has good relations with the local vicar and, during Lent, school is currently liaising with the local Roman Catholic priest. Brookhouse Primary School - 44 125. The subject has a very positive impact on spiritual, moral and cultural education. Through the teaching of different faiths pupils learn tolerance and respect for each other. A particularly relevant example of this was seen in the Year 6 end-of-day reflection time,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

when pupils were sensitively encouraged to consider the feelings of people involved in situations of war. Pupils learn about what is right and wrong in collective worship. This was evident in the very good assembly involving favourite chocolates. The pupils were keen to show their shock when the headteacher pretended not to share the chocolates with the other staff and were amazed by the fact that someone would consider taking a chocolate back if someone took their particular favourite.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. Teaching and learning are good overall. In the good and very good lessons seen in Years 3 and 5, teachers’ subject knowledge was good. They re-capped on prior learning and used effective questioning to ascertain the level of pupils’ understanding. Their management of the pupils was very good and they had high expectations. Teachers’ create a calm environment which has a positive effect on the pupils’ learning. In the satisfactory lesson seen in Year 1, the main part of the lesson was overly long. As a result the conclusion of the lesson, which was planned for, was not completed. The teacher’s expectations of the pupils, particularly at the recording stage, was unsatisfactory with pupils not being given the opportunity to write their own sentences, merely being asked to copy what the teacher had written for them. A variety of recording styles is evident in work completed throughout the school, however, the quality of marking is inconsistent, comments are not followed through

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and full use is not made of the learning objective, to show progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Leadership and management of the subject are good. There is a good policy and programme of work that promotes continuity throughout the school and appropriately follows the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. The subject co-ordinator’s knowledge of her subject is good and she has produced an action plan which assesses the needs of her subject well. She monitors the subject by talking to pupils and by looking at pupils’ books as well as scrutinising teachers’ planning and wall displays. In addition she observes collective worship, but has not had opportunity to observe teaching and learning in the classroom. Resources for the subject are good, the last two budget allocations being used to develop the collective worship in school, encompassing popular class assemblies which parents attend. Currently there are no formal assessment record-keeping procedures for the subject, but the subject co-ordinator has attended training, in order to address this. There

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

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