Broomgrove Infant School

Inspection Report Broomgrove Infant School

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114756 Unique Reference Number ESSEX LEA LEA 279443 Inspection number 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006 Inspection dates Ms. Linda Murgatroyd AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Broome Grove School address Primary Type of school CO7 9QB Community School category 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01206 822141 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01206 827036 Fax number 162 Number on roll Mr.David Richards Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs. Paula Wiltshire Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279443 26 June 2006 - 4 to 7 27 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Broomgrove Infant School serves an area of variable housing in Wivenhoe, near Colchester. The proportion of children eligible for a free school meal is below average. A significant proportion of the school's population are children of parents studying at the university, many of whom stay for a relatively short time. The majority of children come from White British backgrounds, although there is an above average proportion of children from other ethnic groups. Approximately 12% of children are in the early stages of learning English. The proportion of children with learning difficulties is average. Although children enter the Reception classes with a range of skills, overall their attainment is slightly below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Broomgrove Infants is a good school, which justifiably enjoys the confidence of parents. The inspectors share the school's view of its effectiveness. All children, including those with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language, achieve well and make good progress from their starting points when they come into school. Children have a good start in the Reception classes, and reach standards close to those expected for their age by the time they move to Year 1. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average, but improving, especially in writing. Behaviour is good; pupils work and play well together and enjoy school. The school works hard to encourage good attendance, but it remains slightly below average. Teaching is good overall, with very good support provided by teaching assistants. There is some outstanding teaching where pupils' targets are used very well to help

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Grade: 2

them to improve their work. In a small number of lessons, unsettled behaviour is not tackled quickly enough, and pupils lose concentration. Staff take very good care of pupils, working well with parents, agencies and other schools to support them, and the arrangements for children when they start school and when they transfer to the junior school are outstanding. The curriculum is good, and pupils are well prepared for their future lives. The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and her management team and well supported by the governors. There is a wide range of systems for checking the school's work and all concerned have an accurate picture of the school's effectiveness and areas in which it might develop further, particularly the need to go on raising standards. However, this is not demonstrated clearly in the school's planning. Because of good teamwork and commitment, the school has made

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Grade: 2

significant improvements in the recent past, and is well placed to continue to improve. Finances are very carefully managed, and the school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

- continue the work to raise standards in reading, writing and mathematics - continue to use staff development to bring all teaching up to the standard of the very best - sharpen the focus on raising standards in the school development plan, including identifying measurable targets - further develop the work with parents to improve attendance.

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Grade: 2

The standards that pupils reach are broadly average by the end of Year 2. Taking account of their slightly below average attainment on entry to the school, pupils achieve well. Pupils with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language are supported effectively and make good progress. Both Reception classes provide a stimulating and encouraging environment. The provision is well planned and children's progress is carefully assessed, leading to rapid progress across the areas of learning. By the time they move to Year 1, their standards are close to what is expected 2 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006 for their age. In Years 1 and 2 pupils continue to make good progress and reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Over the past five years, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 in national tests has been broadly average in

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Grade: 2

all three subjects, apart from writing in 2005, where results dipped. After a concerted effort across the school, preliminary results from the national tests for 2006 show some improvement in all three subjects, particularly writing. However, there is potential for pupils to reach higher standards as recent improvements to teaching and learning begin to have more impact. The school sets challenging targets for its pupils, based on careful assessment and tracking of individuals and classes, and has a number of effective strategies in place to help to meet them.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils have positive attitudes and enjoy coming to school because lessons capture their interest. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils are very confident, kind to each other and eager to please. Attendance rates are slightly below average. The school makes every effort to encourage regular attendance but some parents persist in taking holidays during term time. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. Pupils feel safe because adults will help them if they have a problem. They know they are treated fairly and that adults listen to their points of view. An active school council represents the pupils' views well. Pupils learn to help others by contributing to local community activities and by raising funds for charities. As a result of good opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, pupils respect the views, values and

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Grade: 2

beliefs of others. Pupils make good progress in acquiring the numeracy and literacy skills that will help them in later life. The school is part of a scheme to promote healthy lifestyles. Pupils speak sensibly about how to keep themselves healthy and have excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They have good opportunities for exercise and sport.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Staff have positive relationships with pupils and pupils are confident to share their ideas. Teachers have good strategies to get and keep pupils' interest, including the use of interactive whiteboards. They use questions well to extend pupils' thinking and help them to explain their reasoning. Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach and use correct language to help pupils develop appropriate vocabulary, which is particularly effective in supporting pupils in the early stages of learning English. Planning is clear and teachers make sure that pupils know what they are doing and why. Pupils mainly settle quickly to written work and concentrate well. Classrooms are well organised, with bright, lively displays to celebrate pupils' achievements. The quality of support provided by the teaching 3 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006

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Grade: 2

assistants is well planned and consistently good. When teaching is outstanding, teachers use pupils' targets very well to make sure that all pupils know exactly what they need to do to make their work better. In a few lessons unsettled behaviour is not always tackled effectively and pupils do not learn as well as they could. Assessment is exceptionally thorough, and used very well to plan the next steps in pupils' learning. Target setting is a particular strength, giving very clear guidance to pupils on how to improve their work and reach higher levels.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and creatively meets statutory requirements. Focus weeks, such as those for health and keeping safe, enrich learning experiences. Recently, each class studied a different country, which has had a significant impact on pupils' understanding of other cultures. The strong emphasis on writing ensures that weaknesses in pupils' written work are being addressed. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good, with a well planned balance between activities guided by adults and those that children choose for themselves. A stimulating outdoor area is used well to provide a wide range of enjoyable activities that encourage physical and creative play. The school supports the needs of all groups of pupils effectively, including those with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language. A good range of clubs, as well as local visits and interesting visitors to school,

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Grade: 2

makes a strong contribution to pupils' enjoyment. Around the school there are attractive displays of pupils' work. The recently refurbished library encourages pupils to browse and enjoy books.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support of pupils are good. A particular strength is the outstanding way in which pupils are nurtured in this very happy, friendly school. The school provides a very supportive environment in which pupils feel safe. All adults look after pupils well and focus on developing them into confident and responsible young citizens. Pupils know that adults will listen to any concerns they might have. Child protection procedures are firmly in place. Risk assessments are carried out thoroughly for visits but a more systematic approach is needed for health and safety care. The school works very well with outside agencies to support pupils with additional needs. Links with other schools in the area are effective. Parents appreciate the friendly atmosphere at the school and their views of the school are extremely positive. They are pleased that their ideas are acted upon and enjoy the informative weekly meetings

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Grade: 2

organised for them. Outstanding induction arrangements are in place for children starting school and moving to the junior school. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Target setting in literacy and numeracy is very effective in helping pupils to build on their existing strengths. Pupils know what they need to do to improve their learning still further. 4 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher is successful at sharing her vision of the school with others, and leads a team that is constantly seeking ways to improve pupils' learning. She is well supported by an able and enthusiastic senior management team. The arrangements for staff and governors to be involved in reviewing the school's work are thorough, resulting in an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for development. Parents' and pupils' views are sought and acted upon, and parents have full confidence in the school's work. The quality of teaching and learning is kept under constant review, and staff are involved in frequent discussions about pupils' targets and their progress towards them. Partnerships with parents, other schools and services to support all pupils are outstanding. Since the arrival of the current headteacher in 2001, significant improvements to the building

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Grade: 2

and the school grounds have resulted in an inviting learning environment. Recent staff changes have made possible a greater focus on the quality of teaching and learning and the raising of standards. The provision and use of information and communication technology have improved, assessment and target setting are now strengths and an emphasis on writing has seen results rise. While these improvements have been very thorough, more time is needed to see the full impact on standards to ensure that all pupils do as well as they can. School planning is kept under close review, but the documents do not make clear the emphasis the school places on raising standards, for example, in writing over the past year, nor do they contain measurable targets against which to judge progress. Despite this, recent developments, together with the commitment of staff and governors, mean that the school is well placed to continue

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Grade: 2

to improve. Governors are very effective. They know the school well through their regular visits and reports from many sources. They ask searching questions of the headteacher to ensure that the school is being well managed, and at the same time show support in a range of ways. Finances are managed and targeted well and their impact is checked to ensure that the school achieves good value for money in its spending. 5 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Broomgrove Infant School, 26 June 2006 to 27 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You might remember that we visited your school recently. We enjoyed our visit very much, and would like to thank you for talking to us and showing us what you were doing. We think you go to a good school. We were very impressed by how well you get on with each other and how much you enjoy being there. These are the things we liked best about Broomgrove Infants: - You try hard with your work, and make good progress. - The staff teach you well and your work is getting better, especially your writing. - Everyone at school takes very good care of you, so that you are safe and happy, and your parents are very pleased. - You all know your targets and how to improve your work. - Mrs Wiltshire, all the staff and the governors know what they want the school to be like, and work hard together to make it a good place to learn and play. There are some things that the staff and inspectors think would make your school even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Mrs Wiltshire is going to help all the staff to go on getting better and better at helping you to learn and reach higher levels in your work. - When the staff are planning changes in the school, they are going to write very clearly the most important things to do and how they will know when things improve. - The staff are going to go on working hard with your parents to try to make sure that all of you come to school every day, except when you are ill. We think that everyone at Broomgrove Infants can work together to do these things. We hope that you go on enjoying all the things you do there which help you to learn and play. With best wishes

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