Brixworth CofE VC Primary School

Inspection Report Brixworth CEVC Primary School

p.1

121964 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire LEA 281141 Inspection number 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 Inspection dates Dilip Kadodwala HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Froxhill Crescent School address Primary Type of school Brixworth Voluntary controlled School category Northampton NN6 9BG 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01604 883900 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01604 883901 Fax number 490 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Boucher Headteacher 31 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281141 21 September 2005 - 4 to 11 22 September 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one additional inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Brixworth Primary is a larger than average voluntary controlled Church of England school in Northamptonshire. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The school has a broadly average percentage of pupils with special educational needs. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Around five per cent are from mixed or minority ethnic heritages. Those from Indian and Asian backgrounds all speak English fluently.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005

p.3

Grade: 2

Brixworth CEVC Primary is a good school which gives good value for money. The school sees itself this way too. Parents and pupils justifiably hold it in high regard. The school includes all pupils well in everything it provides. It has high expectations of the standards the pupils are capable of reaching both academically and in their personal development. This encourages pupils to achieve good standards and make good progress across the school. Pupils in the Reception classes have a stimulating curriculum. Overall they achieve standards that are above the expected levels. Teaching is good. Pupils undertake a wide range of interesting work enriched by extra activities beyond the school day. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and they develop as confident learners. They and the parents value the good support, care and guidance provided by school staff. The school has accurately identified its strengths and the areas that need further

p.4

Grade: 2

development, and has adopted the right strategies for improvement. For example, it knows assessment arrangements and procedures for monitoring teaching need further strengthening. The leadership and management are good. Given the school’s track record of improvement in standards since the last inspection, it is well placed to make further progress.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• In order to build on its strengths and raise standards further the school should: • improve the systems for monitoring how good teaching is throughout the school • improve teachers’ use of assessment information to help pupils achieve even better.

p.4

Grade: 2

The school views the pupils’ achievements as good and the inspectors agree. By the age of 11, pupils reach high standards in English, mathematics and science. National test results in Year 6 have fluctuated over recent years but the school has brought about more stability in English and mathematics results in the last two years. Provisional test results for 2005 show a dip but standards remain above the national average. Aspirational targets for national test results are set by the school’s leadership and the great majority of pupils are successful in reaching them. When pupils start school, a good proportion have skills above the level expected for their age. They make good progress in the Reception classes and, by the end of the Foundation Stage, pupils’ standards are above the expected levels in their personal and social development, their ability to make themselves understood and in their ability

p.4

Grade: 2

to count and undertake simple calculations. The rate of good progress is maintained. By the time the pupils reach the end of Year 2, standards are above the level expected nationally. Test results at the end of both 2 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 key stages are above the national average. A significant number of pupils reach the higher levels by the end of Year 6. Overall the school adds good value to pupils’ achievement because the great majority of pupils make progress in line with their capabilities. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress throughout the school. Grade: 2

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good. Their positive attitudes help them to achieve well. Pupils say they feel safe at school, trust the staff and feel there is always someone they can turn to if they have a problem. They are encouraged to have opinions and, when asked by inspectors, they graded their school at nine and a half out of ten. In lessons, the pupils co-operate well with each other and are keen to succeed. Planned opportunities for pupils to talk about their feelings and the school’s encouragement for older pupils to look after the younger ones in the playground successfully promote social responsibility and concern for others. The school council is active and has helped to improve the playground environment. Pupils know about healthy diets and this is evident in the food eaten at break and lunchtimes. They are now lobbying for healthy food at the end of year Christmas party. School clubs and sport are effective in

p.5

Grade: 2

promoting exercise and improving pupils’ fitness levels. Literacy and numeracy skills are well taught and opportunities to work in teams, such as when planning stalls for the school fete, successfully help to develop social skills pupils can use later in life. Behaviour is good. The staff have recently reviewed the behaviour policy and are consistent in the way they manage the pupils’ behaviour. They use praise and rewards well to boost pupils’ self confidence and control restlessness where it occurs. The very occasional incidents of bullying are dealt with promptly and effectively. Attendance is good, as is pupils’ punctuality. The pupil’s spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. Assemblies successfully promote the Christian ethos of the school and the staff are good at reinforcing the school’s values in classrooms. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to make a positive contribution to society through involvement in local

p.5

Grade: 2

events, such as church services, and taking an active interest in world events. For example, many pupils took part in a school walk for the Tsunami Appeal. Special weeks such as the ‘Indian Arts Week’ are very popular with the pupils and contribute well to their cultural development. The pupils have positive attitudes to differences in people’s backgrounds, culture and ethnicity. When asked, one said, “It’s the person inside that counts not what you look like”. This is a sentiment with which many pupils would heartily agree. Grade: 2 3 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching is good across the school. In the Foundation Stage teachers have a good understanding of the needs of these young pupils. All staff work together effectively to plan activities and to monitor pupils’ learning. Staff are sensitive to pupils’ feelings and give good levels of encouragement and support. Even at this early stage of the year pupils have settled well. Their confidence is growing and they gain great pleasure from the wide range of activities available to stimulate their good learning. Pupils in Years 1-6 achieve well because of the good teaching provided. Teachers have good knowledge of their subjects and they use it well to engage pupils’ interest and motivation to learn. In the best lessons, teachers provide good levels of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Relationships are very positive so pupils feel confident to express their thoughts. Teachers use a range of assessments to gauge how well pupils are learning. Pupils are

p.6

Grade: 2

encouraged to evaluate their own work and individual targets for improvement are discussed with them each term. However, pupils do not have a strong and consistent sense of what they need to do to improve. Tracking systems are beginning to be used effectively to monitor pupils’ attainment and progress and to identify those pupils who need greater support. The use of assessment information is not yet used routinely and consistently in all years to ensure that pupils’ work is matched more accurately to their abilities. Resources, such as computer displays, are used well and help teachers explain difficult concepts clearly. Pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively and, by Year 6, they co-operate well with one another. Where teaching is less effective, it is because assessment information about what pupils know and can do is not used sufficiently well to ensure that activities meet the needs of all pupils in the class.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum develops pupils’ knowledge and skills well. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and it successfully prepares them for the next stage of learning. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 is carefully planned to cover all required subjects. Many aspects of the planning effectively promote high standards. In science, for example, there is a strong focus on investigation and this has led to pupils’ good progress. The school has a good range of additional activities. Pupils say they enjoy their lessons and activities. There is a strong focus on sport and music in the good range of after-school clubs and the school caters well for many of the pupils’ different interests. Pupils are effectively encouraged to embrace healthy lifestyles. They know 4 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 the importance of eating sensibly and taking exercise. Pupils are encouraged to make

p.6

Grade: 2

The school’s attention to pupils’ care, support and well-being is good. The procedures for supporting pupils when they start school are effective. Parents say that their children have settled very quickly into the Reception classes because of the high levels of care given by the staff. Pupils throughout the school feel valued and secure. Teachers know their pupils well and respond successfully to their intellectual and personal needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they are fully involved in discussing their targets so they can improve. During the inspection, the team received a high number of responses to their questionnaire about the school. Parents commented on the welcome and support they receive and gave examples of how the staff extend good levels of care and support to pupils and their families. Recently, for example, a non-teaching member of staff gave up her afternoon to drive an injured child and her parent to hospital, which helped to

p.7

Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good overall. The headteacher’s leadership is effective in creating an ethos which values high standards and pupils’ well-being. This ensures that there is a very clear educational direction for staff and pupils. Established structures ensure that the school operates efficiently. Senior managers form an effective team and they know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well. The school’s self-evaluation is good. Subject and team leadership is focused on improving provision and is successful in addressing areas of weakness, such as in writing and mathematics. However, there are inconsistencies in the monitoring of teaching. It is carried out effectively as part of performance review but the school has not established a systematic and structured programme of lesson observations. The headteacher recognises this as an important area for further development in order to strengthen the school’s effective self-evaluation. All staff

p.7

Grade: 2

take an active part in reviewing their work. This process of self-evaluation helps to shape the school improvement plan’s priorities. The views of parents and pupils are also sought and these help to provide the school with a common purpose. The governing body is very supportive and holds the school to account for standards achieved. Governors are actively engaged in monitoring and evaluating the school’s achievements. This is a notable improvement from the previous inspection. 5 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 Although the school has a good overview of its effectiveness, it does not make full and robust use of assessment information to adjust teaching for particular groups and classes and to evaluate the impact of teaching on standards achieved. This prevents the school from sharpening its awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and improving

p.7

Grade: 2

at an even better rate. Grade: 2 6 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 .

p.8

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Brixworth CEVC Primary School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005

p.9

Overall

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

p.10

learners?

NA 2 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

p.10

Achievement and standards

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

p.10

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

p.10

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 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

p.10

needs and interests of learners?

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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 3 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

p.11

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

p.11

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

p.11

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

p.11

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

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils, Thank you for being so friendly and making us feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you, watching you learn and coming to your assembly. Now we want to share with you what we thought about your school. These are the things we liked most: You are all helped to feel special and important. One of you said to us, ‘It’s the person inside that counts not what you look like’. We are sure that many of you would agree with this. Your teachers and other adults care for you very well and make sure that you are safe. You enjoy your work and try hard to do what your teachers ask. We think you learn well. You get to school on time and behave well. This means that teachers can get on with the job of helping you to learn. You told us you enjoy your school and we think your teachers make your lessons interesting. The school puts on a lot of extra activities, like the clubs and trips out of school. We know you

p.12

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

enjoy these very much. Your parents think it is a good school and we agree. The teachers, including the headteacher and governors who run your school, are doing a good job and they want to make your school even better. We have suggested a few things that we think will help. These are: The headteacher should make sure that all of your lessons are of the same good standard. Teachers should make sure that they check regularly that you are learning as well as you can so that you can achieve even better. Dilip Kadodwala (On behalf of all the inspectors) Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.12