Brookside Community Primary School

Inspection Report Brookside Community Primary School

p.1

123675 Unique Reference Number Somerset LEA 281536 Inspection number 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 Inspection dates Susan Kara HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Brooks Road School address Primary Type of school Street Community School category Somerset BA16 0PR 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01458 443340 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01458 840339 Fax number 384 Number on roll Mr S Tomes Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Claire Axten Headteacher 8 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281536 14 September 2005 - 4 to 11 15 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Brookside School is larger than most primary schools. Most of the pupils come from Street but a significant number come from outside the catchment area, often because of the provision the school offers for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Many of these pupils enter the school at Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need is also above average mainly because of the speech and language resource base for twelve pupils. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is eight per cent. The majority of the pupils are of white British origin; one per cent of the pupils are from homes where English is not the first language.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005

p.3

Grade: 1

Brookside is an outstanding school which is providing a very good education and gives very good value for money. It is a very happy school where the pupils feel secure and in which every child matters. The school’s aims and values, which are known and understood by the whole school community, permeate every aspect of its work. They are summarised by its motto, ‘Cheers’, which stands for care and cooperation, high expectations, enjoyment, encouragement, respect and self-motivation. Teaching is very effective throughout the school and the pupils enjoy an exciting and innovative range of work. The school’s imaginative approach to cross curricular work has received local and national acclaim. The children make a good start in the Foundation Stage and achieve the goals that most children reach nationally. The academic standards they reach by the end of Year 6 are above average and rising; their personal development is exceptional.

p.4

Grade: 1

Brookside has been very successful in involving parents/carers in their daughters’ and sons’ education. The Family Learning Co-ordinator has established a thriving programme of activities and events that draws parents into the school. This, combined with the high priority that the school gives to care, support and guidance ensures the well-being of every pupil. The school’s self-evaluation was very thorough and in line with inspectors’ judgements, except in a very few places, where it was too modest. The school rightly judges leadership and management as outstanding; the headteacher is an exemplary practitioner who leads a committed and effective staff. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good. There were no main issues for the school to address but it has tackled all of the minor ones raised in the report. The school’s capacity to improve is very good. The headteachers relentless pursuit of

p.4

Grade: 1

improvement is an inspiration to all of the school community. The staff are thoughtful and receptive to new ideas and keen to work together to make the school even better. They have rightly identified the need to ensure that lessons always move on briskly and that work is always planned to challenge all of the pupils. The senior staff and the middle managers have shown their ability to bring about improvement and the governing body has provided both excellent support and challenge.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• In order to build on its success and raise standards even further the school should ensure that: • the pace of work in lessons is always maintained at a high level • work is always planned to fully extend all groups of pupils. 2 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005

p.4

Grade: 1

The pupils’ academic progress is very good. Pupils are now entering the school with broadly average attainment but this has not always been the case. In the past, attainment has sometimes been below average with many children with speaking, listening and writing skills below that typical for their age. By the time they leave, standards are above average. The trend in standards has been rising over the last five years. In comparison with the 2004 national test results, the provisional results for 2005 show a significant improvement at the end of Key Stage 1 and a continuing steady improvement at the end of Key Stage 2. In 2005 at the end of Year 6 the pupils had made exceptional progress. Pupils make at least good progress in all subjects and at all ages, the results in science and mathematics have been consistently above average over the last five years, indicating very good progress in these areas.

p.5

Grade: 1

Differences in the rates of progress between different groups of pupils are slight. All of the pupils are set challenging targets almost all of which they reach or exceed. The small number of pupils for whom English is an additional language rapidly acquire competence in the language. Those pupils with special educational needs progress very well towards their targets.

p.5

Grade: 1

The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour throughout the school are very good and often outstanding because of the school’s high expectations and the excellent relationships between all members of the school community. Their mutual concern and respect for each other is shown in the very successful integration into lessons of pupils from the specialist speech and language base. In addition, on a weekly basis, the pupils from the primary department of the neighbouring special school join in lessons at least once a week. The pupils respond extremely positively to everything the school offers, they enjoy their lessons and are eager to do well. As a result of a good range of strategies and the improvements to the curriculum, attendance has improved and is now above the national figure. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Assemblies, complemented by the very good ‘thought-for-the-day’ programme,

p.5

Grade: 1

epitomise the staff’s and governors’ commitment to a well rounded education. The lower-school assembly was not only spiritual and moral but also great fun. The pupils relished the opportunity to volunteer to help the headteacher with her presentation and they all shared in the humour as the volunteers tried to put the foamy cream back into the can. They were immediately silent and thoughtful when asked to think about when they had said something they wished they could take back. Moral and social issues are taught well through the personal, social, health and citizenship education programmes and also in the way that the school is run on a daily basis. The pupils feel that they have a strong voice through the school council; it is a powerful group in the 3 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 school with representatives from the whole school community; it promotes citizenship

p.5

Grade: 1

very well. The pupils know right from wrong, they are very polite and courteous to one another and to visitors. The Year 6 pupils expressed a strong sense of responsibility for the younger pupils. Many of them have formal roles as playground or reading buddies. They engage in a number of activities with the local community, such as the annual senior citizens’ party and the fun run which not only allows them to make a positive contribution to the community but also helps them develop business and planning skills.

p.6

Grade: 1

Good and often very good teaching enables pupils to get thoroughly involved in their learning and make very good progress. Astute work by the school’s leadership and management ensures that the staff continually improve their skills. The teachers and teaching assistants are very good at managing behaviour and supporting vulnerable pupils. As a result, the atmosphere in classes is always purposeful, with fully attentive pupils who are keen to learn and do their best. The pupils’ books show that they are given very interesting, enjoyable and challenging activities to complete. The teachers also make lessons more interesting through the skilful use of interactive whiteboards so that the pupils have very clear visual presentations to reinforce and accelerate their learning. The teachers make good use of detailed assessment information to help them plan future work. The pupils and teachers set targets together and because marking

p.6

Grade: 1

in the pupils’ books is very detailed, the pupils know what they need to do to improve. The school has made outstanding efforts to involve the parents in their children’s learning. The initiative to regularly invite parents to come in and join their children for a lesson shows the school’s proactive and innovative approach. Parents say they find these sessions very helpful, with positive feedback comments such as ‘if only it had been like this when I was at school’. The parents comment that they can be much more supportive as they not only know what their children are learning but also how they are learning.

p.6

Grade: 1

The highly effective planning of the curriculum ensures that all pupils gain a wide range of knowledge and understanding in different subjects. The school involves itself in many ‘cutting-edge’ initiatives to continually seek ways of refining and improving the curriculum. The work to develop links between different subjects is especially successful. The pupils’ topic books illustrate that teachers are very adept at drawing on a wide range of pupils’ skills in different subjects. The pupils learn to use their computer skills very effectively to enhance this kind of work. A very strong emphasis 4 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 is placed upon teaching pupils to maintain a healthy lifestyle, for example, eating fruit and regularly drinking water are strongly promoted. Through innovative use of the teachers planning and preparation time the school has ensured that the pupils are

p.6

Grade: 1

involved in a wide range of coached sports activities. The ‘fun factor’ is also kept high, for example the pupils particularly enjoy their daily before school ‘wake and shake’ aerobic sessions. The combination of regular visits out of school, the wide range of visitors coming into the school and the excellent and interesting range of extra-curricular activities ensure that the pupils enjoy an exciting and lively curriculum.

p.7

Grade: 1

Exceptionally good procedures are in place to support and guide pupils and to ensure that they feel safe and secure at all times. Pupils are fully confident that they can seek help and advice when they need to; Year 3 pupils say that this is one of the best things about the school. Staff monitor the progress of pupils very carefully and teachers are especially good at involving all pupils in evaluating their own progress. Information from these activities is used very successfully to help construct very good programmes of support for individuals who thereby achieve very well. Support for pupils’ learning is particularly well supported by the work of the Family Learning Co-ordinator. She works in close partnership with all staff to provide an excellent range of courses and opportunities for parents to learn about how their children are taught and how to support them better at home.

p.7

Grade: 1

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher’s leadership is exemplary; she is passionate about children’s education. She is an excellent strategic thinker whilst remaining sensitive to the needs of staff and pupils. She has the very able support of the deputy headteacher and middle managers who have a very good understanding of their responsibilities. The school’s systems and procedures to monitor teaching and learning and the pupils’ progress are excellent. As a result the headteacher, in leading the continual striving for improvement, has identified that the teachers need to ensure that the pace of work in lessons is always maintained at a high level and that work is always planned to fully extend all groups of pupils. The headteacher is expert in the analysis of data and in its implications for teaching. The governing body is kept well informed by the headteacher. They are regular visitors

p.7

Grade: 1

to the school and each governor is linked to a subject or aspect of the school’s work. The governing body is very well led and fully understands its role as both supporter and critical friend to the school. The school regularly invites the views of parents on both general and specific issues related to their child’s education. The school has a deservedly good reputation locally. The measure of support that the school enjoys is illustrated by the fact that with only 5 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 an overnight opportunity to do so, 128 families returned the Ofsted questionnaire, with nearly all of them overwhelmingly positive and full of praise for the school. 6 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Brookside Community Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.10

Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.10

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

Brookside Community Primary School Brooks Road Street Somerset BA16 0PR 16th September 2005 Dear Pupils, You will have heard the exciting news that as a result of our visit we think your school is outstanding. Thank you for the important part you played in helping us to reach that decision. The school’s results are getting better each year which means that you have an even better start at secondary school. There are many reasons why your school is so good but the most important ones are that you have an excellent headteacher who leads a strong group of staff. All of the teachers and the teaching assistants and the many other adults who work with you, including the governors, all believe that only the best is good enough for you. They work very hard to see that your work is interesting and that it really makes you think and work quickly. We agree with them that they should now try to make sure that this happens in every single lesson. The other main

p.12

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

reasons for your school’s success are your very positive attitudes and excellent behaviour. You were very courteous to us, to each other and to the staff. You made us feel very welcome. We really enjoyed talking to you and were especially pleased to hear that you think your school is not only safe and caring but also a happy place to be. We were impressed with the responsible attitude of the older pupils towards the younger ones. We think your school is especially good at encouraging you to lead a healthy lifestyle and we were pleased to see you helping with the fruit and vegetable tuck shop and taking part in the ‘wake and shake’ session before school started. We hope you will continue to make your views known through the excellent school council. Susan Kara HMI

p.12