Brockmoor Primary School

Inspection Report Brockmoor Primary School

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103777 Unique Reference Number Dudley Local Authority 286752 Inspection number 20 °21 November 2006 Inspection dates David Biltcliffe Reporting inspector

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

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Belle Isle School address Primary Type of school Brockmoor Community School category Brierley Hill DY5 3UZ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01384 816635 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01384 816636 Fax number 361 Number on roll (school) M Kendal Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Richard Pithers Headteacher 10 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 286752 20 °21 November 2006 3°11 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is a little larger than the typical primary school. Pupils' attainment on entry to the Nursery is low. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is double the national average. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school has an average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The headteacher has been in post since April 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good standard of education for its pupils. It is strong and effective in most of what it does and has just a few weaknesses. It has made good progress since its last inspection, particularly in raising pupils' achievement to a good level. It is a good place for pupils to learn and grow up in. By the time pupils leave the school, their overall standard of work is a little below average. From a low standard on entry, however, most pupils make more rapid progress over their time in school than is usually found nationally. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities generally progress well, but more able pupils are not always stretched enough. In the Foundation Stage, progress is good in the Nursery, but should be quicker in Reception, where it is satisfactory. The school's climate for learning is good. Most pupils work hard, enjoy school and want to do well. They are polite, inquisitive and friendly. Behaviour is good and pupils

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Grade: 2

feel safe. Most pupils eat and exercise sensibly. Staff take good care of pupils and prepare them for their future lives, encouraging them to take responsibility within the school community and to be good citizens. The vast majority of parents express great confidence in all that the school does for their children. Teaching and learning are good. Most teachers plan work carefully to meet pupils' different speed of learning and make lessons interesting. Careful attention is given to providing a broad curriculum and a good range of extra-curricular activities that significantly extend pupils' horizons. Pupils respond positively to such interest and care. A small minority of teaching, however, is rather slow and unchallenging, so that pupils, particularly the more able, do not always have to think hard enough and get too little of value out of their lessons. The school's leadership and management are good. The very good leadership of the

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Grade: 2

headteacher successfully gives a firm, supportive steer towards higher standards of learning, teaching and achievement. The school's journey to still higher achievement requires fuller analysis of all its monitoring data to extract all the reasons for its successes and weaknesses. Governors offer good support and staff work hard to secure continuing improvement in all aspects of school life. The school has moved forward very purposefully in recent years. Having comfortably exceeded most of its targets in 2006, it has, appropriately, significantly raised its sights for 2007 and is well placed to continue to make good progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the consistency of teaching quality across the school, so that all pupils, particularly the more able, are provided with work that is always interesting and challenging. • Increase the pace of learning for children in Reception, so that they continue the good progress started in the Nursery. 2 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006 • Make better use of information about how well pupils are taught and how well they achieve to identify accurately what needs to be done to raise standards further.

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Grade: 2

From a low entry point, pupils reach standards which are only a little below average by the time they leave. This represents good achievement by pupils during their time in school. Although children make good progress in the Nursery and satisfactory progress in Reception, they enter Year 1 with standards that are well below those expected nationally. Carefully planned lessons enable pupils to make good progress and, by the end of Year 2, reach standards that are below average in reading, writing and mathematics, although few pupils reach the higher levels. Most pupils continue to make good progress in Years 3 to 6 and reach standards that are a little below average by the time they leave. In 2005, pupils made exceptionally good progress and did better than was expected of them. The 2006 picture was not quite as strong, although pupils still achieved well. More able pupils do not achieve as well as others, because there is insufficient challenge and pace in the tasks set for

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Grade: 2

them. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those at an early stage of learning English achieve well because they are well supported.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good, because they are supported and cared for well. They enjoy coming to school and feel safe, because they have someone to turn to if there is a problem. They particularly welcome the presence of playground buddies, who help to sort out problems. Pupils behave well, because they understand the clear system of rewards and sanctions. Attendance is slightly below average, but continues to improve as a result of the school's close working with parents and the rigorous monitoring of absence. Younger pupils make a happy, settled start to school in the Nursery. Older pupils say that this is 'a good school to start you off'. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils widen their horizons and reflect on their place in the wider world through visits to, for example, the local airport and museums. The 'wow' factor adds considerably to their enjoyment of learning. Pupils' willingness to take

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Grade: 2

responsibility makes a sound contribution to the community. Pupils are well aware of the need to eat healthily. Decisions made by the school council, for example, have helped to promote healthy snacks at break times, which in turn are helping to change eating habits. Pupils actively participate in a wide range of sporting activities and clubs and thereby lead healthier lifestyles. 3 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Teachers plan thoroughly, know pupils well and are sensitive to their individual needs. They ensure that pupils know clearly what they have to do and that they work hard. Pupils enjoy lessons and most concentrate well. Teaching assistants give good support to pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities and to those for whom English is an additional language. Many parents are closely involved in their children's learning. The strongest teaching is characterised by high expectations, a brisk pace and challenging, enjoyable activities that result in pupils thinking deeply and learning confidently. Every step of the way is marked by thorough revision, the careful introduction of new ideas and a rigorous assessment of what pupils really understand. In less successful lessons, work is too easy and the pace of learning is slow, with the result that pupils do not have to think hard or do enough. Teachers share academic targets constructively with pupils and their parents, and

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Grade: 2

pupils themselves assess their own achievements soundly. Marking is good and generally helps pupils to know how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. High priority is given to the development of pupils' skills in literacy and numeracy across all subjects, as, for example, by writing a report in their history work. This enhances pupils' enjoyment of learning, because they see the point of learning the skills in English. The school strongly emphasises the development of pupils' personal and social skills. Lessons often contribute well to pupils' understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. Good links with neighbouring secondary schools enhance pupils' learning in science, Design and Technology, music and business enterprise. The close support of external agencies helps to ensure that pupils are well cared for and supported. Citizenship is given prominence. Pupils learn about democracy, for instance, at first hand through the school council. The school offers a wide range of additional activities, such as clubs, special events and visits, that enhance pupils' skilfulness and enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

It also carefully incorporates and celebrates a wide diversity of cultures. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support for pupils are good and enable them to achieve well both personally and academically. The school has good procedures for safeguarding and caring for its pupils. Personal and emotional care is good, with teachers and learning mentors providing extra guidance and support for vulnerable pupils and others when 4 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006 necessary. Accommodation is of a very high standard, reflecting a high level of care and providing an oasis of calm. The school is very safety conscious, so that pupils feel safe around the school. Pupils talk knowledgeably about how to improve their own work, as a result of teachers' guidance. The school has good systems for tracking pupils' attainment through the school, providing individual pupils with a clear picture of the standards they have reached.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher, ably supported by his senior colleagues, has developed a strong climate for learning in which all pupils are sensitively encouraged to succeed. The school's strong commitment to pupils' personal development and well-being underpins its success in raising pupils' achievement. Staff and pupils share a common sense of purpose. Efficient management systems put a strong emphasis on self-evaluation and a commitment to continuous improvement. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. However, the monitoring of achievement and teaching quality is not always targeted precisely enough to ensure that the more able pupils in particular achieve their full potential. The school runs very smoothly. The governing body takes a constructive role in shaping the vision and direction of the school. It provides a good level of support and monitors the school systematically, regularly visiting the school and holding it appropriately to account. Resources are

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Grade: 2

managed efficiently. Staff are carefully selected to ensure that pupils are well taught and protected. They have good opportunities for further training. The school gives good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, inspectors recently visited your school to see how well it is doing. We should like to thank you all very much for telling us what you think about your school and making us welcome. • You go to a good school. • We found many good things of which you, your teachers and your parents can be proud. • You get a good start in school in the Nursery. • Most of you make good progress in your work throughout the school and reach standards which are just about what we would expect by the time you leave. • You try to do your best and nearly all of you take great care with your work. • Your teachers usually give you interesting lessons in which you learn a lot. • You enjoy coming to school and feel very safe here. • Staff take great care of you and work hard to help you to make good progress. • Your headteacher makes sure that the school is successful and runs very smoothly. • There are also just a few things that the school needs to do better. Please do all you can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to help to make your school a still better place by working as hard as you can. • Make sure that all of you have work which makes you think and work hard all the time. • Children in Reception need to learn as quickly as those in the Nursery do. • Make better use of information about how well you are doing, so that everyone knows what works well and what does not. We send you our very best wishes for the future. 9 Inspection Report: Brockmoor Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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