Bramley St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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108003 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287992 Inspection number 8 °9 January 2007 Inspection dates Amraz Ali 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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Hough Lane School address Primary Type of school Leeds Voluntary controlled School category West Yorkshire LS13 3NE 5 °11 Age range of pupils 0113 2146078 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0113 2047007 Fax number 268 Number on roll (school) Mr David Jorysz Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr M Tennant Headteacher 5 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287992 8 °9 January 2007 5°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. Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Bramley St Peter's is a larger than average sized primary school. Almost all pupils are from a White British background and, of the small number from different ethnic backgrounds, only a few speak English as an additional language. More pupils than average are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January

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Grade: 3

Bramley St Peter's is a satisfactory school with some good elements. The school is aware of its relative strengths and areas for improvement. Its overall effectiveness is not quite as good as the school judges itself because improvements over the last two years are not yet being implemented consistently. They are not having enough impact on pupils' standards and achievement which, whilst satisfactory overall, are uneven between particular groups and over time. A small but significant number of more able pupils and boys, particularly in writing, do not always achieve as well as expected. This is because the quality of teaching, whilst satisfactory, is inconsistent in meeting the needs of all pupils. Overall, staff care for, guide and support the pupils well. Good relationships are nurtured by adults who take their lead from the headteacher: they know pupils well and this helps them to settle quickly into the 'school family'. The school meets the

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Grade: 3

needs of the most vulnerable pupils, who are supported by skilful teaching assistants who ensure pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make at least satisfactory progress towards their targets. The satisfactory curriculum understandably has basic skills at its centre. Recent developments are linking subjects to make them more interesting and relevant. An example of this was the work undertaken during technology week, which pupils told us they enjoyed. The satisfactory Foundation Stage curriculum is based on practical activities and a secure understanding of how young children learn. Strong partnerships with other schools enhance provision in sport and the creative arts. Music is a particular strength of the school, with inventive and creative teaching enthusing pupils to achieve well. Pupils are justly proud of their artistic achievements. The school enriches the curriculum through educational visits, by inviting visitors into the school and with

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Grade: 3

after-school activities. This results in children enjoying and valuing their work. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory and includes better support for developing pupils' skills in information, communication and technology (ICT). A positive ethos results in the children's predominantly good behaviour and good personal development and well-being. As one child declared, 'We are all happy here' and this is reflected in the way that pupils play and cooperate to create a harmonious school community. Pupils' progress is tracked and teaching is evaluated soundly overall. A great deal of information is gathered and analysed but this is not always made available to the governing body so that they can effectively challenge the school to improve. Overall, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards and consistency of progress in writing across the school, particularly for boys. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning to ensure that more of it is consistently good or better. 2 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January • Improve the match of work in lessons to ensure it provides challenge for more able pupils. • Increase the involvement of the governing body in the analysis of the school's performance so that it can challenge the school more effectively to improve outcomes for pupils.

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Grade: 3

The school accurately evaluates achievement as satisfactory overall. Standards attained are broadly average and, overall, pupils make satisfactory progress. From their starting points in the Reception, which are generally below expectations, children make satisfactory progress. When they enter Year 1 standards remain below average. Between Year 1 and Year 6, progress is satisfactory overall although uneven over time and amongst particular groups. For a number of years, standards have been well below average when children reach Year 6 but improvements in 2005 have been consolidated in 2006 and they are now broadly average. However, there is significant variation between the attainment of boys and girls, with more girls than boys reaching the expected levels in all subjects, but particularly in writing. The school identifies and helps pupils who are not making the expected progress, although these systems are

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Grade: 3

not yet consistently having the desired impact. Standards in ICT are in line with those expected, which is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils who are learning English as an additional language are well supported and make satisfactory progress in response to the additional help they receive. More able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged and, as a consequence, some do not achieve as well as they should.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good; attendance is satisfactory. They welcome the many opportunities provided to enhance their personal development by, for example, helping to run the healthy tuck shop and in acting as peer mentors or playground buddies. Members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and are very proud of their safety improvements in the playground and in helping to develop the school prospectus. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour in lessons and around the school are good. They say that they like sport and that they are encouraged to develop healthy and enjoyable lifestyles by, for example, taking part in regular exercise and in playing music and singing. The provision of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. For example, a whole school assembly was used very well to promote the school's ethos statement and pupils demonstrated very

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Grade: 2

high levels of attention and positive attitudes towards this highly effective aspect of their personal development and well-being. 3 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Although some lessons are good, the quality varies. Strengths within the better lessons include good relationships and clear expectations of pupils, with work planned for those of different abilities. The skills of teaching assistants are used well, especially to support pupils who need extra help, and some good questioning from teachers elicits effective responses from pupils. These strengths are not found consistently between classes and in some there is scope to improve the challenge provided for the more able pupils. Teachers know how well pupils are learning in English, mathematics and science. However, the quality of marking is inconsistent: for example, some is detailed and helpful in writing lessons but not all. The use of targets to help pupils know what they need to learn next is developing, but pupils are not always aware of what these are. Assessment is used

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Grade: 3

well to identify the needs of children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and to set targets and to monitor their progress.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets requirements, with particular strengths in music and sports. The school is at an early stage of reorganising what it teaches to link up subjects through planned themes. Electronic whiteboards enhance curriculum provision. They are well used in some classes to engage, enthuse and motivate pupils and involve them actively in their own learning. The Foundation Stage provision enables staff to develop pupils' skills through a variety of stimulating 'hands-on' activities. However, outdoor provision for these pupils remains underdeveloped and, as a consequence, their physical development is not extended as much as it should be.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good. The school supports a range of pupils, some of whom have complex learning needs and low levels of self-esteem. There are good levels of both internal and external support provided for these pupils. The staff use every opportunity to enhance the care by providing high quality pastoral support and welfare. This includes well managed child protection and a range of health and safety procedures, in addition to a vetting system for staff and visitors which is in line with the latest national guidelines. Pupils are aware of class-based targets for improvement but the school's provision of academic guidance, linked to ensuring that all pupils consistently know what to do to improve, is developing and not yet fully effective across the school. 4 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January

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Grade: 3

The school is led and managed satisfactorily. This judgement is not as strong as the school's own evaluation because the recent improvements in teaching and the school's focus on basic skills have not yet had sufficient impact to bring about consistently good progress for all pupils. The school has satisfactory capacity to improve. The school works well with parents, who are very supportive of its work and value its care and support for all pupils. Governors fulfil their statutory obligations and demonstrate their high level of commitment to the school's work through visits and attendance at regular meetings. In their capacity as critical partners in school improvement there is scope for more challenge, particularly in holding the school to account for the rate of progress made by all pupils. 5 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January

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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 3 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

3 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 3 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 2 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: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January 2007

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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: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We very much enjoyed visiting your school. Thank you for the time you took to talk to us and tell us so much about the work you do. We really enjoyed listening to your singing. We know your school is a happy and friendly place to learn. You are proud of your school and so are your parents and carers. You told us that you feel safe and well cared for at school and that you like the activities on offer. We want the school to help you to improve your writing and make sure that everyone, especially boys, does their best. We would also like teachers to make sure that the work you do in all your lessons is planned for your own needs, with even harder work for those able to do it. We have asked your headteacher and governors to make sure they plan even more to make the school better. We saw that you want to play your part in making your school an enjoyable place to learn and that you have all worked together to make St Peter's a happy school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We wish you luck with all the projects you have planned. 9 Inspection Report: Bramley St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 °9 January 2007

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