Bromley Heath Junior School

Inspection Report Bromley Heath Junior School

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109028 Unique Reference Number South Gloucestershire Local Authority 288258 Inspection number 7 March 2007 Inspection date David Clegg 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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Quakers Road School address Junior Type of school Downend Community School category Bristol BS16 6NJ 7 °11 Age range of pupils 01454 867110 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01454 867110 Fax number 241 Number on roll (school) Ian Surridge Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Marcus John Headteacher 30 September 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 288258 7 March 2007 7 °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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is an average-sized school. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. All pupils are fluent in English and very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. Pupils enter Year 3 with above-average attainment. The headteacher took up post in September 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This good school enables pupils to achieve well and attain above-average standards. The high standards are allied to pupils' good personal development. The combination of good academic attainment and good personal qualities ensures that pupils are well prepared for their futures. The school has a strong track record of success. Parents are very appreciative of what the school offers. 'Teachers have a good rapport with children' and 'Both my daughter and son have achieved well at this school' are typical of the numerous positive comments from parents. Pupils are equally enthusiastic about school. They feel that they are helped to learn as much as they can because they say they are challenged. They also feel valued and safe. Pupils commented on the good work of the school council and how seriously the school takes on the suggestions and ideas. They also spoke of how confident they were in the adults: 'They listen to us' was a comment

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Grade: 2

endorsed by several Year 6 pupils. Good teaching and a good curriculum that is well matched to pupils' needs are key ingredients in the school's success. Lessons are well planned and the use of modern technology, such as interactive whiteboards, keeps pupils motivated. They are eager learners and maintain a good level of concentration. There is a good level of care, guidance and support. Pupils have short-term targets in English with which they are very familiar and understand. The use of targets in mathematics is less well established. Marking is not always as helpful as it could be and rarely makes reference to pupils' targets. The result is that pupils are not as familiar as they could be in what they need to do to improve. The school is well led and managed. The new headteacher has an accurate and well-founded view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. There is good use of assessment information to identify where pupils are doing well or who might need

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Grade: 2

some extra support. Despite the good levels of achievement, the end-of- year targets for pupils in Years 3 and 4 are a little unambitious and indicate that expectations could be higher. The school has good capacity to improve. It has successfully tackled the issue from the last inspection about improving information and communication technology (ICT) provision. There is still some way to go to make sure that the curriculum has a sustained engagement with aspects of cultural diversity.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the expectations of what pupils might achieve at the end of Years 3 and 4. • Make sure all pupils are fully aware of what they need to do to improve their work. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to explore cultural diversity. 2 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and attain above-average standards. In the most recent national tests at the end of Year 6, pupils did particularly well in English and reached exceptionally high standards. Almost half the pupils attained higher- than-average standards. The progress these pupils made between Years 3 and 6 in both English and mathematics places the school in the top 10% of all schools. Standards in science are also above average. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress in line with their peers. Pupils enter school with above-average standards and start off by making steady progress in Years 3 and 4. The reason for the steady progress is that expectations of what pupils might achieve are a little too conservative. Expectations in Years 5 and 6 are more ambitious and this is a factor in the rate of progress improving. There is some particularly good progress made in Year 5 and 6, for example, in English. The high

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Grade: 2

standards of basic skills are not consistently evident in subjects such as history and geography, where pupils occasionally copy work rather than produce their own accounts.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are well prepared for their futures because they leave school with a good range of personal attributes that complement their good basic skills. They work hard, show a degree of persistence and collaborate effectively. They have very positive attitudes to their lessons and their attendance is good. They feel safe and secure because they are confident that the adults give them time and take any concerns they might have seriously. They behave very well and this contributes to the calm and purposeful atmosphere that pervades the school. Pupils are fully aware of the importance of a healthy diet and frequent exercise. Pupils' social, moral and spiritual development is good. They understand the difference between right and wrong and form and sustain good relationships. Cultural development is only satisfactory because pupils do not have enough opportunity to explore cultural diversity.

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Grade: 2

Lessons are productive and enjoyable. The key to this is the constructive relationships which exist between adults and pupils. Pupils are eager to learn and they contribute to the success of lessons through their positive attitudes. Teachers make good use of the interactive whiteboards to keep pupils motivated and engaged. Demonstrations 3 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007 and instructions are clear and the pupils are left in no doubt about what they are learning. Pupils are positive about the opportunities they are given to think about how much they have learned towards the end of lessons. Marking is sound. Teachers respond to pupils' work but there are only limited comments about how work could be improved and there is little reference to pupils' targets. This diminishes the potential usefulness of the targets. Similarly, the use of 'learning logs' is not as beneficial as it could be because not all pupils have sufficient insights into

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets the needs of pupils effectively. There are some good links made between subjects, such as literacy and history and geography and mathematics. The school has made some headway in introducing work that incorporates exploring aspects of cultural diversity. This is evident in subjects such as religious education and geography. However, this aspect remains relatively under-developed, with little sustained engagement in, for example, learning about less well-developed countries or in focusing on the range of cultures within the UK. Pupils with learning difficulties benefit from the help they receive that often enables them to attain average standards. The curriculum is supplemented well by a good range of educational visits that are used effectively to extend lessons. For example, a visit to the local planetarium provided a stimulating and exciting start to a block of work on the sun and stars. There is a

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Grade: 2

good range of extra-curricular activities for pupils in Years 5 and 6 but limited activities for pupils in Years 3 and 4.

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Grade: 2

There are very strong pastoral care procedures in which pupils have a great deal of confidence. A notable feature is the willingness of pupils to approach any teacher if they have a problem. The systems for ensuring child protection are secure. Pupils with learning difficulties are well supported and this contributes to their well-being. Academic guidance is satisfactory. The use of targets and pupils' knowledge of them is mixed. They are not consistently referred to when teachers mark pupils' work. This means that pupils are not as clear as they could be about what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The new headteacher is building successfully on the school's well-established track record of sustaining and improving good standards and achievement. Senior managers 4 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007 have a clear view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. This is accurately based on a sharp reading of performance data and regular observations of teaching. There are well-founded plans to move the school forward and both parents and pupils feel that their views are taken into account. The governing body fulfils its duties effectively and the chair of governors, in particular, plays a full part in the strategic development of the school. There is a measured and sensible approach to improving the school and building on its past success. Middle managers are effective in monitoring standards and provision but are not always as challenging and aspirational as they need to be about how much pupils might

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Grade: 2

achieve. 5 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007 .

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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: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007

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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? 2 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? 2 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 2 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: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 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: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Many thanks for all the help you gave me when I recently visited your school. I am particularly grateful to those pupils who came to talk to me; it really helped me to find out about how well the school is doing. Your school is a good one because it helps you to do well in lessons and reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are above those often found. Here are some of the other aspects of the school that I think are also good: • You all appear to enjoy school, work hard and behave well. • You find lessons interesting and teachers are very helpful. • The school helps you to mature and makes sure you are well prepared for the next stage of education. • The adults are very caring and look after you well. • The school is well led and managed. I have asked that three things are improved to make the school even better: • The end-of-year targets for pupils in Years 3 and 4 are made a little higher.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Teachers show you how well you are doing in achieving your targets when they mark your work. • You are given more opportunities to find out about the different cultural backgrounds of people living in England. Once again, thank you for your help and keep working as hard as you can. I wish you every success in the future. 9 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Junior School, 7 March 2007

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