Burnley Brunshaw Primary School

Burnley Brunshaw Primary School Inspection report

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119217 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291356 Inspection number 21 °22 May 2007 Inspection dates Garry Jones HMI 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 438 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Halshaw Chair Mr N R Tranmer Headteacher 1 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection Morse Street School address Burnley Lancashire BB10 4PB

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01282 423280 Telephone number 01282 832933 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 21 °22 May 2007 Inspection dates 291356 Inspection number .

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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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school. It is located on the east side of Burnley, but draws pupils from a wide area including the central part of the town. The area served faces considerable social and economic disadvantage which is reflected in the well above average proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. Almost all pupils are of White British origin and the proportion from minority ethnic groups is very low. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly in line with that found nationally, but the number of pupils with a statement for their special educational need is well above the national average. The school has the Investors in People award and Healthy School status. It is a hub school for a behaviour and attendance programme and a creative partnership within the local authority. It is also a member of the local excellence cluster. The school is currently being led by the deputy headteacher during the headteacher’s sickness

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. It is valued highly by the parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire. The school is a happy and welcoming community. The personal development and well-being of pupils are outstanding. Pupils enjoy their time at the school and speak warmly of the activities available to them and the support they receive. They attend regularly and behaviour is good. At breaks and lunchtimes pupils are seen to play happily together and the identified ‘buddies’ in Year 6 organise purposeful play activities for younger pupils. Incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with effectively. Pupils are open and friendly and there is a well developed expectation that pupils will share their feelings honestly with each other and with staff. This contributes to very effective social awareness and ensures that pupils feel safe and have someone to talk to if they face difficulties. Overall the social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness of

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Grade: 2

the pupils is good. The pupils are very well aware of the importance of healthy lifestyles and willingly take part in physical activity. These include aerobic sessions before school at the breakfast club and at the mid point of afternoon which is led by members of ‘team fit’, a group of older pupils who act as coaches. Pupils take on a wide range of positions of responsibility around school with enthusiasm and the work of the school council contributes greatly to the development of the school. The pupils’ knowledge of safe practices is extremely well developed and they behave appropriately to ensure the safety of all. The development of very good interpersonal skills prepares pupils well for their future life as does their progress in acquiring basic skills. Their extremely positive attitudes reflect the exceptional pastoral care that pupils receive. Staff know pupils extremely well and systems for support are exceptionally well

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Grade: 2

developed. Support for the most vulnerable pupils is particularly strong and there are very effective links with outside agencies. Achievement is good. Standards on entry to the school are well below national expectations for pupils at that age. Pupils make good progress during the foundation stage, but standards on entry to Key Stage 1 remain below national expectations. Pupils make satisfactory progress during Key Stage 1, but standards in national assessments in 2006 remained significantly below average. During Key Stage 2 progress accelerates and in the national tests in 2006 standards were in line with the national average. The overall rate of progress is good and pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve in line with their peers. This reflects teaching which is good overall. The majority of lessons are well planned and consist of a range of varied activities which are delivered briskly to meet the needs of the full range of abilities within

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Grade: 2

classes. In some lessons the pace is slower when activities do not fully capture the interest of all pupils, but no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. There is effective use of assessment to identify underachievement and intervention is well planned to support individuals. However, the school recognises that its academic guidance is not as strong as its pastoral care. Whole school tracking systems and the use of individual targets are not yet sufficiently developed. The curriculum is good and meets the needs of pupils well. There is a good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities to support pupils’ development. Leadership and management are good. The established headteacher has set a clear direction for the development of an inclusive school. He is well supported by a dedicated leadership team, who share a vision and a commitment to improvement. The partnerships with other local schools through networks and links with external agencies are exceptionally well developed to

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Grade: 2

enhance the provision for pupils. All staff, pupils, governors, parents and other stakeholders 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007 are involved in planning for improvement. There are well established systems for monitoring which lead to effective self-evaluation. The school has good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards and achievement further. • Establish robust procedures for tracking pupils’ progress across the school.

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Grade: 2

Children enter school with attainment well below that typical for their age, particularly in language and social skills. They do not reach the expected goals for their age in any area except in physical development. At the end of Key Stage 1 standards remained below the national average in the assessments in 2006. Standards in reading and writing are lower than in mathematics. By the end of Key Stage 2 standards have risen and in 2006 were in line with the national average as has been the case for the last five years. The achievement of pupils is good. In the Foundation Stage pupils make good progress, particularly in personal development and language acquisition. In Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress, but this accelerates through Key Stage 2 where progress is good. The school met its challenging targets for the proportion of pupils gaining the nationally expected level at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2006. However, results showed that progress in Key Stage 2

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Grade: 2

was only satisfactory in 2006, due in part to the high proportion of pupils who entered the school late in the key stage. Internal monitoring data and observation show that progress is now good. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress that is in line with their peers.

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Grade: 1

The school judged personal development and well-being to be good, but the inspection team found it to be outstanding. In the Foundation Stage there is a very strong focus on helping children develop their personal, social and emotional skills as the basis for all learning. Consequently, they make rapid progress in this aspect, and quickly learn to share and cooperate. Pupils enjoy coming to school immensely, attend regularly and are excited by their learning. They feel safe and happy and appreciate all that the school has to offer. Pupils have a very clear understanding of what is right and wrong. The willingness of pupils to accept responsibility for their own actions leads to good behaviour. Pupils feel very safe in school, confident that they will be supported by staff and their friends should any difficulties occur. The ‘buddy’ system ensures that play activities are extremely well led and managed.

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Grade: 1

All pupils know their views are valued. Pupils’ comments and suggestions are collected through regular questionnaires and a ‘worry’ box in each class. The school council takes its responsibilities seriously and is proud of its contribution to the school and the wider community, for example, by contributing to rewards and sanctions. Pupils are eager to take on positions of responsibility in school and talk enthusiastically about their roles. Pupils also contribute very well to the wider community through charity fundraising, performances and links to community groups. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The very strong inclusive ethos of the school means that children are respectful of others, including those who have different faiths from their own. They are kind to each other and insist there is no harassment in their

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Grade: 1

school. The development of pupils’ positive attitudes and outstanding social skills, alongside sound literacy and numeracy skills, prepares them well for the next phase of education and the world of work.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. In the Foundation Stage, good teaching with a strong focus on developing children’s personal and social skills encourages positive attitudes to learning and children make good progress. Typically, lessons are planned effectively and are well organised with a varied range of tasks matched to the different ability groups within each class. Most lessons incorporate practical learning tasks and a wide range of resources, including information and communication technology (ICT), are used well to make learning interesting. Activities are moved along at a lively pace to keep pupils involved and motivated. Occasionally, if pupils have to sit and listen for too long or are not fully engaged with the tasks, they become restless and progress is slower. Teachers utilise the skills of the teaching assistants well. They provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English in addition to their

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Grade: 2

home language so they progress as well as their classmates. Relationships are very positive and support learning effectively. Pupils enjoy working together in groups and share ideas readily. Teachers mark pupils’ written work regularly and add helpful comments that show their pupils what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and meets all statutory requirements. Pupils enjoy their lessons so they progress well. Good provision for literacy, numeracy and ICT provides pupils with the basic skills they need in all subjects, for example, writing evaluations of their designs for making moving pictures. Pupils are suitably prepared for further learning and their future economic well-being. The curriculum is adapted well to meet the needs of all groups of learners, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils learning to speak English. Children in the Foundation Stage experience a well-balanced range of practical investigations, but outdoor activities do not always have a clear learning focus. The school seeks to make learning more meaningful by linking different subjects through art, drama and music. Pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoy a weekly French lesson. Class work is enriched

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Grade: 2

well by visits and visitors, projects and themed weeks, for example ‘cultural diversity’ week. Pupils are eager to attend the after-school clubs. The very effective programme for personal and social development ensures pupils are happy, confident learners who enjoy school, know how to stay safe and healthy and progress well. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is outstanding and contributes extremely effectively to the personal development and well-being of pupils. Good induction procedures include home visits so children start school happily. The highly positive relationships between adults and pupils provide a strong foundation for effective learning and personal development. Staff know the pupils well and pupils are encouraged to openly share their feelings so that issues can be dealt with speedily. There is an exceptionally strong focus on developing social and emotional well-being. Parents and pupils value greatly the support received from the school. The strong partnership between parents and the school encourages pupils to do their best. Highly effective systems are used to support pupils with learning, social and behavioural difficulties. Pupils are very ably supported by a skilled learning mentor and behaviour support worker. Staff identify pupils facing difficulties at an early stage and support systems are put

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Grade: 2

quickly into place. Rigorous procedures are in place for child protection and safety and the procedures for ensuring that suitable adults work with pupils comply with government requirements. Pupils feel safe and secure in an inclusive environment. Academic guidance is not as well developed. Good assessment accurately measures individual progress, but whole school tracking systems require further development, as does pupils’ involvement in setting and reviewing their own targets. Strong links with high schools means older pupils transfer confidently to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. A clear sense of purpose and direction has been established by the headteacher, who was absent during the inspection, and the acting headteacher. They are well supported by a committed senior leadership team who work hard to bring about improvement. There are very well established partnerships with other schools, agencies and organisations. There is a strong sense of teamwork and staff at all levels together with stakeholders, including parents and pupils, are actively involved in planning for improvement. The process of monitoring is well established and involves subject leaders in reviewing their areas and senior staff regularly observing teaching. The process of self-evaluation is good and the judgements were accurate. The governors are very supportive of the school. The governing body is well aware of the strengths and areas for development and holds the

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Grade: 2

school to account effectively for its progress. The school provides good value for money and has good capacity for improvement. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 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 quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 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? 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 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, Burnley, BB10 4PB You may remember that an inspection team recently visited your school. Thank you for being so willing to talk to us about your work and to tell us what you thought about the school. You and your parents told us that you thought Brunshaw is a good school. We agree with you. We were especially impressed by: • how exceptionally well you are looked after by all the staff; • how polite and friendly you are to each other, your teachers and visitors; • your enthusiasm for learning and the way that you enjoy your lessons; • how willing you are to take on positions of responsibility in the school, such as being buddies, to help other pupils; • how keen you are to live healthy, safe and active lives; • the good range of interesting subjects and activities that are planned for you; • the good teaching you receive and the good progress that you make by the time you leave

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school. We think that the school is well led and managed by the headteacher and the other senior leaders in the school. They work hard and are well supported by all the staff and governors. They are all determined to make the school even better in the future. We have asked them all to help you all to achieve higher standards by keeping an even closer eye on how well you are all doing while at the school. You can help them by keeping up your positive approach to your lessons and continuing to work hard. Best wishes for the future. Garry Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Burnley Brunshaw Primary School, 21 °22 May 2007

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