John Bramston Primary School

John Bramston Primary School Inspection report

p.1

102838 Unique Reference Number Redbridge Local Authority 308135 Inspection number 5 °6 June 2008 Inspection dates Martin Beale Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 447 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Neill Pickering Chair Miss Amanda Jennings Headteacher 15 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Newcastle Avenue School address New North Road Hainault Ilford IG6 3EE 020 8500 4640 Telephone number 020 8501 2933 Fax number

p.1

3-11 Age group 5 °6 June 2008 Inspection dates 308135 Inspection number .

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 three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This large primary school is growing rapidly, and serves an increasingly diverse community. It experiences high pupil mobility, with considerably more new pupils arriving during the school year than leaving. Over half of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion with a home language other than English is double the national average and rising. There are small numbers of Traveller children, refugees or asylum seekers, and pupils in the care of the local authority on roll. The number of pupils who need additional support with their learning is broadly average. The school has gained the Healthy Schools and the Activemark awards.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

p.3

Grade: 2

John Bramston Primary is a good school. Good teaching and a good curriculum, along with good care, support and guidance, mean that pupils achieve well and their personal development is good. The school successfully deals with the challenges its changing community and high pupil mobility present, and has taken great strides forward in the last few years. The key to this success is the skilled and energetic leadership of the headteacher, who is ably supported by the senior staff team and an increasingly effective group of governors. Parents are pleased with recent improvements. As one wrote, 'This is an ever progressing school, empowering and encouraging children to achieve and develop as a whole child.' Staff and pupils greatly respect the headteacher and all that she is doing for the school. They rise to the challenge of her commitment to the personal and academic development of all, and her high but achievable expectations of everyone. Careful checking how of staff and pupils are

p.4

Grade: 2

doing, has resulted in sharply defined plans for improvement. This has led not only to better learning for pupils but also to considerable progress in the contribution of others to leading school developments. The school is in a strong position to improve further and meet its aims of becoming even better in all that it does. All are committed to taking the school on to the next level, whilst fully recognising that this will involve rigorously tackling identified areas for improvement to enable this vision to become a living reality. The care and welfare of pupils are successfully given a high priority. All members of staff, including teaching assistants, play their part in ensuring that pastoral care and guidance are strengths of the school. Pupils really enjoy their learning. They are proud of their contribution to school life and take their responsibilities seriously, particularly by helping newcomers make

p.4

Grade: 2

friends and settle in quickly. Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. The school has developed flexible systems to meet the wide range of learning needs, particularly those arriving during the year. Consequently, pupils who need extra support with their learning make good progress. Pupils have targets but these are not used in all classrooms to help them to understand how they might improve the quality of their work. Marking is not always helpful enough either. Teaching has improved considerably under the headteacher's guidance, and it is the key to the pupils' good achievement. This, and their hard work, means pupils make good progress from their low starting points and standards are broadly average by the time they move on to secondary school. Classrooms are calm and purposeful places in which the pupils learn and thrive, but not all teachers make best use of the wide range of computer resources available

p.4

Grade: 2

to them to stimulate interest further. Pupils learn how to stay healthy and safe, participating enthusiastically in the sporting activities that are a strong and valued feature of school life. Pupils develop key skills well, but do not always learn to apply these and particularly their information and communication technology (ICT) consistently. This and their personal qualities give them a solid foundation for the next stage of their education and their future lives.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children make a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. Under new and effective leadership, they learn in a stimulating environment where all adults focus on each individual and give a good start to those who arrive with limited English. Close relationships with parents 4 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 and systematic induction procedures help children integrate quickly into school routines so that they feel confident and enjoy learning. Children enter the Nursery with skills below those expected for their age and make good progress. By the end of Reception, they reach the nationally expected levels in all areas of learning except writing. The recent outdoor improvements are having a major impact, particularly on the development of the children's independence. They thoroughly enjoy this secure and interesting environment. A new system is helping staff track children's progress, but it is at an early stage and is not used fully enough

p.4

Grade: 2

to identify what children need to learn next to maintain their progress.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers use new technology resources more effectively to aid learning and provide pupils with greater opportunity to apply their ICT skills in a wide range of subjects and contexts. ■ Use targets and marking more effectively to help pupils understand the next steps to take in their learning.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress, including those who are only at the school for a relatively short period. The results of Year 2 assessments in reading, writing and mathematics have fallen in recent years with the changing nature of each successive year group. They were slightly below average in 2007, in a group where many pupils had arrived from abroad during the year. Year 6 test results rose in 2007 and were above average in all subjects. Current standards are slightly lower and broadly average, but represent good progress for pupils in a year group that has also faced considerable changes in its composition. After identifying shortcomings in writing, the subsequent action has led to better achievement and more interest in writing, particularly from boys.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils are very welcoming and have great pride in their school. They feel safe and say that any problems are sorted out quickly and positively. Pupils enjoy working together listening carefully and responding thoughtfully to each other. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils embrace diversity and they value each other's cultures and religions. They raise funds for charity and are aware of their responsibilities for others. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe, fit and healthy, talking sensibly about the importance of eating a healthy diet and taking regular exercise. The school council helps pupils make some positive contributions to the community and their suggestions are taken seriously. Attendance is satisfactory and improving because of rigorous monitoring and the very effective links with the education welfare officer.

p.5

Grade: 2

The relentless focus on improving teaching is bearing fruit and leading to a sharp focus on how to make learning better for all. There is some good and outstanding teaching, which is packed 5 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 full of pace, challenge, enthusiasm and fun, which leaves the pupils wanting more. Questioning is sharp and incisive and pupils are under no illusion as to what is expected of them in terms of behaviour, contribution and the quality and quantity of work. It is in these instances that learning springs to life, pupils work hard and their progress is rapid. They greatly enjoy working with their partners, discussing ideas and evaluating each other's work. Teachers are becoming better at using assessment information to adapt their methods and tasks to meet a variety of learning needs and learning styles. On the other hand, a small number of lessons fail to engage

p.5

Grade: 2

pupils and too little use is made of the improved ICT resources.

p.6

Grade: 2

The much improved curriculum makes a considerable contribution to the pupils' academic and personal development. It is adapted well to meet individual needs, whether this is for new arrivals or those identified with particular talents in a subject. The good provision for basic skills helps pupils progress well in literacy and numeracy, but they have too few chances to apply their ICT skills to support learning across different subjects. A particular strength is the very varied enrichment activities in which participation rates are high. Pupils especially enjoy the wide range of sports activities. These and other activities benefit from the expertise of outside specialists including the help provided to improve the science curriculum. Events such as the 'Passport to Culture' week celebrate diversity and make learning enjoyable.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school has a strong and successful commitment to securing the pupils' health, safety and welfare. All members of staff know pupils' needs well and go the extra-mile to ensure any difficulties or unhappiness are noted and dealt with quickly. As a result, pupils feel safe and valued and know they have a voice that is listened to and respected. Safeguarding procedures are secure and robust. By carefully identifying how well pupils are progressing, the school is able to focus its resources on those who need extra help if they are falling behind. Especially good support is provided for pupils who speak little English or come from refugee or Traveller backgrounds, so they settle quickly and progress well. Close links with outside agencies mean that the needs of pupils with more complex physical, medical and educational needs are met effectively. Academic guidance is improving but pupils' knowledge of their targets is patchy.

p.6

Grade: 2

The helpful marking of pupils' work, evident in several classes, is not consistent in others in giving pupils clear pointers for improvement.

p.6

Grade: 2

The headteacher has developed a culture of challenge and a relentless drive to get the best out of everyone. She has a good grasp of the school's strengths and weaknesses, which are clearly articulated in the generally accurate but, at times, modest school self-evaluation. The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning by the headteacher, and increasingly by other leaders, has led to improvements. All members of staff pull towards a common goal and share the headteacher's commitment to the development of each pupil. They relish working in an environment of challenge, focused on learning and achievement. Although the impact of middle leaders is developing, they do not have a clear understanding of performance data on 6 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 which to plan for improvements to learning in their subject areas. Governors have also improved their impact considerably since the last inspection because of the drive and astute leadership

p.6

Grade: 2

of their chair. Their skills and understanding of the school have greatly improved, but they do not take an active enough part in checking the school's performance. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008 .

p.7

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: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

Overall effectiveness

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

p.9

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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

17 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of John Bramston Primary School,Ilford,IG6 3EE You will probably remember that we visited your school not too long ago and I am now writing to let you know what we found out. Before I do, I would just like to say thank you for making us feel welcome and for being so ready to share your thoughts about your school. We had a chance to talk to quite a lot of you and I have told your teachers how you were very helpful and polite. Through our discussions with you, it was great to hear how much you enjoy school. It was also good to hear about how safe you feel in school and that there is always someone to talk to if you are worried. John Bramston Primary is a good school with several impressive things about it. Teachers and support staff care for you well and make learning enjoyable through the clubs and other activities. The school is good in helping you to keep fit, safe and healthy. Teachers and other

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

staff make learning challenging and interesting. This helps you to achieve well. Most of you reach the standards expected of you by the time you leave and many of you do better than this. The support from adults and other pupils for those of you who arrive during the year gives you a smooth start to school life. Even a good school like yours can improve. We have asked your teachers to help you further by using computers more in lessons, providing opportunities to use your ICT skills in different subjects and using targets and marking to improve your learning. Miss Jennings, the staff and governors want the school to continue to be successful and we know you will play your part by continuing to behave well, attending regularly and working hard. We wish you every success in your future. Yours sincerely, Martin Beale Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: John Bramston Primary School, 5 °6 June 2008

p.11