Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School

Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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107713 Unique Reference Number Kirklees Local Authority 309485 Inspection number 20 °21 May 2008 Inspection dates Clarice Nelson-Rowe 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 Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 171 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jan Harker Chair Ms Gill Roberts Headteacher 10 January 2005 Date of previous school inspection Brockholes Lane School address Brockholes Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 7EB 01484 222807 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 20 °21 May 2008 Inspection dates 309485 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. 20 °21 May 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Brockholes is a smaller than average sized primary school of which the majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is well below average. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above the national average. The school has attained the Activemark 2007 and Effective Early Learning Quality Assurance Awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008

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Grade: 2

Brockholes is a good school. At the heart of its success is an outstanding curriculum. Staff at all levels are fully involved in ensuring the curriculum promotes children's good achievement and outstanding enjoyment of school. The curriculum is enriched by an impressive range of activities which takes excellent advantage of opportunities within the community and outdoors. The personal development and well-being of pupils are good because the curriculum and good care, guidance and support promote this effectively. Pastoral care is outstanding, because all staff pay close attention to the physical and emotional needs of the children. Older pupils also help to care for the younger pupils and in doing so, gain a good understanding of being part of a community. Children show good awareness of how to keep healthy and develop an excellent awareness of personal safety. Their behaviour is good and they attend well. They know that

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Grade: 2

their views are valued and they contribute well to their community. Effective teaching creates stimulating lessons that include good use of questioning to develop pupil's thinking skills. Teachers create exciting learning environments with informative displays that help pupils develop into increasingly independent learners. Work is marked well and learning targets are clearly displayed in classrooms and on children's work to guide them. However, these targets are not used consistently enough during or at the end of lessons to ensure all pupils are clear about what, why and how well they are learning. Improved provision for identifying and supporting increasing numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are now helping to boost achievement. This means that standards are now higher by the end of Year 2, although there is a little further to go, particularly in reading and mathematics for those of average and just above average ability. Year 6 children reach above

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Grade: 2

average standards in English, mathematics and science. In 2007, the school won a local authority award for meeting and exceeding its challenging targets. More able children are well provided for, including opportunities to learn with older children or in higher ability groups, to accelerate their progress. The leadership, management and the school's capacity for further improvement are all good. This is because the headteacher, senior staff and governors have led improvements very well and are clear what steps to take to improve the school further. Governors demonstrate an extremely positive level of commitment to the school's work. In their capacity as critical partners, they are successful in holding the school to account for the progress of its pupils and ensure that the school provides good value for money.

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Grade: 2

Children join the Reception class with skills expected for their age. Overall, good quality provision supports children's development well across all the areas of learning so that, by the time they leave Reception, children achieve well. Almost all reach the levels expected of them by the time they leave, with a few above. Parents confirm that their children settle quickly and that they look forward to school because care is good. Children behave well and enjoy a good range of activities. Staff gain a rapid and accurate overview of children's skills when they first arrive. They check on children's progress closely and are able to identify exactly what they need to do next to improve. The Foundation Stage leader has a good knowledge of how young children learn and overall, leads by example in terms of effective classroom practice. However, on 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School,

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Grade: 2

20 °21 May 2008 occasions when children learn outdoors, opportunities are missed to develop their independence and problem-solving skills.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards at Key Stage 1, particularly in reading and mathematics for pupils of average and just above average ability. ■ Make better use of learning targets to monitor and improve progress in lessons.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the independence and problem-solving skills of children in Reception when they are using outdoor learning spaces.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well by Year 6. Children make a good start to their learning in the Foundation Stage, although currently, this is built on satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Despite a significant rise in standards here in 2007, levels are still not as high as they could be, particularly in reading and mathematics for those of average ability and just above. However, for Year 6 pupils, standards rose in all core subjects in 2007, particularly in English, to above the national average. Work seen in lessons and tracking, confirms that good progress is being sustained.

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Grade: 2

Pupils agree that they really enjoy school and say that, 'It is improving all the time'. Pupils behave well and relish responsibility. School councillors undertake different initiatives to improve school life, although they do not yet function fully as an autonomous body. Attendance levels are above average and most parents are conscientious about bringing their children to school regularly and on time. Pupils enjoy learning about the environment and show exceptionally good awareness of how to maintain and protect both the environment and themselves. They value learning about different religions and cultures and helping others who are in need. As a result, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Improvements in their skill levels in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology, together with their good levels of personal development provide an effective foundation for their future

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Grade: 2

Pupils behave well and are engaged in their lessons. This is because teachers whet pupils' appetites for learning as they plan a range of activities that pay close attention to different learning styles and help to support good progress. Themes of exploration and investigation weave through lessons, stimulating pupils' interest for what is to follow. Good use of partner and group work supports pupils' development of speaking and listening skills. Skilful teaching assistants provide good levels of support for individual pupils and outside experts are welcome in classrooms to enrich learning further. Although learning targets are in use and clearly available to pupils, staff do not yet make full use of these or more precise learning objectives during or at the end of lessons to check on and improve progress. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School,

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. The school offers what a parent rightly describes as, 'a fun and exciting curriculum'. It is designed extremely well to suit the needs of each and every pupil and provides ways for them to make very effective links in their learning between the broad range of subjects taught. The curriculum is enriched exceptionally well with sports, drama, brass music, choir, trips, visitors to school and the use of outdoor environment. Many activities focus on the development of fitness, confidence, teamwork and an appreciation of the environment and cultural diversity. Students also thoroughly enjoy learning new languages, computing and musical skills.

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Grade: 2

The school is a calm and happy place. Safeguarding arrangements for learners meet current requirements. Pupils are very well prepared for their transition between each stage of learning and to secondary school. All pupils know their targets and a good number know what they need to do to improve, although this process could be sharper and more effective. There is excellent pastoral support for pupils by all adults in school. Parents agree that the school takes very good care of their children and say that staff are, 'very caring, supportive and approachable'. They know who to go to if they have a problem. Adults are very good role models as they encourage pupils to think about how others feel and how their actions impact on others. Many pupils value the 'Befriender' service run by pupils in Year 6.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's good leadership has promoted a common sense of purpose amongst the staff. Her very clear vision for the school ensures that there is no complacency and that initiatives continue to move the school forward. A good senior leadership team and effective governors very ably support the headteacher. They have a very good knowledge of the pupils' needs and are fully involved in the monitoring and evaluating of pupils' progress. The school also has excellent partnerships with parents and other local schools in order to promote strong community spirit, and in promoting children's achievement and well-being. Issues from the previous inspection have been addressed and the school is in a good position to improve its standards and to continue to build on its success. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008

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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? 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

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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

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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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008

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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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, Holmfirth, HD9 7EB Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when my colleague and I came to inspect your school recently. I really enjoyed talking to you and watching you in lessons and at play. I particularly enjoyed listening to your singing and music making in assemblies and during brass band practice. I am writing to tell you what I think about how well you are getting on and how well your school is helping you to learn. We agree with you and your parents that you go to a good school. We were delighted with your good behaviour and how kind you were in helping one another. For example, the play leaders in the playground who looked after other children impressed us. It is of no surprise to me that your attendance is so good. I say this because you all receive good levels of care and support and you are taught well. I also think that all the skills you learn

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in your topic work and activities that the school provides for you are fantastic. For example, you really enjoy all the outdoor activities, trips, visitors, sports and music that make school so exciting for you. I am pleased to tell you that your headteacher and the governors lead your school well. We are sure that it will continue to improve. To help them make it even better, we have asked them to ensure they do three things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ first, to help children in Years 1 and 2 reach even higher standards, especially in reading and mathematics ■ second, that teachers explain more clearly what you are to learn by the end of lessons and how well you are doing ■ third, that those of you in Reception class learn to do more for yourself without the help of an adult, especially when you go outside to play. I wish you well for the future. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, 20 °21 May 2008

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