Bromley Heath Infant School

Bromley Heath Infant School Inspection report

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109029 Unique Reference Number South Gloucestershire Local Authority 309855 Inspection number 15 °16 October 2007 Inspection dates Arnalena Bee 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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Infant Type of school Community School category 4 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 180 School The governing body Appropriate authority Vacant Position Chair Chris Chrystal Headteacher 28 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection Quakers Road School address Downend Fishponds Bristol BS16 6NJ 01454 866777 Telephone number 01454 866777 Fax number

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4-7 Age group 15 °16 October 2007 Inspection dates 309855 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Children join the school with expected levels of attainment. Most children are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well below average. No children are learning to speak English.

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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: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Bromley Heath is a good school. The strong focus on children's personal development ensures that they gain confidence and develop respect for each other and for the adults who help them learn. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. However, children's understanding of the diversity of cultures in modern Britain is limited. Children thoroughly enjoy playing on the Timber Trail and talk knowledgeably about the importance of exercise and the need to keep fit. Whilst eating their lunch, children showed a good awareness of why it is important to eat healthily. They talk sensibly and confidently about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Children say they feel safe in school and talk knowledgeably about dangers that they may come across. This was evident in the comment that 'Electricity is so dangerous. You must not touch plugs with wet hands or you will be electrocuted.' The curriculum

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Grade: 2

is good and provision to develop children's personal development is particularly effective. The curriculum provided for the children in the Foundation Stage is effective. Activities are well planned to suit the needs of these young children. By the time children leave school at the end of Year 2, they are well prepared for their next school both personally and academically. Standards have been above average at the end of Year 2 for the last few years. In relation to their starting points, children achieve well. This is because teaching is good and classes are well managed. The academic guidance that children receive is good. Children's progress is tracked carefully and effective targets help children to improve, particularly in writing. In addition, they receive lots of supportive comments both orally and written in their books. However, marking does not consistently inform children what they need to do to improve or how to achieve their

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Grade: 2

personal targets. The care and personal support that children receive is good. All children know that they are well cared for and say that if they have a problem an adult will help them. Parents and carers are particularly positive about this aspect of the school's work. The school is well led by the headteacher and her team. The headteacher has a very clear vision of the strengths of the school and what is needed to improve it further. She has implemented effective strategies to ensure that teaching is of a consistently good quality. Subject leaders are effectively focused on raising achievement and standards. As a result, higher attaining pupils have done much better in writing and mathematics this year than they did previously. This improvement indicates that the school's capacity to get even better is good.

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Grade: 2

The children in the Reception classes receive good teaching and support. As a result, they achieve well. Planning is good. The children are given good opportunities to plan activities themselves as well as to learn effectively through directed tasks both in the classrooms and in the outdoor area. Personal and social skills are well promoted in everything the children do. By the time children start in Year 1, they exceed the levels expected. The children behave well and enjoy themselves so much that they cannot wait to get started each morning. Parents are very pleased with how quickly their children settle into school. This is because induction procedures are very good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers' marking enables all children to be absolutely sure about what they need to do to improve and achieve their targets. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 2007 ■ Improve children's understanding of the diversity of cultures in our society.

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Grade: 2

Children's achievement is good and standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average by the time they leave school in Year 2. This is because teaching is generally good throughout the school. The few children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to that of their classmates. Progress of all children is regularly checked and the small number of children who are not on course to reach their targets are given additional support to get them back on track. In 2006, the school identified that higher attaining children did not do as well in writing and mathematics as they did in reading. This has been effectively addressed. Consequently, 2007 national assessments show that the proportion of children who reached Level 3 in writing and mathematics was considerably higher than that in 2006.

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Grade: 2

Children enjoy their lessons and work hard. Their enthusiasm was summed up by one child who said, `Learning is fun, there are exciting things to do.' Attendance is above average, reflecting children's positive attitudes to school. Children are very sociable and helpful and polite to visitors. Behaviour is good. Children are keen and eager to contribute to their school community. They enthusiastically take on jobs of responsibility in school. The school council is very impressive and its members take their jobs very seriously. Recently they have sent leaflets out to parents promoting the importance of healthy packed lunches. School council members were actively involved in the recent appointment of the deputy headteacher. Despite raising money for local and world charities, children's contribution to the local community is less well developed.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school and as a result, children learn well. All teachers quickly develop very good relationships with the children in their classes. Lessons are well planned with activities that suit the children's needs. However, teaching assistants do not always contribute effectively to the children's learning, particularly during the first part of lessons. An improvement since the previous inspection is the way information and communication technology (ICT) is used to support learning. Children now have good opportunities to use computers, develop not only their ICT skills, but also to reinforce and develop their knowledge in other subjects. All teachers confidently use the interactive whiteboards to demonstrate key teaching points in a range of subjects. This makes learning more interesting.

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Grade: 2

National strategies and planning guidelines are used well to ensure that learning is built on year on year, enabling children to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. The provision for ICT and the focus on developing speaking skills have both improved since the previous inspection. All children have the opportunity to learn French, which in itself promotes speaking skills further. Activities to enrich the curriculum through clubs, visits out and visitors invited 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 2007 into school are satisfactory but there are few opportunities to develop children's cultural awareness. The small number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well, ensuring their good progress.

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Grade: 2

Children are well cared for in the safe and supportive environment. High priority is given to health and safety arrangements in and around school. Good arrangements are in place to support children to transfer to their next school easily and happily. Good procedures to track how children are doing academically are used well to make sure that they achieve their predicted targets. However, the quality of marking is inconsistent. When teachers mark children's work they do not consistently identify what children need to do to improve their work and reach their targets.

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Grade: 2

The strong leadership of the headteacher drives the work of the school. Her high expectations ensure that all children achieve their best and are happy and safe in school. Subject leaders have become increasingly involved in monitoring their own subjects. This has helped to raise standards through ensuring that more children attain higher levels in writing and mathematics. In addition, improvements to the curriculum have increased children's enjoyment of learning. Issues from the previous inspection have been addressed effectively. The quality of the school's self-evaluation is good and clearly identifies areas for improvement. Tracking systems to monitor individual children's progress and raise their achievement have been developed well. Intervention programmes have been introduced to make sure that all children achieve their best. The governors are relatively new and are developing an understanding of the school's strengths

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Grade: 2

and weaknesses. Many are currently involved in training to enable them to support and challenge the work of the school more effectively. Most parents are very positive about the school. A typical comment was `This is a good school with caring and helpful staff.' 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 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? 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 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 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: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

17 October 2007 Dear Pupils Bromley Heath Infant School, Downend, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 6NJ Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit your school a few weeks ago. It was nice to see you working so hard in lessons and getting on so well with each other. We think you behave well in lessons, in the playground, in the dining hall and during assembly. You go to a good school. We are writing to let you know what we liked best about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We think, and your parents agree, that you are well cared for during your time in school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught well and make good progress as you learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The activities that are planned for you are good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ By the end of Year 2, your skills in literacy and numeracy are good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The headteacher and her team lead and manage the school well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have learnt lots about the importance of eating healthily and taking regular exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You talk sensibly about what you have to do to keep yourselves safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked the school to do two things to make it even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Check that when teachers mark your work they make sure that you know what you have to do to improve and reach your targets. ■ Help you to learn more about the different religions and beliefs that are found in our world.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Keep working hard, smiling and having fun as you learn. Best wishes Nina Bee Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Bromley Heath Infant School, 15 °16 October 2007

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Annex B

Bromley Heath Infant School, Downend, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 6NJ

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Annex B

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit your school a few weeks ago. It was nice to see you working so hard in lessons and getting on so well with each other. We think you behave well in lessons, in the playground, in the dining hall and during assembly. You go to a good school.

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Annex B

We are writing to let you know what we liked best about your school:

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Annex B

• We think, and your parents agree, that you are well cared for during your time in school. • You are taught well and make good progress as you learn. • The activities that are planned for you are good. • By the end of Year 2, your skills in literacy and numeracy are good. • The headteacher and her team lead and manage the school well. • You have learnt lots about the importance of eating healthily and taking regular exercise. • You talk sensibly about what you have to do to keep yourselves safe.

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Annex B

We have asked the school to do two things to make it even better:

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Annex B

• Check that when teachers mark your work they make sure that you know what you have to do to improve and reach your targets. • Help you to learn more about the different religions and beliefs that are found in our world.

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Annex B

Keep working hard, smiling and having fun as you learn.

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