Brixham Church of England Primary School

Brixham Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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113390 Unique Reference Number Torbay Local Authority 311246 Inspection number 27 °28 March 2008 Inspection dates Martin James 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 °10 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 223 School The governing body Appropriate authority Richard Morris Chair Mel Easter Headteacher 1 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Higher Ranscombe Road School address Brixham TQ5 9HF 01803 882575 Telephone number 01803 882575 Fax number

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3-10 Age group 27 °28 March 2008 Inspection dates 311246 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

The school was originally built as an infant school. As a result of a re-organisation of schools in the local authority, started in 2005, it is currently moving towards full primary school status, which will be complete in September 2008. At present, the oldest pupils in the school are in Year 5. The school is similar in size to most primary schools. Nearly all pupils are from a White British background. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than average, and the proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is below average. In recognition of its work, the school has received the Basic Skills Quality Mark, Activemark, Healthy Schools and International Schools awards.

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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: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good and effective school where pupils achieve well. It also has some significant strengths. Pupils really enjoy school and their excellent behaviour and attitudes illustrate this well. They are polite, courteous and welcoming. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Whilst care, guidance and support are good overall, pastoral care is outstanding, with the care and safety of its pupils being a priority of the school. Parents are exceptionally positive about the school, for example, one said, 'I am very happy with the school, and would recommend it to anyone.' Standards are broadly average and pupils achieve well. When children start in Nursery, their knowledge and skills are well below those expected, especially in relation to their language skills. During their time in the Foundation Stage, the children achieve well, although only a minority reach the goals set for them. Pupils continue

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Grade: 2

to achieve well in Years 1 to 5, with the result that standards at the end of Year 5 are broadly average. Overall, however, pupils perform slightly less well in writing than in other subjects. In the classrooms, relationships are good and teaching assistants are well deployed. Teachers make good use of a variety of strategies and resources, such as interactive whiteboards, to provide interesting lessons. Lessons are thoroughly planned, although teachers are more consistently successful in meeting the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities than the needs of more able pupils. The curriculum contributes well to pupils' learning and their enjoyment of school. It is interesting and varied, and helps to make the pupils very aware of the need to follow a healthy lifestyle. The school is reviewing and developing its curriculum as it grows to accommodate its full age range. In particular, it recognises the need to extend

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Grade: 2

the use of cross-curricular links, especially in relation to the development of writing skills. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and other staff members are a dedicated team committed to doing the best they can for their pupils. They have worked hard to deliver good provision for the increasing age range of pupils in the school, and they have coped well with the extensive building work that has taken place. It is to their great credit that this has happened with no detrimental effect on the pupils' learning, and the headteacher's management of these changes has been outstanding. Governors support the school well and they are presently working to further develop their monitoring role, particularly in relation to the provision being made for the older pupils. Exceptional use is made of outside bodies, such as sports coaches and special needs advisers, in supporting the work of the school. The good quality of the education currently

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Grade: 2

being provided and the improvements since the previous inspection show that the school has a good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The children settle happily into school and the adults provide them with an appropriate balance between teacher-led activities and opportunities for them to choose for themselves. The children behave well, although a very small number sometimes find it difficult to maintain concentration on the tasks they have chosen. A good range of resources is provided, with the outdoor area being used well. The staff work hard to create a friendly and caring learning environment, and the children enjoy school and develop good social skills. As a result of good teaching, the children make good progress, although because of their low starting point, only a minority attain the standards that are expected by the end of the year. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills through the work provided in other subjects. ■ Ensure that teachers consistently provide challenge in the work given to pupils, especially for those who are more able.

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Grade: 2

Standards overall are broadly average and pupils' achievement is good. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage, although the majority do not reach the early learning goals by the end of Reception. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well, and by the end of Year 2 standards are broadly average. Pupils perform slightly less well in writing than in the other subjects. By the end of Year 5, although the pupils' performance in writing remains a little lower than in other subjects, standards are broadly average. When they were in Year 2, the current Year 5 pupils were a lower performing group than those in the present Year 2. As a result, current standards represent good achievement from their starting point. The school makes good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and this is helping them to make consistently good progress towards their targets. The school recognises that the progress

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Grade: 2

made by more able pupils, although good overall, does not have the same consistency and that on occasions it could be better.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding and, in particular, there is exceptional provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. This is illustrated by their satisfactory, but much improved, attendance. Behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem. Pupils are courteous to visitors and are confident in talking about their achievements. They act safely around the school, being considerate towards others and the environment. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of keeping healthy is excellent. They eat fruit and healthy meals and benefit greatly from the opportunities provided for physical exercise. The school council gives pupils an effective voice in the school and members contribute well towards decisions affecting them. Pupils are also actively involved in the wider community and, for example, they participate in

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Grade: 1

the local music festival. The good progress that pupils are making in literacy and numeracy is preparing them well for later life.

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Grade: 2

Teachers display good subject knowledge. Classes are well managed and the very good relationships are a particular strength. Lessons are interesting, with a good mixture of whole-class and group activities. Teachers use a good range of resources and strategies, including interactive whiteboards and, as a result, pupils are very well behaved and keen to learn. Teaching assistants are well deployed to promote learning, especially that of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teachers make good use of paired discussions. On occasions, however, opportunities 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008 are missed for pupils to discuss their work at length in front of the whole class, to help them clarify their understanding of the work being undertaken. Teachers plan thoroughly to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Those of pupils with learning difficulties and/or

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Grade: 2

disabilities are met well. Planning is less consistent in taking account of the needs of more able pupils. On occasions, the work provided for these pupils is not challenging enough, so that their knowledge and skills are not fully extended during the lesson.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum enables pupils to study an interesting range of subjects and topics, and this contributes well to their good progress. The school is still developing and enhancing its curriculum, especially in relation to the increasing age range of the pupils present. Good use is made of the exciting outdoor environment, in science work for example. Some cross-curricular links are already in place, but the school recognises that these could be further developed, especially in relation to the use of literacy to help improve writing skills. In the Foundation Stage, there is a good balance between independent learning and teacher-directed activities. Any learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified well and pupils are provided with a most suitable range of interesting and relevant work. There is strong emphasis throughout the school on developing pupils' personal and social skills, and the curriculum makes an outstanding

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Grade: 2

contribution to pupils' safe and healthy lifestyles. There is also an exceptional range of educational outings and extra-curricular activities, which the pupils support with great enthusiasm.

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Grade: 2

Adults ensure that there is outstanding and most effective pastoral care. Staff are highly committed to the safety of their pupils. Child protection procedures are good and safeguarding procedures are robust. Outside agencies are used very effectively to support pupils when a need is identified. Staff ensure that pupils work in a safe, secure and clean environment. Safety checks and risk assessments are routinely carried out. Pupils are taught about the importance of healthy living and they are reminded of the need to take care and stay safe, for instance, when using computers. Guidance and support in lessons are effective, such as through the careful use of lesson objectives and success criteria. However, some of the targets provided for pupils are rather broad and do not always make it clear enough to pupils what they need to do to improve their work. Similarly, whilst teachers regularly provide comments of praise

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Grade: 2

and encouragement when marking pupils' books, they do not always give advice on how to make work better.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher leads the school with dedication and skill, and she is supported most effectively by other senior leaders. There is a shared and clear sense of purpose to make the best possible provision for pupils and to help them achieve as well as they can. In particular, all staff have been most successful in dealing with both the change from infant to primary status and the extensive new building that has taken place recently. The management of these changes by the headteacher has been exceptional. The school has good systems for finding out how well 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008 it is doing and the self-review has accurately identified strengths and areas for development. For example, senior leaders recognise that more able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged in their work. Subject leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the strengths in the subjects

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Grade: 2

for which they are responsible and they have been actively involved in extending the curriculum into Years 3 to 5. They are now working to develop their knowledge and skills in readiness for the full primary age range. Governance is good, with the governors being fully involved, for example, in producing the school improvement plan. They are also currently enhancing their overall understanding and awareness of the provision for the older pupils, in order to be in a position to both support and challenge the school in its performance. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 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? 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ 29 March 2008 Dear Pupils Brixham CE Primary School, Brixham, TQ5 9HF Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed our visit and it was a pleasure talking to you. My colleague especially liked talking to the school council, and we both really enjoyed joining you in assembly. I am writing to tell you what we found out about the school, what we think is good, and what we think could be made better. Overall, you are in a good school, where you are doing well with your work. The headteacher and other staff know what they need to do to make the school even better. These things are some of the strengths of the school: ■ Teaching is good and teachers provide you with interesting lessons.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour and your attitudes to your work are excellent.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You really enjoy the outstanding range of activities that the school provides, such as visits and different clubs. ■ You know about how important it is to eat healthy food and take exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff know you well and take very great care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your parents are very pleased with the school. These are things the school has been asked to improve: ■ Provide you with more opportunities to develop your writing skills, through the work you are given in other subjects. ■ Make sure that you all get work in lessons that suits you, and is hard enough for you. You can help, too, by telling your teacher if you think your work is too easy. We wish you all good luck for the future. Best wishes Yours sincerely Martin James Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Brixham Church of England Primary School, 27 °28 March 2008

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Annex B

Brixham CE Primary School, Brixham, TQ5 9HF

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Annex B

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed our visit and it was a pleasure talking to you. My colleague especially liked talking to the school council, and we both really enjoyed joining you in assembly. I am writing to tell you what we found out about the school, what we think is good, and what we think could be made better. Overall, you are in a good school, where you are doing well with your work. The headteacher and other staff know what they need to do to make the school even better.

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Annex B

These things are some of the strengths of the school:

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Annex B

• Teaching is good and teachers provide you with interesting lessons. • Your behaviour and your attitudes to your work are excellent. • You really enjoy the outstanding range of activities that the school provides, such as visits and different clubs. • You know about how important it is to eat healthy food and take exercise. • The staff know you well and take very great care of you. • Your parents are very pleased with the school.

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Annex B

These are things the school has been asked to improve:

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Annex B

• Provide you with more opportunities to develop your writing skills, through the work you are given in other subjects. • Make sure that you all get work in lessons that suits you, and is hard enough for you.

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Annex B

You can help, too, by telling your teacher if you think your work is too easy.

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Annex B

We wish you all good luck for the future.

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