Leigh and Bransford Primary School

Leigh and Bransford Primary School Inspection report

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116776 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire Local Authority 312398 Inspection number 21 February 2008 Inspection date Paul Sadler 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 86 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mark Page Chair Stuart Bill Headteacher 1 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Hoopers Close School address Leigh Sinton Malvern WR13 5DX 01886 832342 Telephone number 01886 833057 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 21 February 2008 Inspection date 312398 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

This small school serves several areas of mainly private housing. Pupils are almost all of White British background. None are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals is low, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. From time to time children of Traveller communities attend the school. The present headteacher took up his post in September 2007. The school has a number of awards for excellence in sport, health and early years education. It provides care for pupils both before and after school.

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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: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school in which pupils' achievement is excellent. The main reasons for this success are consistently outstanding teaching and an exciting curriculum, enabled by leadership and management which has unusual strength in depth for such a small school. Parents are universal in their praise. The comment of one, that 'the staff are committed to providing a high standard of education and are prepared to go the extra mile to do so', is typical of many. Children start school with the expected levels of skill and knowledge. They make rapid progress in the Foundation Stage and throughout Years 1 to 6, by the end of which they attain standards that are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils also have a better-than-expected understanding of other areas such as physical education (PE) and of how to lead a healthy and safe life. Occasionally, the usually very high standards of older pupils'

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Grade: 1

work is let down by weak spelling and presentation. Pupils very much enjoy all that the school has to offer. They speak with real enthusiasm for the many opportunities for sport and outdoor education, which start from the Foundation Stage. They behave well and report that bullying, a feature in the recent past, is now declining and is dealt with effectively by staff. Their attendance is above average. Pupils have limited knowledge of the range of cultures and faiths present in British society. Teaching is excellent because teachers have very high expectations of what their pupils can achieve, and they respond accordingly. Tasks are carefully planned, based on accurate assessments of what pupils already know. Pupils are taught what they will need to know in order to understand and complete the tasks. Marking is very good and shows pupils how to improve their work. It is also used to set targets which pupils use to monitor their own progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils with learning difficulties, and the more able, are given appropriate tasks and excellent support, so that all pupils make extremely good progress. The curriculum is enriched by modern foreign languages, including Spanish and French, by care for pupils both before and after school, and by an exciting range of sports and clubs. The school provides excellent care for all pupils and all requirements for child protection are in place. The recently appointed headteacher receives excellent support from other leaders and managers. There are particular strengths in the leadership of the Foundation Stage, personal and social education and in provision for more-able pupils, as well as very good subject leadership. Governors support the school very well and challenge it to improve further by setting ambitious targets that are achieved. Leaders and managers have an excellent understanding of the school's

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Grade: 1

strengths and weaknesses and have worked successfully to remedy the latter, for instance, in subject leadership. The school has undergone further rapid improvement since the last inspection removed special measures in 2006, and is in an excellent position to make more improvements.

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Grade: 1

The Foundation Stage is outstanding. Arrangements for children to start school are excellent and forge a partnership with parents that continues throughout the school. Assessment of children's progress is rigorous and accurate, and activities are planned to develop independence and teamwork. The curriculum is exciting and excellent use is made of the external environment, both in the school grounds and further afield. Leadership and management, and the impact of 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008 all staff working as a team, are also outstanding. As a result, all pupils make excellent progress and attain the goals set for children of their age. Their behaviour is excellent, as is the progress of their social and emotional development. The provision has rightly received a national award for excellence in the field of early years education.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ In order to raise standards even further in writing, improve the spelling and presentation skills of older pupils. ■ Improve pupils' knowledge and understanding of the range of cultures and faiths that contribute to British society.

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Grade: 1

By the end of the Foundation Stage, pupils are well prepared for more formal learning. Skills of reading, writing and mathematics develop quickly in Years 1 and 2, by the end of which pupils attain standards that are above average. In Years 3 to 6 they continue to make excellent progress, for instance, pupils in Years 3 and 4 can identify grammatical features such as simile and metaphor. By the end of Year 6 they write with fluency and sophistication. However, excellent work is sometimes spoiled by weak spelling and untidy presentation. Standards attained in national tests at the end of Year 6 are well above average, and the excellent progress of pupils is demonstrated by the fact that in 2007 every pupil made at least the expected progress in Years 3 °6 in both English and mathematics. Pupils also attain higher-than-expected standards in other subjects, including information and communication technology (ICT), drama,

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Grade: 1

Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to learning. They report that bullying has occurred in the recent past but that this is reducing and is tackled effectively by staff. They have an exceptionally good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe, for instance, showing awareness of the dangers of activities as diverse as using the Internet and horse riding, and of the misuse of drugs and alcohol. They make an excellent contribution to the community, both in school, where they are members of houses and have an effective school council, and in the wider community, where they give musical and theatrical performances. The development of the skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT that they will need in later life is excellent. While pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is very good indeed, they have limited knowledge of the range of cultures and faiths that are represented in British society.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is consistently excellent throughout the school. Pupils are urged to strive to do their best and this is achieved through outstanding teaching of what is required, for instance, when pupils in Years 3 and 4 preceded the writing of a mystery story by reading examples and exploring the language and vocabulary used. Questioning is used very well to encourage pupils to think and to give extended, high quality answers. Pupils' progress is tracked carefully and is used to 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008 plan work that ensures maximum progress. Marking is effective in showing pupils how to improve. Experienced teaching assistants provide very good support to all pupils, especially younger pupils and those with learning difficulties.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum has exceptional breadth for a school of this size. The youngest pupils spend much of their time outside; as a parent said, 'My daughter especially enjoys Welly Wednesday'. Work is planned well to ensure that skills such as literacy are developed through other subjects. Older pupils experience a range of well planned activities and are given many opportunities to use ICT. They also experience unusual sports such as squash. They talk enthusiastically about educational visits, for instance, to a Roman villa site. Social and emotional education is integrated very well into other aspects of the curriculum. There is an exceptional range of out of school activities, including breakfast and after school clubs, and many sports, as well as a range of opportunities for more able pupils.

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Grade: 1

Parents value the knowledge individual staff have of their children, which leads to excellent care. Particular attention is given to pupils' safety in the many physical and outdoor activities they pursue. The school meets all requirements for child protection. Pupils receive very good academic guidance as they are set targets which are monitored through opportunities to assess their own and each other's work, so that they know what they need to learn next. Older pupils feel well prepared for secondary school.

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Grade: 1

Leaders and managers at all levels are exceptionally effective and well trained, an improvement since the last inspection. Teaching is monitored by observation and the scrutiny of pupils' work, so there is a very good understanding of the school's effectiveness. The latter are tackled, for example, by increasing opportunities for scientific investigation. The views of parents and pupils are sought and acted upon. Resources are used well, for instance, to refurbish classrooms and purchase equipment for ICT, although many library books are outdated. The school has excellent partnerships with others, including agencies, other local schools and preschools, and with parents. The governing body has gained strength under the leadership of the recently appointed chair, with additional training and effective new approaches to monitoring the school's work. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 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? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 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?

1 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: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

03 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Leigh and Bransford Primary School, Malvern WR13 5DX We very much enjoyed talking and listening to you and seeing your work when we visited your school recently. I want to thank those of you who took time to talk to us. Yours is a super school in which you make outstanding progress in your work. Some of the best things about the school are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You do very well in the tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6, and also in other subjects, including PE, music and ICT. ■ The youngest children get an excellent start in the Foundation Stage.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teaching is excellent because teachers explain things clearly and give you work that is not too easy or difficult. ■ You say correctly that there are lots of exciting things to do, such as in school visits and PE.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You really enjoy coming to school; you told us this is because the staff are caring and friendly, and lessons are interesting. ■ The staff look after you very well. You look after each other and your behaviour is good. You told us there is less bullying and that it is dealt with well. ■ You take responsibility, for instance, in the school council and in helping younger pupils.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know a lot about keeping healthy and safe. You eat sensibly, take exercise and know about safety in doing things from using the Internet to horse riding! ■ You are very confident and talk to adults in a mature and sensible way.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your parents rightly believe that the school is excellent and that you are getting a superb education. The school is led in an excellent way. The headteacher, governors and staff understand how to make the school even better and are very good at doing so. I have asked them to make sure that you are taught more about the different backgrounds of the people who live in Britain, and to improve your spelling and presentation to help your written work to shine. You can help by continuing to always do your best work. Thank you once again for your help, and good luck in the future. Paul Sadler Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Leigh and Bransford Primary School, 21 February 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Leigh and Bransford Primary School, Malvern WR13 5DX

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Annex B

We very much enjoyed talking and listening to you and seeing your work when we visited your school recently. I want to thank those of you who took time to talk to us.

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Annex B

Yours is a super school in which you make outstanding progress in your work. Some of the best things about the school are

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Annex B

• You do very well in the tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6, and also in other subjects, including PE, music and ICT. • The youngest children get an excellent start in the Foundation Stage. • The teaching is excellent because teachers explain things clearly and give you work that is not too easy or difficult. • You say correctly that there are lots of exciting things to do, such as in school visits and PE. • You really enjoy coming to school; you told us this is because the staff are caring and friendly, and lessons are interesting. • The staff look after you very well. You look after each other and your behaviour is good. You told us there is less bullying and that it is dealt with well. • You take responsibility, for instance, in the school council and in helping younger pupils. • You know a lot about keeping healthy and safe. You eat sensibly, take exercise and know about safety in doing things from using the Internet to horse riding!

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Annex B

• You are very confident and talk to adults in a mature and sensible way. • Your parents rightly believe that the school is excellent and that you are getting a superb education.

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Annex B

The school is led in an excellent way. The headteacher, governors and staff understand how to make the school even better and are very good at doing so. I have asked them to make sure that you are taught more about the different backgrounds of the people who live in Britain, and to improve your spelling and presentation to help your written work to shine. You can help by continuing to always do your best work.

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Annex B

Thank you once again for your help, and good luck in the future.

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