Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery

Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery Inspection report

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119230 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 326977 Inspection number 14 November 2008 Inspection date Lynne Read Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 193 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Carol O'Neill Chair Miss Anita Edwards Headteacher 1 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Brant Road School address Preston Lancashire PR1 5TU 01772 792302 Telephone number

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3–11 Age group 14 November 2008 Inspection date 326977 Inspection number 01772 795523 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 14 November 2008 Inspection date 326977 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. 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: achievement and standards; teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and both key stages, especially in writing and for the more able; pupils’ attitudes and behaviour; the breadth of the curriculum in meeting all pupils’ needs; enrichment activities; health and safety and safeguarding procedures; and the quality and impact of leadership and management, especially in raising achievement in the EYFS. Evidence was gathered from: lesson observations, assessment data, records and documents, parents’ replies to the questionnaires and discussions with staff, governors and pupils. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were

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Introduction

not justified and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This average sized primary school is situated in an area of social disadvantage on the outskirts of Preston. The proportion of pupils claiming free school meals is well above average. Most pupils are of White British backgrounds with around 20% having European, Caribbean or Asian heritage. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school has a high proportion of pupils who enter or leave part way through their education. The EYFS comprises a Nursery for children over three years of age and a Reception class. A privately run Neighbourhood Nursery shares the school’s accommodation and an adjoining Children’s Centre has recently been developed. These facilities offer before and after school care, day care and holiday clubs.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008

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Grade: 1

Brockholes Wood is an outstanding school. It provides outstanding value for money and has developed a high reputation within the community. Parents are very happy with the provision and the progress their children make. Comments from the parents’ questionnaire include praise for the ‘warm, friendly school environment’ and the staff who are ‘highly committed to the children’s learning and welfare’. Teachers and managers use a variety of strategies to eliminate any potential barriers to learning and this is the key to the school’s success. Excellent links with the adjoining Children’s Centre, Neighbourhood Nursery and a host of specialist agencies result in exceptional support for a wide range of differing needs. This places the school at the heart of a wide range of very effective measures to support the local community and promote community cohesion. Children enter the nursery with levels of development below those found nationally for their

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Grade: 1

age. They make good progress and reach standards that are broadly average by the end of Year 2. These levels of attainment are above those found nationally in schools in similar contexts. Standards have been rising rapidly in recent years as a result of improved early learning opportunities in the school and the adjoining provision. Pupils reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 6. However, these pupils did not have the benefit of the improved early years provision and entered Year 1 with well below average attainment. They have made outstanding progress from low starting points. Measures of progress from age 7 to age 11 put the school in the top 6% across the country and challenging targets are exceeded. An excellent range of special and individual teaching programmes boosts progress for the high proportion of pupils who have learning or emotional difficulties and/or disabilities. Many attain the expected

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Grade: 1

standards by the end of Year 6 and move on with a secure platform for their future education. This outstanding work is recognised through an Excellence in Learning Award. Boys, girls and pupils from minority ethnic groups do equally well. The more able pupils have additional challenges with an increased proportion of the current Year 6 working at higher levels. Teaching is outstanding. Relationships are excellent and pupils say they like and trust their teachers. Lessons include a repertoire of techniques and activities to meet the different learning styles of pupils and to keep them interested. For example, pupils enjoy opportunities for active learning, such as short discussions or ‘challenges’. The information from regular assessments is very well used to plan tasks for the different ability groups. Teachers guide pupils very effectively in their learning. They provide useful feedback in lessons and marking indicates

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Grade: 1

where pupils have succeeded and where they need to improve. Learning goals are displayed and set at different levels of challenge, and pupils are constantly encouraged to evaluate their own progress. As a result of these excellent measures, they become independent learners and are confident to set ambitious targets for themselves. Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. Pupils are cocooned within a nurturing environment and have an outstanding programme of personal and social education. Excellent attention is given to safeguarding procedures. Pupils say they feel very secure and that bullying is a thing of the past. Those who have emotional or behavioural difficulties are provided with excellent help and understanding so they are able to cope with the conventions of school life. Staff ensure that small problems are identified and tackled before they escalate into issues that could affect

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Grade: 1

learning. For example, the sensory room is well used to provide an oasis of calm where pupils can have ‘time out’ for reflection and counselling. Pupil ‘buddies’ and ‘peer listeners’ are trained 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008 to help sort out issues that arise at playtimes. The learning mentor plays a pivotal role in caring for pupils. She forges links with families and promotes the pupils’ self-esteem and social skills. She is easily accessible and highly regarded by pupils and parents alike. Various award systems encourage good work and thoughtful deeds. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils of different backgrounds work and play together harmoniously. New arrivals soon integrate into this friendly community and make outstanding progress. Attendance is only satisfactory in spite of the school’s extensive efforts to improve the situation. The early opening of school doors allows

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Grade: 1

pupils to attend the popular toast club or engage in classroom activities. Parents also welcome this opportunity to chat informally with staff. The system encourages good attendance and punctuality but some families take holidays in term time which increases the absence rate. With the help of outside agencies, this is a current focus for improvement. The Healthy Schools and Activemark awards recognise the outstanding work done in learning about healthy living and the take up of sporting and physical activities. The elected school council plays an excellent role in decision making. For example, it helped to select playground equipment and was active in raising funds for charity during the inspection. The outstanding curriculum includes some innovative practices to fire pupils’ enthusiasm. Pupils contribute to the planning of topic work so learning meets their interests and answers their questions. Well trained teaching assistants run personalised programmes which are tailored to

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Grade: 1

specific needs and result in rapid progress. ‘Golden Time’ is the highlight of the week with an exciting range of activities to reward pupils for their hard work. During the inspection, for example, some pupils worked on dance routines, some had sports coaching, while others cooked healthy ‘mud pies’. Links between subjects provide good opportunities for pupils to strengthen literacy and computer skills. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning, especially themed events such as the recent ‘Pirates Day’. An extensive range of extra-curricular clubs, visits and visiting specialists enhances learning and broadens pupils’ horizons. Leadership and management are outstanding and very firmly focused on high achievement. A strong emphasis on teamwork means that management tasks are often a collaborative exercise. This leads to the sharing of expertise and experience. As a result, excellent systems are in place

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Grade: 1

for critically evaluating the work of the school and to plan improvements. The effectiveness of the management structure is illustrated by the fact that the acting headteacher was able to step smoothly into the post, providing outstanding leadership for the team of hard-working staff. All at Brockholes Wood are committed to providing the best for pupils. There is no complacency and the school has made strong headway since the last inspection. Because managers continually identify areas for potential improvement and act on them, there is excellent capacity for the school to maintain its strengths and overcome issues that arise. Governors are exceptionally well informed and take an active part in managing and leading the school. They are not afraid to try out innovative ideas in their pursuit of excellence and use resources from within and outside the school to best effect. Governance is outstanding and all statutory

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Grade: 2

Very effective leadership and management of the EYFS ensure effective communication and consistency of approach between the school, the Children’s Centre and the Neighbourhood Nursery. As a result of these good links, the children settle quickly into the school Nursery and get off to a flying start. At this stage, their development is still below that typical for their age, especially in personal and social development, speech and language skills and knowledge and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008 understanding of the world. However, this has risen over recent years from well below that usually found. Children quickly grow in confidence and relish all the activities. As a result, they make good progress in all areas of learning with excellent progress in personal and language development. Nearly all children are now reaching most of the expected goals by the start of

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Grade: 2

Year 1 but they are less confident in their early writing. Very effective systems are in place to ensure high quality care and welfare in the EYFS so children are safe and secure. Each child’s development is carefully assessed by the key worker, and adults include the right support or challenge into tasks. Teaching is very good overall and a wide range of exciting activities and opportunities are provided, both inside and outdoors. There is a good balance between the time children spend in small teaching groups and opportunities for them to choose their own activity and be independent learners. They have plentiful opportunities for early reading, learning about numbers and solving problems. However, they do not have sufficient opportunities to develop early writing skills, such as pencil control or drawing shapes and letters.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the development of early writing skills in the EYFS. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, Lancashire, PR1 5TU Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave my colleague and me when we visited your school. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and appreciated all the help you gave us and the interesting conversations we had. In return, I would like to tell you what we found out. Brockholes Wood is an outstanding school. Some of the things that impressed us most were your excellent behaviour and the interesting range of activities you have. You get on extremely well together and take very good care of each other. You are a credit to your families and your school. Your council members ensure that your views are known and they are good at putting your case forward. It was good to see your fundraising work for Children in Need. It shows that you are growing into thoughtful citizens and that you care about those who are less fortunate

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in the world. The school is a safe and happy place and, you say, teachers are ‘very kind’ and ‘help you out when you’re having a bad time’. I haven’t space to list all the favourite things about school that we discussed but I know that sport, computer work and Golden Time were high on the list. It is good to know that bullying does not happen. Your ‘buddies’ and ‘peer listeners’ do a excellent job in ensuring that playtimes are happy occasions. You also praised the help provided by your learning mentor and said that the sensory room is ‘great if you are in a mood’. Please thank your parents for sending lots of replies to the questionnaire. They are very pleased with the school, especially the excellent learning and teaching. You are keen to learn, work hard and are making excellent progress. I think that some of you in the Nursery and Reception Classes would benefit from more work in early writing to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your progress even better. I have asked your teachers to provide more opportunities for you to draw patterns, shapes, letters and simple words. Thank you once again for the interesting conversations we had and for letting us share your day. Both you and the staff can be tremendously proud of your exciting school. Please accept my best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Lynne Read Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery, 14 November 2008

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