Braiswick Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of the wider curriculum by increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in subjects other than English and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Despite the challenges of establishing a new school, including, for example, the continuous influx of pupils, leaders are clear in their resolve to raise standards. Leaders ensure that the induction of new pupils to the school is planned well and teachers find out what these pupils know as quickly as possible to ensure that they make good progress from the outset.
• The trust provides effective support for the school. It ensures that there are regular opportunities for schools in the trust to work together in identifying what they do well and what they need to improve. Trustees and school leaders speak of the ‘open and honest’ ethos and culture they encourage. As a result, the trust continuously supports the school to improve its provision for pupils. The trust does this in a number of ways, including organising reviews of teaching and learning with leaders of the other schools in the trust.
• The leadership of English and mathematics is good. This is because leaders monitor these subjects closely. This is evidenced by their in-depth knowledge and understanding of outcomes for pupils throughout the school. Additionally, leaders have implemented a number of effective systems which are improving pupils’ outcomes in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. For example, the English leader has introduced a new reading programme and is promoting a love of reading by devoting regular time for all pupils to ‘drop everything and read’.
• Leaders check the accuracy of assessments well. For example, they provide teachers with opportunities to compare their assessments with those of teachers in other schools. Leaders arrange these meetings to check that teachers are accurate in their assessments.
• Pupil premium funding is spent well. This is because leaders accurately identify any barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils have. Leaders consider carefully what will make a difference to the progress that disadvantaged pupils make. Academic and pastoral support are checked rigorously. The teachers and teaching assistants who deliver individualised programmes of support are trained well. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils’ needs are well met and they are making consistently good progress from their starting points.
• Senior leaders support teachers effectively to develop and improve their practice. For example, teachers are encouraged to share good practice and adapt this to suit the needs of the pupils they teach. This is resulting in pupils’ needs being met and, consequently, increasingly strong progress being made.
• Leaders hold teachers to account for the outcomes of the pupils they teach. Teachers meet with leaders regularly to review their practice. Leaders support teachers to improve the quality of their teaching. For example, leaders provide time for teachers to observe each other teaching. This helps them to identify strengths and areas to improve in their own teaching.
• The sport premium is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in competitive sport and to ‘kick-start’ healthy, active lifestyles. For example, the school is investing in a cycle track for early years children and netball training for older pupils.
• The additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively to enable pupils to make good progress. Leaders’ monitoring of progress is robust and clear structures are in place to ensure that monitoring takes place regularly. Pupils are identified quickly if they do not make good progress.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They believe their children are happy and are learning well. Parents hold the view that the school provides their children with a safe environment in which to learn. A typical parent comment is: ‘We are extremely happy that our child attends Braiswick. The teaching and leadership staff are incredibly passionate and genuinely care about the children’s academic success.’
• Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain and British values are promoted well. Leaders and staff embrace the richness of ethnicities which make up their school. For example, an event during the inspection celebrated Indian dance and music. This successfully enabled pupils to experience, at first hand, a glimpse of Indian culture. This kind of event is common practice and complements the curriculum well.
• Mutual respect is clearly evident throughout the school day. Pupils learn to do more than merely tolerate different faiths and cultures. For example, in one class, a group of Muslim pupils spoke to their peers about their faith during their learning about Islam. This enabled other pupils to learn first-hand about a religion different to their own.
• Leaders oversee the design of the curriculum and successfully ensure that it is broad and balanced. Leaders adapt the curriculum in order to give pupils meaningful experiences, such as learning about cookery and other life skills. Leaders ensure that pupils develop an awareness of Colchester’s importance in Roman Britain.

Governance of the school

• Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities effectively. The headteacher shares valid information with the governors so that they are well informed about the school’s work in continuous school improvement. Governors use the information to make purposeful visits to the school and they share their findings with leaders. The school has found visits helpful, particularly as the school grows.
• Governors challenge leaders and hold them to account. For example, governors requested evidence from leaders to prove that the school’s high teacher-to-pupil ratio is leading to better outcomes.
• Governors speak passionately about the school and contribute proactively towards moving the school forward. For example, their involvement in devising the school improvement plan is effective because they know well the school’s strengths and the areas that need to improve.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff receive appropriate training and are knowledgeable about how to identify signs that a pupil may be harmed or at risk of being harmed, including signs that a pupil may be at risk of being radicalised. This helps leaders in keeping pupils safe.
• Leaders have established clear and consistent practices to ensure that safeguarding is a priority. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about pupils. Staff are vigilant and follow processes well.
• Leaders make referrals to external agencies appropriately and in good time. Leaders regularly check up on pupils that they are concerned about and make further referrals if they are still concerned. This ensures that all pupils are well cared for and safe.
• Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils who encounter difficulties which make them vulnerable are supported with sensitivity. The pastoral team is a strength of the school.
• Pupils say that they feel safe at school and are confident about the support that adults provide. Pupils learn how to stay safe on the internet and how to use technology safely.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Questioning is effective. This is because it gives pupils the chance to consider, reflect and respond effectively, demonstrating their increasing and deepening knowledge and understanding. Consequently, pupils’ progress is increasingly strong over time.
• Most teachers have strong subject knowledge. This is particularly the case in reading, writing and mathematics. This enables teachers to plan sufficiently wide-ranging and challenging tasks that extend pupils’ knowledge and, consequently, meet their varying needs effectively.
• Teachers use assessment well. They assess learning in a variety of ways and use the information gained to inform their judgements and plan the next steps for pupils. Teachers’ use of assessment is particularly effective when pupils are new to the school. For example, teachers plan tasks which ensure that they take pupils’ starting points into account.
• Where teaching is most effective, teachers deploy additional adults well to support pupils’ learning. They plan tasks that precisely meet pupils’ needs in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers give clear instructions and identify misconceptions quickly. For example, in a key stage 1 mathematics lesson, the teacher quickly identified that a number of pupils had misunderstood the terms ‘clockwise’ and ‘anti-clockwise.’ After a quick clear explanation, pupils were able to continue with their learning.
• The school’s chosen approach to the teaching of mathematics is applied consistently. Pupils have time to practise mathematical skills and have regular opportunities to reason and apply their skills in mathematics lessons. Teachers skilfully challenge pupils of all abilities, exposing them to appropriate learning for their age.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Teachers use a range of resources to meet pupils’ needs and to capture their interest. Teachers say that this approach helps them to teach precisely what pupils need to learn. The work in pupils’ books shows that pupils have good phonics knowledge and use these skills in their writing.
• The teaching of reading comprehension is good. Pupils are encouraged to use their existing knowledge to help them to understand what they read. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils were reading ‘The ladybird who lost its spots’. One pupil suggested that the ladybird could drink a magic drink in order to get its spots back, drawing on their existing knowledge of a book they had read in Year 1.
• Pupils read widely and often. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils to identify the separate sounds in words and then blend them together to read them. Pupils who do not read well enough in key stage 1 are supported with successful programmes of support so that their reading improves quickly as they move into key stage 2.
• Teachers use the school’s outside environment well in order to broaden pupils’ learning. For example, a ‘forest school’ has been introduced, where pupils learn outdoors in a woodland area. Leaders have found that this has improved the richness of the curriculum provided for pupils.
• Provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is good. Teachers and teaching assistants consider pupils’ additional needs well and use a good range of strategies in order to meet those needs. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are able to access the curriculum with more confidence and success.
• Teaching in the wider curriculum is not as consistently strong as in reading, writing and mathematics lessons. This is because pupils have limited opportunities to apply their basic skills, particularly their writing. For example, pupils have too few chances to write at length. This limits their ability to develop the stamina to write longer pieces of text.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. 
• Pupils are very proud of their school and of each other. They enjoy their own successes and those of their classmates. For example, when a pupil was contributing lots of adjectives during a lesson, another pupil complimented her performance and enthusiastically said, ‘She’s on fire!’
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptional. Pupils are extremely keen to learn and to do well. They persevere with learning activities, even when they are challenging. Pupils know that they must do their very best in order to achieve as well as they possibly can. Pupils are now making better progress as a result of their excellent attitudes to learning.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are extremely positive. The school’s pastoral support is highly effective because adults know all the pupils particularly well. Pupils trust the staff and know that they can confide in any adult at school if they are worried or concerned. This helps to keep pupils safe.
• These very strong relationships also ensure that pupils feel safe in their learning. They know that making mistakes is part of the learning process and not something to be embarrassed by. This knowledge gives pupils the confidence to take risks with their learning, without the fear of getting something wrong.

• Adults have high expectations of themselves as well as of pupils. They model respect and good manners in their interactions with pupils and with other adults. Pupils try very hard to follow the example they are given. As a result, pupils are consistently polite and courteous, and show exceptionally good manners.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well, both in their classrooms and during breaktimes. They listen very carefully during lessons and follow instructions quickly. As a result, it is extremely rare for learning to be disrupted by negative behaviour and very little learning time is lost.
• The very occasional incidents of challenging behaviour are managed particularly well. Leaders use their strong knowledge of pupils to ensure that measures are put in place to meet pupils’ behavioural needs where necessary. Where incidents do occur, effective action is taken to ensure that these do not have a negative impact on the learning of others.
• The attendance of pupils is consistently good. Leaders use a variety of strategies which have successfully improved attendance. For example, they award the much-coveted attendance cup in the weekly celebration assembly. Leaders work in partnership with an external agency to support them in improving the attendance of pupils who have previously been regular non-attenders.
• Although rare, leaders keep comprehensive records of behavioural incidents, including bullying. These records show that appropriate follow-up is timely and relevant to ensure that incidents are dealt with swiftly. Pupils demonstrate that they learn from their mistakes and are rarely involved in negative behaviour a second time.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s current assessment information shows that all pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ books and checks by professionals external to the school confirm this. Pupils make better progress in reading than they do in writing. This is because pupils do not have enough opportunities to write across the curriculum. The school has identified writing as an area to improve.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and very strong progress in Years 1, 3, 4 and 6. This is because teaching is very closely matched to their needs in these year groups.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because teachers use specific teaching strategies for pupils to learn English vocabulary as quickly as possible. For example, pupils are taught key words before the teacher uses them in a lesson with the whole class.
• In 2017, disadvantaged pupils achieved below other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1. The achievement of disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 1 has improved in 2018. This is because leaders have identified barriers to learning and taken action to reduce them. For example, where disadvantaged pupils struggle with understanding the text that they are reading, teachers introduce them to a strategy that helps them to improve their comprehension skills. As a result, disadvantaged pupils now make good progress in reading.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2018 has increased significantly from 2017. Attainment in phonics and at the end of key stage 1 has improved. Pupils achieve better in reading than writing at the end of key stage 1.
• In key stage 1 in 2017, attainment was below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics at the expected standard, and below the national average in reading and mathematics at the greater-depth standard. Initial results this year indicate an improvement in the proportions of pupils attaining the expected standard and greater depth. Work in pupils’ books shows that currently pupils in key stage 1 are working on activities that are appropriate for their age.
• Inspection evidence shows that pupils throughout key stage 2 are making strong progress from their starting points. Where attainment is low in key stage 2, pupils catch up quickly from their low starting points. This shows that Year 6 pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Teachers plan learning activities with pupils’ move to secondary school in mind. For example, Year 6 pupils were studying a Ted Hughes poem while learning ‘literature’, rather than ‘reading’ in preparation for literature lessons at secondary school.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years is outstandingly well led and managed. The early years leader is effective because she has an exceptional oversight of the early years area and knows what constitutes high-quality early years provision. Leaders have a thorough understanding of the strengths of the provision and the areas they want to develop.
• Leaders recognised that, on entry, the developmental starting points of over half of the children were low. As a result of considerable work to adapt the provision and introduce specific interventions, most children achieved a good level of development this year, for the second consecutive year.
• All adults have a secure knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. This astute oversight ensures that all adults know how to develop and deepen children’s learning through consistently high-quality questioning and using continual assessment opportunities. For example, an outdoor activity focused on counting money. An adult asked a child if there was another way to do it and the child responded by showing the adult.
• Both the inside and outside environments provide a variety of opportunities that ensure all children are able to make good progress from their starting points. Adults intervene skilfully to ensure that during ‘free flow’, where children choose for themselves the activities they want to try, no opportunities for learning are lost.
• Adults support children well so that they make the progress they are capable of. Teachers and teaching assistants provide opportunities for children to make progress in all areas of learning. Adults plan activities that accurately meet children’s needs. Adult-led activities successfully ensure that children make at least good progress from their various starting points.
• Adults provide the necessary support for disadvantaged children and children who have SEN and/or disabilities. Leaders monitor interventions rigorously and track progress to make sure that children receive the support they need to help them to develop and make good progress.
• Leaders provide a wealth of learning opportunities in a number of innovative ways, including an allotment and a theatre. Children also use a range of materials to create their own learning. For example, children used tools and materials to create a bus in the outdoor area. They sat on their ‘bus’ and were on the way to Mersea Beach. They told the inspector enthusiastically that they were practising going to the beach because that was where they would be going on a school trip the next day.
• Children are inquisitive learners. They already have a good, secure attitude towards their own learning. Questioning is effective because it encourages children to reflect and think. This deepens their learning and prepares them well for key stage 1.
• Parental engagement has improved considerably. Parents enjoy contributing towards their children’s learning journey and they value the workshops leaders hold.
• Children are happy and feel safe in their learning environment. All statutory safeguarding requirements are met well. All adults interact effectively with children and move them on in their learning, as well as helping them to feel safe. Children are well looked after and have positive relationships with the adults who support them. 

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140396 Essex 10046585 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 237 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Nick Ridley Lorraine Laudrum 01206 841 951 www.braiswickprimary.org.uk admin@braiswickprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school is an average-sized primary school. It opened as an academy in September 2015 under the sponsorship and management of The Learning Pathways Trust.
• The school accepts pupils where there are spaces in all year groups. Therefore, mobility is high and pupils arrive at different points during the year. The school is expanding rapidly. 
• The school is two form entry up to Year 2, with an additional third class in Year 1.
• There is one mixed-age class of Years 3 and 4 and a mixed-age class of Years 5 and 6. Pupils in Year 6 are usually taught separately.
• The pupils are predominantly of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan to support their SEN is lower than average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is in line with the national average.

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Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes and were joined by the headteacher or deputy headteacher for most observations. Inspectors observed the forest school provision and attended a celebration assembly.
• Inspectors met with a range of leaders and school staff, including the English, mathematics and curriculum leaders, the special needs coordinator, the pastoral team and the office manager.
• Pupils’ learning was also evaluated through scrutiny of a wide range of pupils’ books across all year groups and subjects. Much of this was carried out with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils during lessons and at play and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors reviewed documents the school provided. These included the self-evaluation summary, the school’s improvement plan, minutes of meetings of the governing body and analysis of surveys of stakeholders carried out by the school.
• Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils were examined, along with the school’s record of checks carried out on staff working at the school.
• Inspectors took account of the 97 parent responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as 51 written responses through the linked free-text messaging service.
• There were no responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. However, inspectors took a recent staff survey carried out by the school into account.
• There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey. However, inspectors scrutinised a recent pupil survey carried out by the school and took this into account.
• Meetings were held with three governors, two members of the trust and parents. Inspectors met with parents on the playground at the beginning of the second day of the inspection.
• Inspectors heard pupils read and saw pupils reading in lessons.

Inspection team

Marios Solomonides, lead inspector Tracy Fielding

Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector