Broomgrove Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ outcomes by making sure that pupils’ progress in mathematics – especially that of the most able pupils – continues to improve.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers have equally high expectations of what pupils can achieve across the curriculum, particularly in the humanities subjects.
• Improve personal development, behaviour and welfare by further increasing the attendance of the small number of pupils who do not attend school as often as they should.
• Improve leadership and management by making sure that all subject leaders are equally effective in their practice.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher – supported well by other leaders – has an unwavering commitment to ‘bring the best out of pupils’ and provide them with equality of access to a good-quality education. She has communicated this vision clearly and has the support of very many parents, carers and staff in bringing about necessary improvements. The comment of one parent was typical of their sentiments overall: ‘The school’s management team do a splendid job at offering a great education and a very nurturing environment.’
• The headteacher – on taking up her post two years ago – identified that the quality of education provided needed to improve. She has overseen significant changes to the school’s senior and subject leadership teams. Making use of evidence from their careful monitoring, leaders identified the correct actions to bring about improvement. Leaders continue to take effective action to make the required changes. The impact of their work can be seen in the improvements in pupils’ attendance, achievement and behaviour.
• At a time of significant change, leaders have successfully maintained staff morale. Almost all the 22 staff who responded to the staff survey agree that they are proud to work at the school and all say they enjoy doing so. The words of one member of staff characterised the opinions of others: ‘I feel that my opinion is valued and that my ideas are heard. As a result, where additional workload is occasionally generated, it does not feel onerous. It feels like a positive step towards reaching shared goals.’
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Through carefully coordinated challenge and support, they are bringing about necessary improvements. Teachers explained how the training they have received has helped their confidence and effectiveness, especially in the teaching of reading, writing and – most recently – mathematics.
• Subject leaders are effective in their work. Where practice is strongest, their checks on their areas of responsibility identify priorities for development and they implement these well. Improvements in the curriculum and in teaching, learning and assessment within art, reading, writing and – latterly – mathematics are telling examples of the impact of subject leaders’ work. Some subject leaders – newer to their posts – are already taking appropriate action but have not had time to have the same impact.
• The provision for pupils with SEND is increasingly well led. Pupils’ needs are accurately identified and appropriate support put in place. Pupils in receipt of this support make good and improving progress socially and academically. Parents explained how the support their children are receiving is preparing them well for the next stage of their education.
• Disadvantaged pupils are provided for well. Leaders make sure that staff know the barriers to learning these pupils face and work effectively to overcome them. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils nationally.
• Making use of their detailed knowledge of pupils’ needs and capabilities, leaders have designed a curriculum that provides pupils with equality of opportunity in their learning. For example, having established that pupils have widely varying starting points in literacy, leaders have ensured that the curriculum is rich with opportunities for pupils to develop their vocabulary.
• Leaders have also made sure that the curriculum provides pupils with knowledge and skills across a broad range of subjects. Pupils are particularly proud of their progress in music, art and physical education (PE). Leaders have rightly identified the need to make further improvements to aspects of the humanities curriculum. They have credible plans to do so.
• Leaders make sure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well provided for. Pupils explained the importance of learning about different faiths and cultures and how it helps them ‘understand everyone’s backgrounds’. Personal, social and health education lessons cover themes of reflection and well-being. The impact of these activities is evident in pupils’ good behaviour and greater self-confidence.
• Using what they know about what pupils want and need, leaders have ensured that the PE and sport premium funding is effectively spent. As a result, pupils have access to specialist coaching and activities such as table tennis, basketball, dodgeball, cheerleading and circus skills. Pupils told inspectors how their participation in these activities had developed their sense of teamwork and self-esteem.
• School leaders have established productive working relationships with other schools. For example, support for leaders in English and mathematics has made an important contribution to the improvements evident in the school. Leaders from other schools have also carried out reviews of the quality of education.
• Most parents are supportive of the school’s work. The headteacher and her staff successfully place significant emphasis on keeping parents informed about – and engaged with – their children’s learning. However, a small number of parents would welcome more timely information and responses to queries about their children’s education.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective.
• The governing body has a comprehensive understanding of the context of the school, its pupils and its staff. Governors make good use of this information and of their own experience of education to provide well-judged challenge and support to leaders.
• Governors are diligent in checking the quality of education and the effectiveness with which leaders spend funding to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Consequently, the governing body is well placed to provide strategic guidance to leaders.
• The governing body – especially the chair – has ambitious plans to improve the quality of governance further, for example through careful recruitment of governors with skills that complement those already evident within the present body.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe. All staff and most parents agree that pupils are safe in school. Pupils explained this is principally due to the care and attention staff afford them. Pupils explained they are confident speaking with adults in the school about any anxieties they may have.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how to stay safe in a variety of settings. Pupils explained the strategies they use to keep safe when online, when using mobile devices and when on social networks.
• Staff receive suitable safeguarding training and regular updates from school leaders. Consequently, staff know the signs that indicate a pupil may be at risk and refer concerns appropriately. School records endorse staff’s view that leaders take the necessary action when concerns are raised. When needed, leaders are tenacious in pursuing the most appropriate help for pupils who need it.
• Governors ensure that suitable checks are carried out on adults working at the school. The record of these checks is accurately maintained.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• School leaders have made improving teaching practice a central focus of their work. They provide well-judged support and training for teachers. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and leading to good or securely improving pupils’ achievement in many subjects across the curriculum.
• Learning takes place in bright, well-resourced classrooms and other areas around the school. Pupils typically respond well to teachers’ high expectations of them and their behaviour. Relationships are largely positive. Pupils – some of whom have previously lacked confidence – demonstrate growing self-assurance in their learning.
• Teachers make effective use of their good subject knowledge to plan learning activities that are well matched to pupils’ interests and capabilities in most subjects and classes. For example, pupils in a lower key stage two mathematics lesson worked with obvious enthusiasm and tenacity on well-chosen activities that enabled them to demonstrate their number skills and knowledge.
• Teachers provide feedback in line with leaders’ expectations. Pupils told inspectors how teachers’ clear guidance shows them how to ‘fix our work’ and make improvements. Teachers also make effective use of questioning to check pupils’ understanding and deepen their thinking.
• Because of good-quality training, teachers are more confident and skilled in the teaching of writing. Pupils told inspectors that teachers’ clarity of explanation ‘makes the harder work easier’ as they set about working on well-constructed learning activities. Inspectors saw numerous examples of pupils’ good-quality writing in books and the many displays in classrooms. Similarly, pupils’ progress in reading has improved and is good because reading is increasingly well taught.
• Leaders have acted to improve the quality of teaching of mathematics. Teachers provide pupils with programmes of learning that enable them to acquire, consolidate and then apply mathematical knowledge and skills. Some teachers, however, are not as adept at moving the most able pupils on in their learning when it is appropriate to do so. Where this is the case, pupils’ progress is not as strong.
• Learning support assistants make an important contribution to pupils’ learning. These adults know pupils well and provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge. As a result, pupils become more independent and resilient in their learning and make good progress over time.
• In a small number of classes, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in subjects other than English and mathematics are too variable. Where this the case, pupils’ work is untidy and lacks the high standards evident elsewhere.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders – with the wholehearted support of the governing body – place great emphasis on ensuring that pupils receive appropriate care and support to make social, emotional and academic progress. The school’s ‘helping harbour’ and ‘thrive space’ facilities enable pupils to access the guidance they need so that they can develop their skills and confidence to access learning and play.
• Leaders have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that sufficient resources and time are dedicated to pupils’ personal development and welfare. For example, the work of the learning mentor and learning support assistants is leading to considerable improvements in pupils’ confidence and well-being.
• Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is and know that it is unacceptable. Pupils told inspectors that there are few incidents of bullying in their school and that adults deal well with those that occur. Staff and most parents agree that this is the case.
• Pupils explained that their achievements are recognised through the school’s rewards schemes. Pupils value this recognition, for example when being nominated as a one of the school’s ‘Role Models’.
• Leaders have provided pupils with a wide variety of lunchtime activities designed to help pupils foster a sense of togetherness and teamwork. Pupils told inspectors how much they enjoy these activities and how they ‘help us develop our imagination’. Inspection evidence confirms this to be the case.
• Pupil develop a good understanding of democracy, decision-making and fairness through their work as school councillors, eco committee members and house captains. This helps prepare them well for the next stage of their education and life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff, pupils and most parents agree that pupils behave well at Broomgrove Junior School. On taking up her post, the headteacher judged that behaviour and how staff responded to incidents were not as consistently good as they needed to be. A small number of parents also informed inspectors that this was the case. Leaders have made their expectations of pupils’ behaviour clear and they are unwavering in their commitment to ensuring that these expectations are fulfilled.
• Leaders have made sure that staff have received updated training to improve their understanding of the reasons behind pupils’ behaviour patterns. Pupils told inspectors that teachers deal well with any incidents of poor behaviour.
• Pupils typically behave well in lessons. They respond quickly and well to clearly understood behaviour routines and teacher instructions. This means that lessons proceed in a harmonious atmosphere and are largely uninterrupted by disruption or off-task behaviour.
• A small number of pupils take longer than others to adapt to leaders’ high expectations of how they should behave. Leaders have put in place appropriate support and these pupils’ behaviour is improving.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved and is good. Leaders carefully monitor and act upon any fall in an individual pupil’s attendance. Pupils know attending regularly is important and value leaders’ recognition of good attendance. However, a very small number of pupils do not attend as often as they should. Leaders are taking consistent and appropriate action to further improve these pupils’ attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Having been in line with other pupils nationally in 2017, pupils’ progress in mathematics by the end of key stage 2 fell in 2018. Leaders have taken carefully considered and effective action. This is leading to pupils making securely improving – but not consistently good – progress in mathematics. Therefore, outcomes for pupils require improvement.
• After a fall in 2017, pupils’ progress in writing improved in 2018 and was broadly in line with that of other pupils nationally. A small number of middle-ability boys made less progress than they should have. The progress of all groups of pupils currently in school is – however – good and improving.
• Having made progress in line with other pupils nationally in 2018, pupils’ progress in reading has continued to improve and is good. Pupils read confidently, and many express a passion for reading. They speak confidently about the texts they study and have many opportunities to read across the curriculum.
• Pupils with SEND make good – and sometimes better – progress, often from low starting points. This is because of the good-quality teaching and precise, well-informed support they receive.
• Disadvantaged pupils made progress in reading, writing and mathematics in line with other pupils nationally in 2018. Disadvantaged pupils currently in school make good progress in reading and writing. As is the case with their classmates, their progress in mathematics is improving but not yet consistently good.
• The most able pupils make good progress in reading and – in particular – in writing. In mathematics, most-able pupils are making better progress than was the case previously. However, in some classes, most-able pupils make slower progress in mathematics as they are not provided with sufficiently demanding work in a timely way.
• Because of leaders’ actions to improve the quality and cohesion of the curriculum, pupils make strong progress in many subjects. However, in some classes, pupils’ progress in the humanities subjects requires improvement.

School details

Unique reference number 114759 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10058694 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Jon Guy Headteacher Mrs Leesa Sharpe Telephone number 01206 822 893 Website www.broomgrove-jun.essex.sch.uk/ Email address admin@broomgrove-jun.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized junior school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of children and pupils whose first language is believed not to be English is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils for whom the school is in receipt of the government’s pupil premium funding is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in each class at least once. Several of these observations were undertaken alongside the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors also observed pupils learning in small groups around the school site. An inspector also visited a singing assembly.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and when moving around the school site at breaktime and lunchtime. During these times, inspectors held informal discussions with pupils about their learning and play.
• Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and folders in lessons and in the many displays. Members of the school’s senior leadership team also undertook a scrutiny of pupils’ work alongside the inspection team. Inspectors also listened to pupils read.
• Meetings were held with three groups of pupils, the headteacher, other senior leaders, two groups of subject leaders, one group of teachers, the learning mentor and the chair of governors, along with four other members of the governing body. The lead inspector had a telephone discussion with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors considered 59 responses to Ofsted’s free-text service alongside 71 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. The lead inspector also considered the views expressed in one letter and five emails to Ofsted. The lead inspector took into account views expressed by parents spoken with at the start of the inspection and those expressed in one telephone call with a parent.
• Inspectors also evaluated 22 responses submitted to Ofsted’s online questionnaire by staff. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• Inspectors evaluated the school’s documentation, including that relating to the school’s curriculum, safeguarding and child protection, pupils’ achievement, attendance and behaviour, school development and improvement plans, leaders’ self-evaluation, school leaders’ allocation of pupil premium funding and leaders’ plans and evaluation of the PE and sport premium funding.

Inspection team

John Lucas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Victoria Penty Ofsted Inspector