Bromesberrow St Mary's Church of England (Aided) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and governors should ensure that the standards pupils reach are further increased by: improving pupils’ spelling, particularly that of older pupils ensuring that pupils can consolidate the skills they learn in English when writing across the wider curriculum, so that more of them can write at a deeper level making sure that, in mathematics, pupils can access the tasks that develop their reasoning and problem-solving learning consistently.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management further by: enabling new middle leaders to make an effective contribution quickly to raising the standards pupils reach.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The co-headteachers form a strong senior leadership team. The headteachers and governors have tackled briskly the areas that were identified for the school to work on at the last inspection. As a result of their actions, the quality of teaching and the standards pupils reach have improved. Teaching is now consistently good.
• In this small school, leaders, teachers and teaching assistants all work closely together. Nonetheless, leaders hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make in their classes. Effective use is made of assessment systems to identify swiftly any gaps in pupils’ learning, and interventions are put in place that help pupils to catch up quickly.
• Leaders know the barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils well. The additional funding for the pupil premium is well spent. Over time, disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their different starting points, particularly those of them that are the most able.
• In their time in this school, pupils who have SEND make good progress from their different starting points. This is because their needs are understood well. Leaders and teachers carefully monitor their progress and adapt their plans and provision swiftly. As a result, current pupils with SEND are making strong progress.
• The additional funding of the sports premium is well spent. The school has a commitment to ensure that pupils are active during the school day. Specialist sports coaches and a range of after school clubs mean that pupils improve their skills. Many take a part in representing their school at sporting fixtures, such as in cricket and rugby. Pupils say they enjoy physical education lessons and being active.
• Leaders access a range of external agencies to ensure that the needs of pupils, including their emotional and welfare needs, are met. Parents and carers are very appreciative of the support their children receive. Many chose to come to this school, because of the careful support their children receive. Leaders have built a strong relationship with families of the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller community.
• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and wide ranging. The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. For example, pupils learn how to manage risk through outdoor learning opportunities such as forest school and woodwork club. This is a small rural school, and the school’s mini-bus plays an important part in enabling pupils to experience a range of curriculum opportunities outside the school, such as swimming for Year 5 and Year 6, trips, and sporting events, which help prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• However, within the curriculum there are relatively few opportunities for pupils to use the skills they learn in their English lessons in pieces of longer writing. This means that higher-ability writers are not able to consolidate their skills, which leads to fewer of them writing at a deeper level.
• The recent restructuring of middle leadership roles means that new middle leaders are yet to play a fully effective part in improving the standards pupils reach.

Governance of the school

• Governors are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities for development. They challenge school leaders about the standards pupils reach. They have been closely involved in the response to the areas identified to work on and in the monitoring of improvements, since the last inspection visit.
• Governors are able to use their own professional skills to support and challenge school leaders, particularly with regard to safeguarding and the early years.
• Governors are reflective of their own practice. They commissioned a review of governance and have acted swiftly on its recommendations. As a result, their improving monitoring practices are helping them check for themselves the information that school leaders give them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. For example, leaders make sure that their policies and procedures and the safeguarding notice board all have information about safeguarding services in both Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. This is because, while this is a Gloucestershire school, a large proportion of pupils live in Herefordshire. Leaders ensure that all staff know where to go if they have a concern, regardless of where pupils live. Leaders have strong links with external agencies, including those providing early help for families, in both Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
• Leaders have made sure that training for all staff is up to date. As a result, school staff clearly know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Governors carefully monitor the school’s safeguarding work, for example by completing the safeguarding audit. They ensure that arrangements for the safer recruitment of staff are in place, including by checking on the school’s single central record.
• Pupils say wholeheartedly that they feel safe at the school. Their parents strongly agree. Pupils are sure that their views are listened to by adults at the school. They describe the school as a family and say that this contributes to how safe they feel.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of all pupils. They plan learning that is interesting and relevant to pupils. They almost always match pupils’ learning to their needs and abilities very well. As a result, pupils are keen to learn and there are few occasions where pupils are distracted from their learning.
• Teachers use questioning to draw out and extend pupils’ learning well. Teachers model their own thinking aloud to pupils effectively, for example in guided writing sessions such as the Year 4 ‘Writing Café.’ This helps pupils think and talk about their learning in increasing depth. Current pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics continues to improve.
• Assessment is used well to monitor the progress pupils make in lessons. Teachers use this information to adapt their teaching briskly. Teachers tackle any misconceptions in learning quickly. They identify any gaps in pupils’ learning effectively, and strategies are put in place which help pupils to catch up quickly. This is particularly effective at bridging learning for those pupils who may have missed education before coming to this school and for pupils who are from Traveller families.
• Additional adults in the school are skilled in providing support for learners of all abilities. They work very closely with teachers and know pupils’ needs and abilities very well. They give particularly strong support to pupils who have SEND, supporting these pupils to make strong progress from their starting points.
• Changes to the teaching of mathematics are leading to further improvements in the progress of pupils of all abilities in mathematics. However, these changes are not yet fully consistent across the school, and, for a few pupils, this means that they do not yet develop their mathematical reasoning and problem solving sufficiently.
• Strategies such as the skilfully led sessions in writing are improving pupils’ progress in writing across the school. However, scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that they do not write at length sufficiently in other curriculum subjects. This means that the most able writers do not sufficiently practise and consolidate their skills, which results in too few of them writing at a deeper level.
• Reading and phonics are taught effectively and pupils use this knowledge to read and write well. However, older pupils’ spelling is not yet as strong as it should be, and recent changes to the teaching of spelling have yet to take hold.
• Teaching ensures that pupils have the skills they need to be successful in the next stage of their education. For example, pupils in Year 1 make swift progress and are well prepared for the learning they will meet in Year 2. Year 2 pupils are prepared well for the learning the will meet in Key Stage 2.
• Parents are firmly of the view that their children are well taught and make good progress at school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• School leaders have a good understanding of the barriers to learning that some pupils face. They are particularly skilled in their support for pupils who join the school at a time other than a normal transition. As a result, the progress of these pupils increases rapidly. Parents and families speak very highly of the support they receive from school staff.
• Pupils have very positive attitudes to the school. They want to learn well and want to improve their work. This helps them to make good progress in their learning. Pupils are proud of their school, saying that it is like a family and that everyone takes care of each other.
• Pupils’ personal development is addressed well within the curriculum. For example, a range of activities and opportunities from the pre-school upwards allow pupils to develop their emotional understanding and resilience. Events such as a ‘counting sleep day’ to raise awareness of the importance of sleep for children support and inform both pupils and their families.
• Pupils are very clear that they are safe and feel safe at the school. They are very sure that adults listen to them and will sort out any problems. They told the inspector by name the adults they would speak to if they had a concern or worry.
• The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. The school’s values, underpinned by its Christian heritage, play an important part in school life.
• Leaders continue to work hard to improve the attendance of all pupils, but particularly those of the Traveller community. When these families travel, the school provides pupils with learning to take with them and helps pupils to catch up their learning on their return. The attendance of other groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, is rising and is close to or at the national average.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. Pupils of all ages play collaboratively together at break and lunchtimes and take good care of each other.
• Pupils follow the instructions of adults promptly. Low-level disruption is rare, and, as a result, lessons flow smoothly and learning time is not lost. Pupils are polite and courteous to adults and, almost always, to each other.
• Pupils respond to the high expectations of behaviour set by the adults around them. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour code and say that it works well. Incidents of bullying or racist or homophobic comment are extremely rare.
• Pupils know what bullying is. They say it happens very infrequently, if at all. This view is supported by parents responding to the online Parent View survey. Pupils are sure adults would sort any such issues out.
• Pupils have a secure understanding of cyberbullying. Even young pupils can describe how to keep themselves safe, for example by not giving out their personal details on a website or app.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• By the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics is well above that of pupils nationally. Pupils who leave key stage 1 with middle and higher attainment make particularly strong progress.
• The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard for their age at the end of Year 6 in the three subjects of reading, writing and mathematics combined is above the national figure.
• The percentage of pupils who reach a deeper understanding in their learning at the end of Year 6 is high in both reading and mathematics. In 2018, in reading the percentage of pupils reaching a deeper understanding for their age was double that of pupils nationally. In mathematics the figure was nearly double.
• Current pupils are making good progress from their different starting points. Pupils’ work demonstrates that their progress continues to improve in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The numbers of disadvantaged pupils in each year group can be small. Over time, disadvantaged pupils, including the most able of them, make good progress and achieve well. Disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making good progress from their different starting points, particularly the most able of them.
• Current pupils who have SEND are making strong progress. This is because their learning is very closely matched to their needs. They are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants.
• Reading is well taught. Pupils read with fluency and understanding. Over time, pupils achieve well in reading at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. Phonics teaching is effective. Pupils make good use of their phonic skills to decode any words they may not know. In 2018, all the pupils in Year 1 reached the threshold in the national phonics check. Pupils in the early years make a strong start to their early phonic learning.
• The proportion of children who reached a good level of development at the end of the early years improved strongly in 2018, so that more of them reached a good level of development than children nationally.
• Over time, pupils make good progress in writing by the end of Year 6. However, in 2018, pupils’ progress and attainment in writing was not as high as their progress and attainment in reading and mathematics. Too few pupils write at a deeper level across the school.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with a wide range of skills and attributes. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception rose considerably in 2018 to be above the national figure. The experiences they receive in the early years mean that children are well prepared for the learning they will meet in Year 1. This enables them to make strong progress during Year 1.
• Children in the early years show positive attitudes to learning. Children, including the youngest, who have just started in the pre-school, demonstrate great independence. They can and do independently select what they want from the wide range of resources available to them. For example, a pre-school child selected and tied a rope onto a wheeled trike to pull a cone.
• Adults in the setting support children effectively and unobtrusively to take increasing responsibility for themselves and their learning. For example, children, including pre-school children, can access their snack when they want to. They are responsible for getting their own plate and choosing their snack from the foods available. They peel their fruit themselves and sit together to share their snack time. Children are keen to learn and to share their enjoyment with one another and with the adults who help them.
• The teaching team’s careful planning creates interesting starting points for children to explore their learning. The many indoor and outdoor learning opportunities they receive enthuse children and enable them to develop their language, coordination, cooperation and collaboration skills very well.
• The leader of the early years has built a strong teaching team, where the teacher and additional adults contribute effectively together to improve children’s learning. For example, good observations and assessments means that adults know and understand children’s skills well. This allows them to match activities strongly to children’s learning needs. Teaching is good across the early years.
• Strong teaching of phonics means that children use their phonic skills well in their early reading and writing activities, for example when writing simple sentences or when being assisted by an adult to record their ideas for a ‘helicopter’ story to be later shared with the class. The good teaching they receive in phonics contributes significantly to the above-average number of pupils reaching the threshold in the national phonics check at the end of Year 1.
• Safeguarding is effective in the early years. All training, including paediatric first aid, is up to date. Adults know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Risk assessments for the wide range of learning opportunities available, such as forest school and the keeping of the class pets, are up to date. Children’s’ strong relationships with the adults around them and their confident behaviour in the setting demonstrate the safety and security they feel.
• Parents contribute to the assessment of their child’s learning through regular meetings with staff and opportunities to contribute online. Parents value the welcoming and inclusive transition their children make into the early years. Parents also value the close communication they have with the early years staff about their child’s learning. The teaching team has built an effective relationship with families of the Traveller community, so that now some Traveller children attend the pre-school, enabling them to make a smooth transition into their Reception year.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 115675 Gloucestershire Inspection number 10053006 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 Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 56 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteachers Melanie Orgee Laura Hankins and Susan Thornley Telephone number 01531 650340 Website Email address www.bromesberrowschool.co.uk/ head@st-marys-bromesberrow.gloucs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9 February 2018

• Bromesberrow St Mary’s Church of England (Aided) Primary School is a much-smaller-than-average primary school. Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes. Governors run a provision for pre-school children.
• The school is on the border of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Although it is a Gloucestershire school, almost all pupils come from Herefordshire.
• The number of pupils eligible for support from the additional pupil premium funding is close to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEND is higher than the national average.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. There are a significant number of pupils of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller heritage. There are no pupils with English as an additional language.
• The school is a Church of England voluntary-aided primary school. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.

Information about this inspection

• Together with the co-headteachers, the inspector visited all classes to observe pupils’ learning. The work of pupils in each class was scrutinised.
• The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and talked with pupils at breaktime, lunchtime and around the school. The inspector listened to pupils from different year groups read and met with a group of pupils to gather their views about the school.
• Discussions were held with the co-headteachers, other leaders, governors and a representative of the local authority. The views of staff were gathered from the school’s staff survey and a meeting was held with a group of staff.
• The inspector took account of the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View and 19 comments received. The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day.
• A range of documentation was considered, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s improvement planning, minutes of governing body meetings, records of the monitoring of teaching and information on the management of teachers’ performance.
• The inspector met with leaders responsible for the safeguarding of pupils and examined information relating to safeguarding, the safe recruitment of staff, attendance and behaviour.

Inspection team

Sarah O’Donnell, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector