Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ writing skills further by
  • ensuring that the agreed approach to teaching letter and number formation is applied consistently from Nursery to Year 2
  • providing children in the early years with more models of the school’s handwriting script and presenting modelled writing accurately, using standard English, throughout the school.
• Refine teaching so that tasks more consistently match the learning needs of the most able, particularly in mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and staff have worked together to improve the quality of teaching and as a direct result pupils’ progress and outcomes have improved to be good. Strengths have been maintained, for example in pupils’ behaviour and the promotion of their welfare. Consequently, the overall effectiveness of the school has improved to be good.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Parents are right to be confident that their children are well cared for and they have largely positive views of the school. This is a happy school where pupils enjoy their time and their opportunities to learn and play together.
• Self-evaluation is accurate and systems for holding staff to account for the impact of their work and for managing the performance of teachers are effective. Pupils’ attainment is tracked soundly and pupils in danger of not reaching the expected standard are identified early so that they can be given extra help. However, sometimes the processes for reviewing and monitoring pupils’ progress are not always precise in identifying those who are most able and do not always lead to these pupils’ improved attainment.
• The school’s leadership, including that provided by the governing body, has a clearer understanding of its role than at the last inspection. Improved monitoring and evaluation of teaching has helped to target resources and training to bring about improvement.
• The good curriculum is broad and balanced. There is an appropriate emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics. Handwriting is taught systematically, but sometimes inconsistencies in the application of the school’s policy mean that not all pupils form letters and numbers correctly by the time they reach Year 2. National curriculum subjects are taught through termly topics. In the early years and Year 1, tasks, covering a range of subjects, are taught alongside English and mathematics using ‘continuous provision’. In Year 2 English and mathematics are taught to the whole class at the same time.
• The curriculum provides effectively for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Books in classrooms and around the school have been selected to reflect the wide variety of British society. Pupils are taught about major world religions and significant festivals, such as Christmas and Diwali, are marked in school.
• The use of pupil premium funding has been improved. It is used to ensure that all pupils have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum, including visits and to provide targeted support for individual pupils. Consequently, a wide range of extra programmes are in place and are helping disadvantaged pupils to make good progress.
• Physical education (PE) and sports funding for primary schools is being used well to allow coaches to work alongside staff to deliver PE and staff training. Pupils say that they enjoy exercise and taking part in team games.

Governance of the school

• Governance is good. Following the external review of their work, governors’ skills and knowledge improved. The governors reconstituted with a more compact governing body. This allowed the smaller team to focus more sharply on the impact of their work and the school’s work.
• Governors have a good understanding of how well the school is doing. They are clear about the progress pupils are making through their knowledge of performance measures. They receive regular updates on pupil progress, and they challenge senior leaders to ensure that pupils are doing well across the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are appropriately trained and vigilant. Leaders work with parents and other agencies to make sure that pupils are well cared for and supported. Policies are reviewed regularly so that they reflect the most recent requirements.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good and ensures that pupils make good progress from their starting points. Lessons are interesting and progress at pace which ensures that pupils are interested and motivated to learn. This improved teaching has helped to secure better progress across the school and in end of Year 2 outcomes.
• Reading is taught well across the school. Younger pupils benefit from daily phonics lessons to teach them about letters and the sounds they represent. Pupils are given daily opportunities to read books in groups and with staff. They are encouraged to read for meaning and as they move up the school they are taught how to read and answer questions about the text. This is particularly effective for the most able pupils, who are encouraged to use their inference skills as well as write explanations.
• Pupils of all abilities who read to inspectors, including the most able and disadvantaged most able, used their developing phonic skills well to work out unknown words in their reading books. The least able readers get extra help with their reading from additional adults; the pupils say that this is helping them to improve their reading skills. Most pupils stated that they enjoy reading and value the opportunity to take books home. Parents support their children’s reading well by going into school to read with their children each day.
• In mathematics lessons teachers explain ideas clearly, often using the interactive whiteboards effectively to clarify key points of learning. Pupils are encouraged to use the correct mathematical language. For example, in one mathematics session the teacher insisted that pupils compared lengths using ‘longer than’ and ‘shorter than’ as well as the using correct units of measurement.
• Teachers plan a range of activities that interest and engage pupils, as well as developing their skills and understanding systematically. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are developed well. A recent initiative to encourage pupils to talk in preparation for their written tasks is helping to encourage pupils to want to write. Pupils are enthusiastic about their work and they have very good attitudes to learning. They listen carefully to their teachers’ explanations but sometimes the acoustics in the classrooms mean that a small number of pupils occasionally find this difficult.
• Assessments are regular and teachers use their knowledge of pupils to provide work that is largely at the correct level for most pupils, so that pupils make good progress. However, in a small number of cases the most able, including the most able disadvantaged, are not always challenged and sometimes undertake work that does not allow them to show their depth of understanding. This is particularly the case in mathematics and where the teachers are less experienced.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Their learning needs are appropriately identified and help is provided so that they make good progress from their different starting points. Disadvantaged pupils benefit at different times from additional adult support. A particular strength is the nurture group which effectively supports the social and learning needs of a small group of pupils.
• Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are helped to make similar progress to that of other pupils. The small number of pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported and pupils new to the school receive high levels of care.
• A recent focus on improving the teaching of writing is having some impact, particularly in Year 2. Although there has been some staff training on the teaching of writing, some staff still do not always demonstrate their full understanding of the importance of accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation in the development of pupils’ writing skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are enthusiastic and confident learners. They understand that school is a place where they will learn new things and they are motivated to do well. They enjoy the opportunities to work and play with others. They are good at taking turns and sharing equipment.
• The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. They learn to get along well with others and demonstrate good social skills. They are generally polite and kind to one another. They have an understanding of right and wrong and are able to explain that the school rules are there to keep everyone safe.
• Pupils have some knowledge of democracy and voting. Pupils are very tolerant and respectful of others because they have been taught about a wide range of world religions.
• Pupils have an appropriate understanding of different types of bullying. They know that bullying is wrong and will not be tolerated at the school. However, some pupils confuse occasional falling out with their friends with bullying.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Relationships between pupils and staff are particularly strong and contribute to the good behaviour and attitudes of pupils.
• Pupils stated that behaviour around the school is usually good and any disagreements are quickly sorted out quickly. During the inspection, pupils’ very good behaviour in almost all lessons contributed significantly to their enjoyment and learning. The very small number of pupils who find it difficult to behave well have appropriate strategies in place to help them to improve.
• The school is a calm and well-ordered environment where pupils feel safe. Behaviour at lunchtime and playtime was observed to be very good. Pupils’ conduct in and around the school is good and often exemplary. They are polite and courteous to visitors.
• Pupils’ enjoyment and enthusiasm for school is reflected in the regular attendance of the majority of pupils. Leaders are aware that a disproportionate number of disadvantaged pupils were persistently absent and sound strategies have been put in place to address this. Consequently, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent had decreased over the last year.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The quality of work in pupils’ books, learning observed in lessons and the school’s assessment information all show that, from their different starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are proud of their work and the school environment is used effectively to celebrate pupils’ work in a broad range of subjects including art, science and design and technology.
• Children usually enter the Nursery and Reception classes with attainment that is below what is typical for their age, but this varies from year to year and between individuals. Their skills are slightly lower than expected in personal and social and language and communication skills. They make good progress in these and other areas of learning so that they are well prepared for their time in Year 1 and 2.
• Pupils make good progress in reading and an increased proportion of pupils reach the expected standard in the national Year 1 phonics check, although girls tend to do a little better than boys. These outcomes represent good progress for pupils. Pupils’ progress during their time in Year 1 and 2 in a range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics, is good.
• At the time of the last inspection the school had a history of above-average attainment, particularly in writing, but pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics had faltered. Over the last two years progress and attainment in reading and mathematics have improved. The 2016 assessment information for Year 2 showed that attainment in reading and mathematics was broadly in line with expectations. However, few pupils demonstrated greater depth in these subjects and in writing attainment was a little below expectations.
• A detailed scrutiny of pupils’ writing shows that pupils in the current Year 1 and 2 groups are making good progress; more are on track to reach end-of-year expectations. Similarly, inspection evidence indicates that more pupils are on track to reach greater depth in reading and mathematics.
• Across the school the achievement of the most able and most able disadvantaged pupils sometimes varies a little. Although they make good progress, occasionally the work set is not quite challenging enough because the teachers’ expectations do not reflect pupils’ existing level of skills or knowledge. Consequently, outcomes for these pupils are good rather than outstanding.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points because the extra help they receive is carefully tailored to their needs. Consequently, they make good gains in their knowledge and understanding.
• Most disadvantaged pupils make good progress and their attainment and progress is in line with their peers at the school and others nationally. This reflects the better use of pupil premium resources. Like some of the most able pupils in the school, some of the disadvantaged most able are not always set work that fully extends their learning.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership of the early years is good. Children get off to a good start in a well-ordered and stimulating learning environment where all children are valued, cared for and supported well.
• Improvements to the quality of teaching and provision mean that the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has increased year on year for the last three years. Children’s behaviour is good and they enjoy their time in Nursery and Reception.
• A particular strength is the teaching of reading and the development of children’s understanding of letters and sounds. Consequently, by the time they are in Year 1 most are able to work out unknown words. Pupil premium funding is used to enhance this and enables staff to read with pupils on a regular basis. This is contributing to the good progress of disadvantaged pupils.
• However, like the rest of the school, the team have had a recent focus on the development of children’s writing skills but there are inconsistencies. For example, sometimes children are presented with some useful models of the school’s handwriting script, but this is not always the case. Similarly, some staff do not always present modelled writing accurately, using standard English. Consequently, by the time they move into Year 1 not all pupils are forming letters correctly.
• Partnerships with parents are strong and this contributes to the good progress for children. Parents say that they are happy with the quality of provision and value the care and attention given to their children when they join the setting.
• Staff know children well and there are effective systems in place to track progress. School assessments and records show that children make good progress in all areas of learning. Attainment on entry is usually below what is typical. By the time they enter Year 1, the majority of children are working at the level expected for their age. This ensures that they are well prepared for their next stage of education.
• Children have daily opportunities to work inside and outside. The learning environment is bright and stimulating. Leaders know that the learning environment inside is better used to support learning than the outside and have plans to address this. Good care and relationships between staff and children are evident from the way that children talk about their time in the Nursery and Reception classes.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107599 Kirklees 10019722 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Nursery and Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Kylie Moutell Jacqueline Hall 01484 222805 www.berrybrow.co.uk office@berrybrow.co.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Berry Brow Infant and Nursery School is similar in size to the average-sized primary school. The Nursery class operates part time each morning and the two Reception classes are full time.
• The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium is a little below the national average.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups has increased over the past three years. Very few of these pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The school provides childcare at the start of each day.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 10 lessons or parts of lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work and conducted a detailed scrutiny of written work accompanied by the headteacher. Displays around the school and in classrooms were also examined. Inspectors heard a number of pupils from Years 1 and 2 read.
• Meetings took place with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, groups of pupils and the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, and a telephone conversation took place with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors observed playtime and lunchtime. Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s assessment and pupils’ progress information and records relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors took into account 46 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke informally with some parents at the start and end of the school day as well as some parents who attended the Reception concert. Inspectors took into account a small number of letters written to inspectors by parents. The views of staff and pupils were also considered.

Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Susan Twaits

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector