Bramley St Peter's Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the teaching of writing so that all pupils, especially boys and disadvantaged pupils, make faster progress, enabling greater proportions to reach and exceed standards expected of their age by: − implementing a cohesive approach to the teaching and application of handwriting, right from the early years − setting consistently high expectations about the accurate spelling of common words − helping pupils to understand how to compose and sequence meaningful sentences − presenting writing tasks that offer greater challenge for the most able pupils − providing frequent opportunities for pupils to produce longer pieces of writing across a range of subjects − celebrating and showcasing good examples of written work in a variety of ways.
• Increase the impact of leaders and those responsible for governance on the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils by: − checking that teaching is consistently good across all year groups and classes, extending the existing strong practice in the school as a model and building further on partnership work − developing the skills of senior and subject leaders so that they are fully accountable for standards across classes and subjects − sharpening school and subject development planning so that everybody is clear about key priorities and how they will be reviewed − building up a stronger culture of reading for a variety of purposes − offering plentiful scope for pupils to apply and extend their reading, writing and mathematical skills across a range of subjects.
• Improve the effectiveness of the early years by: − making sure that assessment arrangements provide a more accurate overview of children’s progress from starting points − ensuring that children have frequent opportunities to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills through well-planned activities and adult interactions − planning work outdoors that draws children into more collaborative and investigational learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, there has been a decline in outcomes for pupils as a result of inconsistent teaching that failed to respond to the higher demands of the new national curriculum. Outcomes have been below national averages across all key stages for the last three years. Leadership and management therefore require improvement.
• The headteacher accurately identified the shortcomings in provision on taking up her post, but various factors, including considerable staffing turnover and an increase in pupils presenting challenging behaviour, restricted the pace of improvement until very recently.
• In trying to find long-lasting solutions, the headteacher has acted astutely, even though progress has not always been immediate following the introduction of new approaches. She has tried to establish good pupil behaviour as the norm and positive learning attitudes as the basis for secure learning. With a more settled staff, an increasingly effective governing body and much improved pupil attitudes, improvement is now picking up pace.
• Leaders know that teaching is variable across classes and the headteacher has not been afraid to challenge weaker practice where this has been evident. She knows that more work is required to embed a shared understanding of higher expectations in order to resolve teaching inconsistency.
• The school’s own self-evaluation is succinct and accurate. However, in terms of school improvement planning, the many intended actions lack clear measurable milestones by which to judge success. Main priority areas are not always sufficiently clear.
• It has taken some time to build up a stable leadership team and so some middle and subject leaders are comparatively new to their roles and responsibilities. They do not yet routinely hold staff to account for their performance or lead significant training. The full impact of leaders’ actions is therefore still to be seen.
• Leaders have introduced more refined systems to help them track the progress of groups. Information is very detailed and highlights the uneven progress of different groups, particularly boys and disadvantaged pupils. Leaders now have a very clear picture of achievement to inform actions.
• Development in mathematics is further ahead than that of reading and writing, following a concerted emphasis on this subject over the last year. Leaders fully acknowledge the pressing need to improve literacy skills, especially in writing, where there has been less focus. Work to develop skill progression in the foundation subjects is at an early stage, although the headteacher and deputy headteacher have provided guidance to subject leaders about their roles.
• The headteacher has introduced more cohesive arrangements to monitor the quality of teaching. Senior staff carry out a range of checks by visiting lessons, sampling work in books, talking to pupils and scrutinising assessment. They are able to draw the information together to form an increasingly accurate picture of performance.
• Appraisal systems are well managed and are becoming more thorough. Staff feel that their training needs are met and recognise the support provided by leaders. Targets are linked closely to pupil outcomes, though do not yet focus precisely in terms of groups. Pay progression is not automatic.
• The use of pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils has not been fully successful over time. However, with support through the local authority and diocese, leaders and governors have reviewed their approach and have developed stronger practice around this aspect. Although this work is comparatively recent, it is already bearing fruit.
• Leaders have made sure that there are lots of opportunities for pupils to learn about other faiths and cultures. They do this through collective worship, by organising visits to places of worship and by encouraging pupils to research different role models, such as Harry Belafonte, as part of the black history week. Fundamental British values are covered well and this work prepares pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Work to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well managed and leaders use funding appropriately. The special educational needs leader measures progress carefully, even when steps are small, and secures external guidance when needed. A range of targeted support is in place, though not enough is done to help pupils who struggle with writing.
• The primary sport grant is used well. The sports leader, newly appointed in September, has taken up her role with great zeal and is working hard to increase take-up of clubs and coordinate coaching support to extend staff expertise. Leaders have also introduced ‘craze of the week’ to increase physical activity with new equipment over the lunchtime period. Pupils speak enthusiastically about all the sporting activities on offer.
• The breakfast and after-school clubs provide good support to pupils and parents and staff also run an impressive range of extra-curricular activities, including seasonal sports, dance, cooking, chess and mathematics. Residential visits to Cober Hill and Robinwood aimed at Years 4 and 6 widen pupils’ horizons and experiences.
• There are extremely positive links with parents, who are supportive towards the school, despite the weak outcomes historically. Pastoral staff play a key role in guiding parents to sources of advice and in encouraging good attendance. Sometimes they go the extra mile to make sure a pupil is able to attend school.
• Leaders and governors receive effective support from the local authority and have also brokered valuable leadership guidance through a local school. Leaders also make good use of other school partnerships and these links are helping to raise standards further.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has not been fully effective over time but is now in a better position to provide support and challenge to the headteacher and senior leaders. Many governors have been appointed recently and are new to the role but are already starting to make a difference. This is because they have a clear understanding of what being a governor entails, they have diverse and relevant skills and they are a reflective group determined to improve their own practice.
• Governors are well informed through detailed reports from leaders and also because they take the time to visit the school to observe its work and to engage with parents and pupils. They take full advantage of various training opportunities.
• Governors are not afraid to ask leaders searching questions about school effectiveness. They have a growing understanding of assessment information and are increasingly focusing on linking pupil outcomes to the quality of teaching.
• Governors have raised their profile in the school but structured approaches are lacking and this hinders their influence. The chair of the governing body is beginning to develop a governing body action plan to address this and improve governance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors work well together to review recruitment procedures and to ensure that all adults in school receive safeguarding training in a timely way. A nominated governor meets designated leaders for safeguarding to check on the quality of support for vulnerable pupils.
• Staff receive weekly updates on safeguarding issues and email reminders follow up these briefings. All policies are annually reviewed and meet requirements. Effective induction arrangements mean that all new staff are well aware of their responsibilities in alerting leaders to any concerns about pupils’ well-being.
• The school provides very good care and support to a number of families and its arrangements for responding to any suspected abuse of pupils are thorough and timely. Newly introduced electronic recording systems run alongside paper-based records and both are managed well. The work of pastoral staff is highly effective.
• The curriculum offers many opportunities for pupils to learn about personal safety. Personal and social education themes include lessons about environmental hazards, while safety messages are frequently provided through assemblies. Special focus events such as internet-safety day and visits from speakers such as the NSPCC also help pupils become more aware of risks.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is variable across classes and subjects. Over time, pupils have not made good progress and have not reached standards expected of their age in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of some groups, notably boys and disadvantaged pupils, has been slower than other pupils. Consequently, the quality of teaching requires improvement.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ written presentation and spelling are inconsistent. Pupils often spell common words incorrectly and these errors are not routinely identified, so they are repeated. Pupils are careless when copying key words in titles and there is no routine for setting out answers.
• Pupils do not receive enough guidance or intervention support in how to form or join up letters. Although some pupils write legibly and fluently, this is not the case for all pupils so progress is limited, particularly for the least able boys. Weak pencil grips, poor posture and occasional use of large marker pens all hinder the writing process. Some pupils frequently mix capital and lower case letters or reverse letters and numbers. Some of the teachers’ own writing in books offers a poor model.
• Writing tasks are sometimes pitched at the wrong level for different groups. For example, least-able pupils may be asked to write at length before they are able to compose short meaningful sentences. Sometimes the activity focuses on more advanced punctuation despite pupils having a weak understanding of basic capitals and full stops.
• Conversely, written tasks for most-able pupils in some subjects are not always sufficiently challenging because responses are too tightly controlled, for example by a worksheet. High-quality writing is not widely celebrated around the school.
• Teachers provide useful verbal feedback during lessons and also comment in books on how to improve work, but there is variability across classes in the quality of pupils’ responses.
• Although leaders have identified weaknesses in reading, not enough is being done yet to develop pupils’ understanding of what they read. Leaders plan to introduce new reading resources shortly. Opportunities to deepen reading skills are also missed in other subjects when pupils carry out research.
• The teaching of early reading is effective where teachers quickly identify which pupils need to be pushed on to use and explore new words and which pupils need extra support. Sometimes, however, the least able pupils lack sufficient time to practise writing words or have to mark time waiting for others to be ready. The most able pupils are not consistently challenged to apply their phonics knowledge in open-ended writing tasks.
• The teaching of mathematics is improving strongly, following a concerted focus and training over the last year. Teachers are helping pupils to develop secure understanding through clear explanations and the use of apparatus and pictorial representation. There is an emphasis on reasoning and explaining how the answer is found. Pupils clearly enjoy mathematics and are making better progress now than over the past three years.
• There is a good level of challenge in mathematics and teachers encourage pupils to choose from different tasks that increase in complexity. In Year 3 one pupil announced, ‘It’s really hard but I’m going to keep trying!’ Another said, ‘This is so good!’ when attempting to solve a tricky problem.
• There is an appropriate balance between arithmetical practice and problem solving. Just occasionally, teachers fail to spot the likely pitfalls or misconceptions in an activity, but their own subject knowledge is growing.
• Pupils receive weekly homework that includes English, mathematics and thematic work. They enjoy the holiday challenge work, for example the model castle building task in Year 5. Most pupils try to complete homework conscientiously but teachers’ expectations of the quantity and quality of presentation are variable.
• Teaching assistants work quietly and unobtrusively, providing good additional support across the school to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Carefully tailored tasks and learning sequences help pupils to make strides in their learning, especially in reading and mathematics. Good relationships abound.
• Pupils are very keen to participate in lessons and good learning attitudes flow through the school. This means that little learning time slips away. Pupils like their teachers and respond well to them. As a result, there is a minimal need for class management.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is good. Pupils feel safe and have respect for the adults, who they trust to look after them well. Relationships are overwhelmingly positive, say pupils and parents.
• The school breakfast club kicks the day off well. About 100 pupils routinely attend and enjoy a variety of activities and games, meeting their friends and eating a healthy range of food. The calm and busy atmosphere sets the tone for the day.
• The school’s concerted work to promote positive attitudes has been extremely effective. Pupils love the ‘growth mindset’ characters like Inspector Independence and Professor Perseverance and are keen to explain that these help them to learn well.
• Pupils mix well and treat each other kindly. They report that there is hardly any bullying and that people are accepted well, whatever their language, family background or dynamic. If there is any harassment, then they know that the headteacher will deal with it seriously. Parents also praise the school for addressing such issues promptly and successfully.
• Older pupils take on a variety of responsibilities, such as assembly monitors, lunchtime helpers, computer assistants and librarians. The school council has reported to the governing body with a number of suggestions for school improvement, including the case for developing a forest school, which is now being considered.
• Pupils have a good understanding of other faiths and cultures and are able to talk about role models from other countries such as Martin Luther King or Malala Yousafzai. They are able to explain what fundamental British values mean and remember the messages from worship assemblies about helping others. They have a sense of compassion and say they would like to explore more ways to raise money for charities.
• Pupils are confident about how to stay safe online. They explained that passwords are to be kept secret and that we need to be careful about whom we befriend. They know that cyber bullying is not only wicked but also traceable.
• In discussion about health and fitness, pupils talked animatedly about all the sports clubs on offer, such as lunchtime athletics. They also have a good awareness of what constitutes a good diet and told the lead inspector to avoid too many sweets and fizzy drinks. ‘You’ll end up with rotten teeth or diabetes,’ they warned.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. This has not always been the case and the headteacher described work that had been targeted at establishing better conduct. Better pastoral care and a new behaviour team have helped to reduce the number of poor behaviour incidents significantly. There have been very few exclusions.
• Pupils behave well in the majority of lessons, only losing focus when teaching is less engaging or lacklustre. Around the school, pupils move in a calm and orderly manner. Playtimes are well-supervised, enjoyable and active occasions and despite the large number of pupils in the yard, few problems occur. When it is time to return to classes, pupils walk in quietly from the playground. They are sensible in the dining area.
• Attendance has improved steadily over time and is currently above the national average, having been broadly average over the last full school year. Leaders and pastoral staff have used a range of strategies to communicate clear attendance expectations to parents.
• The learning mentor role has developed to provide more support for families who struggle with their children’s attendance and this work has had tangible success. A number of pupils who had been very poor attenders are now coming to school on a much more regular basis. Leaders know there is still room for improvement, however.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 has been below average over the last three years and not enough pupils have reached expected standards in these subjects. In 2016, outcomes were extremely low and while there was marked improvement in 2017, outcomes are still not close enough to those seen nationally. Outcomes therefore require improvement.
• At Year 1, results in the phonics screening check were similar in 2016 and 2017 and below the national average. More precise teaching to groups in need of extra support is now in place and these pupils are making better progress.
• Outcomes at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 followed a similar pattern to those at key stage 2. In all subjects there was a sharp rise in the proportions meeting age-related standards, although these were still below national averages. Very few pupils reached greater depth in any subject.
• More pupils are on track this year in almost all cohorts to meet end-of-year expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. However, there is much ground to gain for some year groups owing to previous weak teaching, and the most able pupils do not reach the higher standards they should.
• When compared to other pupils nationally, the progress of disadvantaged pupils was particularly poor in 2016. School leaders worked with a London school that has a track record of success around disadvantaged pupils. They targeted teaching and support effectively and in 2017 progress picked up considerably across all subjects. It was above average in reading and mathematics, though still behind in writing.
• Current assessments for disadvantaged pupils show that differences remain for some cohorts but leaders are keeping a much closer eye on progress and the way funding is being used to provide additional teaching opportunities. Governors are also watchful.
• The number of most-able pupils reaching higher standards at the end of key stage 2 is increasing in reading and mathematics but not in writing. In 2017, no pupils reached greater depth in writing but work in the books of current pupils is more encouraging.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. There is a range of reading and mathematics intervention work that is helping them to make small but positive steps forward in their learning. However, not enough is being done to support their weak writing skills.
• Younger pupils were keen to read and explain the stories from their independently chosen reading books. They used their phonics skills well to work out new words. Older pupils do not speak readily about favourite authors or books they have read and even the most able readers said that they read comparatively few books over the course of a term. A few of these pupils said that they receive little guidance or recommendation about what books they might select.
• Teachers now link class novels to topic work and pupils enjoy these. Even so, not enough is done to promote reading for pleasure and to use a range of texts to extend and deepen reading skills, for example in subjects such as science or history. A culture of reading is not yet strong across the school.
• Scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that written presentation is variable across cohorts. Basic errors in spelling for all groups, including the most able pupils, slow down progress. The least able pupils often struggle to present their work neatly because handwriting lacks correct letter formation and fluency.
• Work in mathematics across the school has moved on well over the last year. Although in 2017 outcomes at the end of key stage 2 remained below national averages for the expected and higher standards, they were considerably closer than in other subjects. Work of current pupils shows good progress in both arithmetic and reasoning, suggesting that improvement is likely to continue.
• There are examples of good work in some year groups in subjects beyond mathematics and English. In Year 6, pupils produced some detailed and well-written pieces about Victorian life, and work in books showed that pupils have opportunities to carry out fair testing in science. The visiting music expert worked very effectively with Year 3 pupils on a song, then helped pupils to add a percussion accompaniment.
• Some topic work, however, is inconsistent in its challenge for pupils. Opportunities to apply reading, writing and mathematical skills are under-exploited. For example, work sampling showed that in some instances, most-able pupils simply have to fill in missing words on a worksheet instead of writing independently.
• Older pupils participate well in school life and make a positive contribution to the school community. Their good learning attitudes are likely to serve them well when they move on to senior school.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The early years provision requires improvement because there is not a clear enough overview of progress from starting points. Additionally, there is an insufficient emphasis on improving the outcomes for children in the early skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development had risen in the previous two years but dipped in 2017. Outcomes, however, have remained below the national average over time. Children enter Reception with skills that are generally below those seen typically and although they do make progress, this has not been rapid enough to fully prepare them for the move to key stage 1.
• Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is much lower than in other aspects, and outcomes for boys have been particularly uneven.
• The records known as ‘learning journals’ contain observations by staff about children’s independent learning. The early years leader has worked hard to develop more consistency around these records. However, next steps in learning are not always identified and fewer observations are carried out across language-related activities than other aspects.
• Systems to assess children’s development on entry to Reception have been reviewed to ensure that they are accurate. However, not all aspects of learning are assessed well enough, including early writing skills. Consequently, there is limited evidence of children’s achievements. This means that progress is difficult to demonstrate.
• Although there are some activities that draw on aspects of language and mathematics, these are not always evident in the provision and not all adults seize the opportunity to interact and extend children’s skills in these areas.
• Work outdoors is sometimes limiting because children are not able to access activities freely. Although there are a lot of resources, they are not set up to encourage enough exciting, creative or collaborative activities that enthuse children and extend language or mathematical understanding. Occasionally, children are uncertain about what to do and are not always directed by adults. Some outdoor activities seem to mainly involve groups of boys.
• By contrast, the attractive and colourful indoor learning environment encourages children to be independent and to access a range of activities that help to develop their fine motor skills. For example, a group of children took delight in using tweezers to help them fix the eyes on a gingerbread man.
• The current cohort of children includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, but nurturing adults have adapted provision well to support them. They meet these children’s needs by planning activities at the right level.
• The proportion of disadvantaged children reaching a good level of development was quite low in 2017 but many of these children had additional needs or were very young compared with other children.
• Children are well behaved and quickly settle into routines. They moved very sensibly from the classroom to the hall for a physical education lesson and then participated eagerly in recreating a television advert involving mimicking lots of hopping hares. Children with complex needs joined in well.
• Children mix harmoniously, sharing toys and taking turns amiably. Adults expect the children to behave well – and they do. One boy kindly threw a ball for a girl who was looking for a playmate and a group of children followed the teacher’s instructions to keep their eyes closed during a number game outside, even though they were itching to peep.
• Good links with a number of nursery providers exist and staff visit these settings to find out more about the children before they arrive. Strong links with parents ensure that there is effective communication between home and school. Staff encourage parents to contribute to initial assessments and ongoing records through the ‘learning journals’. Parents appreciate the opportunity to ‘stay and play’ and the learning workshops for parents are popular. One parent commented, ‘The teacher always answers my queries and provides resources to help my child's learning at home.’
• Welfare requirements and safeguarding arrangements are secure. Children are happy and enjoy their time at school. They dress appropriately for the weather conditions, wash their hands and manage their milk time independently.

School details

Unique reference number 108003 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10037709 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 5 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 359 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Falkiner Headteacher Ruth Esplin Telephone number 01132559680 Website www.bsp.leeds.sch.uk Email address info@bsp.leeds.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2013

Information about this school

• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are 12 single-age classes in the main school and two in the early years. There is a privately run nursery on the school site (which was not inspected as part of this inspection).
• The school has moved from a one-and-a-half form entry to a two-form entry school over the last four years and the number of pupils on roll has consequently increased significantly.
• Most of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of current pupils known to be eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly similar to the national average. The number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs, or education, health and care plan is lower than average.
• The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• There have been significant changes in staffing and leadership since the time of the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up her post in early 2014. New appointments were subsequently made to lead and manage respective key stages. Some subject leader appointments are very recent. There has also been considerable turnover in staffing and additional teaching and pastoral posts have been created as the school has expanded.
• There have been significant changes in the make up of the governing body and only one governor from the time of the previous inspection remains on the board. Several governors are very recent appointments and there is a new chair.
• The school runs a breakfast club that typically supports around 100 pupils daily.
• An experienced headteacher from a local school is providing leadership support. These arrangements have been carefully brokered by the local authority, which also provides supportive advice and guidance through the Bramley West Central Learning Alliance. The school also receives guidance from the Diocese of Leeds.
• The school fully meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 26 lessons or part-lessons across classes to assess teaching and learning. The headteacher and deputy headteacher viewed some lessons jointly.
• The inspectors listened to a selection of pupils reading from Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
• The key stage 1 pupils performed a nativity play to parents on two occasions during the inspection.
• Inspectors sampled work from all year groups in English, mathematics and a range of subjects.
• Inspectors conducted meetings with the local authority school improvement officer, middle leaders, subject leaders and members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke by telephone to a representative of the Diocese of Leeds and to the headteacher of a partnership school who has been providing leadership support.
• Inspectors analysed information from a scrutiny of school documentation. This included published data about pupils’ progress and attainment, the school’s evaluative report on its own effectiveness, school improvement plans, previous inspection reports and the school’s latest assessment information.
• The inspectors viewed school monitoring information about the performance management of teachers. They also examined safeguarding documentation.
• Inspectors took the views of parents into account through informal discussions with parents at the end of the school day and by analysing responses from the 56 parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• The inspectors took the views of pupils into account through three planned meetings with groups of pupils from Year 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and from Years 5 and 6. Inspectors met groups of pupils informally at playtime and lunchtime. They also analysed the 160 responses from Ofsted’s online pupil survey.
• The inspectors took the views of staff into account by analysing responses from Ofsted’s online survey. The school had obtained responses from 36 staff.

Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Ella Besharati Ofsted Inspector Adrian Fearn Ofsted Inspector