| Education | Brookmans Park Newsletter |
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The school was inspected by 5 inspectors, led by Mr. Adrian Everix. This document summarises the full inspection report, which is available from the school. Click here for the action plan recommended following the report. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Number of full-time pupils: 307 (above
average for a primary school) WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL There is good provision for children under five. They experience a well-taught, rich curriculum. Pupils achieve high standards in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2. There is consistently high quality teaching in Years 5 and 6. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. Pupils make good progress in their social development. They learn to work in co-operation with others and the oldest pupils discuss ideas in a mature way with adults. There is a wide range of extra curricular activities. WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES Standars of information technology are too low
at Key Stage 2. Teaching is unsatisfactory in fourteen per cent of lessons, mainly
due to a lack of sufficiently challenging work and weaknesses in classroom
management. Pupils’ progress in design and technology is poor. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Standards in the key areas of literacy and numeracy have risen in relation to judgements in the last report. Substantial improvements have been made to the school building, including the provision of a well-equipped nursery. The majority of the key issues from the last inspection have been addressed. However, there are still weaknesses in monitoring procedures, standards in information technology and in the teaching of lower juniors. The school is in a satisfactory position to improve. It is well placed to maintain high standards in English and mathematics. Challenging targets for test results have been set for future years. Although there is a shared determination to raise standards, procedures to achieve this are not sufficiently developed. For example, subject co-ordinators and senior management are not involved sufficiently in improving areas of weakness through systematic monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work. STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1998 based on the National Curriculum tests:
Key: The information shows, for example, that standards in mathematics are well above average compared with all schools and above average when compared with similar schools. Taking all core subjects together, the school has maintained scores well above the national average for the past three years. By the time they are five years old, almost all pupils reach and most exceed the standards expected nationally. Inspection evidence shows that attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 is above national averages in English and mathematics. It is broadly in line with the national average for science. At Key Stage 2 attainment is well above national averages in English and mathematics. In science, attainment is above average. Pupils make rapid progress in the upper half of the key stage in these subjects. Pupils make good use of literacy in other subjects but do not have enough opportunities to apply their numeracy skills across the curriculum. Attainment in information technology meets national expectations at Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2, pupils make insufficient progress in the subject and attainment is below that expected nationally. Apart from design and technology, where standards are low, and in art at Key Stage 1 where pupils achieve good standards, pupils’ attainment in other subjects matches that expected for their ages. QUALITY OF TEACHING
* Time-tabling arrangements meant that it was only possible to observe two science lessons at Key Stage 1. The table shows the overall quality of
teaching observed during the inspection. During the time of the inspection four classes
were taught by temporary teachers. In 16 per cent of lessons teaching is very good and is
at least satisfactory in 86 per cent of lessons. The best teaching is in the nursery, the
reception classes and in the upper half of Key Stage 2, where it is at least sound and
usually good or better. The quality of teaching is inconsistent at Key Stage 1 and in the
lower half of Key Stage 2. Occasionally it is good or very good. However, weaknesses
mainly related to insufficiently challenging work and classroom management, resulted in 12
per cent of lessons being less than satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and 19 per cent at Key
Stage 2. Pupils’ progress in lessons is directly related to the quality of teaching.
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work relationships and the commitment to high standards. THE PARENTS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What most parents like about the school. Their children enjoy school. What some parents are not happy about There is not enough homework. Supervision
during the lunch break is inadequate the pupils misbehave.
*** Inspectors’ judgements support parents’ positive views. Most pupils have pride in their school and are complimentary about the staff. Homework set for the oldest pupils supports their learning. In other parts of the school, it is not consistently well used and parents are not kept informed about the homework set and when it must be completed. During the inspection there were sufficient supervisors on duty at lunch times. The school is continuing to make vigorous efforts to appoint permanent supervisors. No instances of bullying were observed during the inspection although some of the rough, physical play, during outdoor lunch breaks has the potential to become more aggressive. Inspectors acknowledge that a few parents have been dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaints, including those regarding bullying. The school has made a good effort to explain its anti-bullying policy by sending a copy to all parents. Otherwise the school does not have a written complaints’ procedures for staff to follow and no guidance is given to parents in the school prospectus. Teachers of mixed age classes are very conscious of the two year groups and plan separately for them. However, pupils in the same year group but in different classes do not always have the same learning experiences. Planning needs to be more carefully monitored to ensure they do not feel disadvantaged. Challenge for the more able pupils is directly related to the quality of teaching. Where this is good or unsatisfactory pupils of all abilities make corresponding progress. Staff changes have resulted in erratic progress for some pupils, particularly in the Key Stage 1 class that has had several temporary teachers. A more stable staffing situation has been established for the remainder of this academic year. Although the range of traditional boys’ games offered as extra curricular activities is limited, the school enters all local sport’s tournaments and pupils have sound opportunities to compete in a number of sports. Pupils’ annual reports vary; they do not consistently give clear information in relation to national standards. OTHER INFORMATION The contractor appointed by OFSTED for this
inspection was Penta International, “Bradley” 15, Upper Avenue,
Eastbourne. 8N21 3XR. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to The Registrar, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kings way, London, WC2B 6SE. CROWN COPYRIGHT 1999 This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, provided the source and date are acknowledged.
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