Excellent Brodetsky Report

Here is the Inspection Report that was recently released for Brodetsky Primary School. It shows that the school was judged very favourably in all areas and a marked improvement since the last report. They also had an excellent 'Pikuach' report on their Jewish studies provision which will be posted here shortly.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

Description of the school

This average-sized orthodox Jewish primary school is situated in an area of socio-economic advantage in Leeds. It serves the local and other Jewish communities across the city. The majority of the pupils are Jewish but the school admits pupils regardless of their background. Most pupils are White British but around 10% speak English as an additional language. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Almost all children attend the privately run nursery, which was inspected separately, before joining the school’s Nursery year part time at the age of three. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises one Reception class and one Nursery class. After a period of many changes in staff, including headteachers, the present headteacher was appointed in June 2007. There have also been a number of recent staffing changes.

The school has received Investors in People status, the Healthy Schools Award and the Sports Activemark award.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

Grade: 2

Brodetsky School is a good school with outstanding features. The quality of education has improved since the previous inspection. The headteacher has the respect of the local community and, as a result, parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Effective leadership and management combined with good quality teaching mean pupils make good progress in their academic work and achieve excellent levels of personal development.

Pupils greatly enjoy coming to school because, as they say, ‘We get a good education.’ They have an excellent understanding of the part that food and exercise play in remaining healthy. All pupils are equally valued and well cared for and they understand the importance of keeping safe. The learning mentor provides support for all pupils and, as a result, attendance is excellent. Pupils behave well and are welcoming to visitors and to newcomers who arrive from abroad. The school’s inclusive atmosphere makes a very strong contribution to community cohesion. The curriculum provides well for pupils’ all-round development. It is carefully focused on developing pupils’ basic skills and in promoting their active engagement in their learning. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills across a range of subjects. Good quality teaching ensures that pupils are interested in their lessons and there are high levels of support available for those who find learning more difficult. Excellent partnerships with a wide range of other institutions and agencies enhance the quality of provision. Over the past year, the introduction of more sharply focused assessment systems has had a positive impact on progress because teachers have used the information to adapt work more closely to pupils’ needs. Academic guidance is highly effective. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to assess their own learning, continually striving to do better.

Pupils of all abilities achieve well. Children get off to a particularly good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. In Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils make good progress and develop positive attitudes to learning. Effective school action to ensure the good teaching of reading and mathematics has significantly increased the rate of progress in these subjects in every year group. As a result, overall standards are above average by the end of Year 6. Despite improvements, pupils’ writing skills are not as good as those in reading and mathematics. The school is aware that standards in writing are not yet high enough and has drawn up plans to address specific areas of weakness within them.

Good quality leadership and management underpin the school’s rate of improvement since the last inspection. More effective teaching strategies have led to higher standards and better achievement. The determination of the headteacher and senior leadership team to enhance the pupils’ quality of education is in evidence throughout the school and provides the inspiration from which all staff gain strength. However, the recently introduced leadership and management structures have not had a full effect. This is particularly so for subject leaders who have yet fully to develop their skills in checking on the progress pupils make. Governors have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They are supportive and hold the school to account well. The school carefully evaluates its effectiveness and makes suitable plans in its quest for excellence. Consequently, a shared vision has developed among school leaders, which gives the school its good capacity for improvement.

Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Grade: 1

Children’s skills on entry to the Nursery class vary from year to year but they generally match national expectations. Children settle very well into school because of the high levels of care and support provided by the staff and older pupils. They enthusiastically take part in a very wide range of stimulating activities, both indoors and out. The area buzzes with purposeful play, as many activities are based on real-life experiences. Children proudly explained that they were finding out about snow and watching it melt. The exciting experiences motivated them to work very hard on related activities. Given the high quality of teaching, children flourish, make rapid progress in their learning and develop very positive attitudes. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader provides excellent leadership and works well with all staff to ensure that children achieve outstandingly well and that recent welfare requirements are fully met. Adults continuously assess how well children are doing. The information is used rigorously to provide appropriate challenge for children’s different needs. Although varying from year to year, overall, children’s skills are above national expectations by the time they enter Year 1. This represents outstanding overall achievement. Children make exceptionally good progress in personal development and in communication, language and literacy skills. Parents appreciate all the Early Years Foundation Stage has to offer, typically commenting, ‘My child loves coming to school and has made incredible progress.’

What the school should do to improve further
.. Help to raise standards in writing by providing more opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their writing skills in a range of different contexts.
.. Develop the role of subject leaders so that they become more skilled in monitoring and evaluating the progress made by pupils in their subjects.


Achievement and standards

Grade: 2

Achievement is good. From their starting points, which vary year on year, pupils are making good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. Inspection evidence and the unvalidated results of 2008 national tests show that by the end of Year 6 standards were above average overall, with many pupils attaining higher levels in mathematics and science. Pupils’ progress in writing is satisfactory, and it is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, many of which are complex, make good progress from their starting points because of the high quality support they receive.


Personal development and well-being

Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are outstanding. They are thoughtful and reflective; from a young age they consider important issues such as how to be fair and how their actions can affect other people. This is nurtured by their shared religious beliefs and
strengthened through the strong social and moral teaching they receive. Pupils very much enjoy their time in school. When they enter school they are immersed in a community that really does have children at the heart of learning. Attendance is very high and pupils participate with great enthusiasm in activities both in and out of lessons. They settle very quickly into school life. Pupils are very aware of how to stay healthy, especially through eating and being physically active. They behave in a safe and sensible manner, working well collaboratively and treating each other and adults with care and respect. The school’s contribution to the community is exceptional, whether it is through pupils raising funds for charities at home and abroad or preparing and leading prayers for worship. Pupils have a strong voice in the school and express their views confidently. They take on many roles of responsibility which prepare them well for the next stage of their education.


Quality of provision

Teaching and learning

Grade: 2

Very good relationships between staff and pupils build up pupils’ confidence and their ‘can do’ spirit. Teachers ensure that pupils take an active part in their learning and, as a result, they are very willing to contribute and explore new ideas. Pupils’ opinions are valued and teachers’ use of questions helps pupils to develop good speaking skills. As a result, pupils support each other well in paired learning tasks, including ‘talk partner’ routines. In the best lessons expectations of pupils’ progress are high and planning is of a very good quality; work is carefully matched to meet the needs of all pupils and excellent use is made of teaching assistants to ensure that all pupils learn at a brisk pace. However, in a few lessons the pace of learning slackens. This is because the work set lacks a degree of challenge. Pupils have frequent opportunities to reflect on their own and their partner’s work and this enables them to identify the next steps they need to make in order to improve their learning. The quality of marking is good and it provides pupils with clear indicators of how to improve their work.

Curriculum and other activities

Grade: 2

The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of diverse learning experiences that helps them achieve well academically and outstandingly in their personal development. The school is developing opportunities for pupils to apply essential knowledge and skills in a wider range of their work. For example, the themed weeks are helping to increase pupils’ enjoyment in lessons, as well as adding challenge. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills in other subjects and to make learning more meaningful. Great strides have been made in raising pupils’ awareness of other cultures and faiths as well as broadening their horizons. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is good and especially successful in supporting pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The wide range of out-of-class learning appeals to the interests of many pupils. The school’s strong emphasis on creativity is particularly evident in the vibrant displays of excellent artwork around school.


Care, guidance and support

Grade: 1

Through maintaining a very watchful eye, staff have a very keen awareness of the pastoral and academic needs of all individuals. Pupils’ progress is tracked rigorously and the information gained is used extremely well in promoting good academic progress and excellent personal development. Guidance in the form of academic targets is plentiful and is explained well in lessons. Pupils’ knowledge of their targets, and the understanding they have of how to improve the quality of their work, strongly support the progress they make. Procedures are in place to promote child protection, health and safety and to safeguard pupils. Early identification of pupils’ needs leads to high quality support, including that from outside agencies when necessary. This knowledge of pupils as individuals is key to the school’s success.


Leadership and management

Grade: 2

Together with the assistant headteacher and senior staff, the headteacher has overcome difficulties linked to a very high staff turnover. Initiatives to raise standards are top priority. As a result, effective assessment strategies have been introduced and prompt interventions made to speed the progress of any pupils who might underachieve. The impact is seen in the good progress made by pupils towards challenging targets and in their sense of security and well-being. Effective teamwork and mutual respect for each other contribute to a lively learning community where staff have good access to training and are open to new ways of doing things. The senior leadership team is actively involved in the process of self-evaluation which is underpinned by rigorous monitoring and evaluation of performance. This means that the school is fully aware of where improvement is needed and is quick to act. However, the involvement and contribution of subject leaders to whole-school evaluation and development planning is at an early stage. Community cohesion is excellent. The school has well-established links with the local Jewish and wider community. Much has been done to engage with the global community, which is making a significant impact on pupils’ understanding of and respect for diversity. The school underestimates the quality of some aspects of its provision because it sets high standards for itself. Governors are very supportive of the school. They are very well informed about the school and offer it good levels of challenge and support. The school provides good value for money.