Introduction
The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.
Description of the school
Anston Brook is an average sized school. Most of the pupils are white British, with few from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. When pupils start school their skills and knowledge are exceptionally low. The school has the Investors in People Award.
| Grade 1 | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Grade 2 | Good |
| Grade 3 | Satisfactory |
| Grade 4 | Inadequate |
Overall effectiveness of the school
Inspectors agree with the school's evaluation that Anston Brook is a satisfactory and improving school, which provides satisfactory value for money. Likewise, new leadership and a revitalised curriculum in the Foundation Stage have improved the quality of provision in this area of the school to satisfactory. When children begin school their attainment is exceptionally low. They make satisfactory progress overall in the Foundation Stage. By the end of Year 2, standards have risen to average levels because pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Progress is also good in Years 3 and 4 but learning for pupils in Years 5 and 6 has been badly affected by frequent changes of teachers for these pupils over the last two years. This weakness particularly affected the most capable pupils. However, the issue has been resolved, permanent staff are in place, and older pupils are now making satisfactory progress. Standards at the end of Year 6 are broadly average.
Teaching is satisfactory overall. Much is good but a small amount is undemanding, particularly for the older and most capable pupils. Although the quality of care, guidance and support is good overall, these pupils do not have enough guidance on how to improve their work. Pupils are keen to learn, enjoy school and are well behaved. The school works well in partnership with others to keep pupils safe and healthy, for example by providing a Breakfast Club.
Leadership and management are satisfactory overall, with some good features. The headteacher has an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses despite being appointed less than a year ago. She has effectively raised staff morale and increased staffing stability, which has had a positive impact upon pupils' progress, demonstrating the school's capacity to improve. The monitoring of teaching is not rigorous enough to help teachers improve the quality of their work. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.
Grade: 3
What the school should do to improve further
Raise standards in English and mathematics for the most capable pupils in Years 5 and 6 by:
- using assessment information to plan challenging work for these pupils, checking closely the impact of this on their progress and taking further action as necessary
- ensuring that teachers' marking points out specific areas for improvement, linked to the pupils' targets, and that pupils act upon this advice
- providing teachers with more accurate feedback on how to improve the quality of their work so it improves further and has a positive impact on pupils' learning.
Achievement and standards
Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children start school with exceptionally low standards, particularly in their language and communication skills. They make satisfactory progress overall in the Foundation Stage, and good progress in acquiring personal and social skills. Despite this, by Year 1, few children reach the standards expected for their age. By the end of Year 2, pupils are attaining average standards and this represents really good progress in Years 1 and 2. This good progress continues in Years 3 and 4, where assessment is used well to plan the next steps in pupils' learning and teachers' marking is excellent in helping pupils to improve their work. In 2004 and 2005, older pupils suffered from prolonged staff absence and they had many changes of teachers over their final years in school. This resulted in unsatisfactory progress, particularly for higher attaining pupils in English and mathematics. Permanent class teachers are now in place and this is having a positive impact upon pupils' progress. Although standards in Year 6 are lower this year due to the attainment levels of this particular group, pupils are making satisfactory progress, with some average attainers exceeding their targets. However, the school's own data reveals a sharp dip in progress in Year 5, reflecting less effective use of assessment and marking. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress throughout the school because their targets for improvement are precise, and knowledgeable teaching assistants support them well. The school sets challenging targets for its pupils in English and mathematics and is successful in achieving these.
Grade: 3
Personal development and well-being
Pupils' enjoy coming to school, their attendance is good and they are keen to learn. Pupils' behaviour is good because all staff use the new behaviour management policy consistently. They are anxious to show their school in a good light. Bullying incidents are rare and pupils understand what to do if they are in trouble. They feel safe at school and state that, 'Our teachers do listen to us'. The newly formed school council's influence so far has been limited to improving play equipment for lunchtimes. However, older pupils show maturity and are keen to take on additional responsibilities, such as helping to supervise younger pupils at lunchtime.
Pupils adopt healthy lifestyles and play energetically. They take part in two hours of physical education each week plus a wide range of extra curricular sporting activities, including cheerleading. A 'Fruity Friday' successfully encouraged pupils to eat fruit. Pupils' work in science effectively supports the development of healthy lifestyles.
Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils raise funds for a range of charities and regular theme weeks take place; recently these have included learning about life in the Caribbean and visits from Indian dancers. Pupils' basic skills and teamwork equip them satisfactorily for their future life.
Grade: 2
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. It is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage, where a recent change in leadership has resulted in a well planned curriculum and improved learning; a fact noted by several parents. However, these changes are still new and their impact is still being evaluated. Teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 is good. Here, assessments are used very accurately to plan future lessons. This successful use of assessment and teachers' marking are not as good in Years 5 and 6 and, as a result, the rate of pupils' learning slows. Work planned for the most capable pupils in Years 5 and 6 is not tailored tightly enough to their learning needs or levels of interest. This slows their progress to only satisfactory levels. Teaching and learning are currently satisfactory in Year 6 but there is a significant dip in performance in Year 5 where teachers' marking is not specific enough to inform pupils how to improve. Relationships between all staff and pupils are good and pupils' behaviour is managed consistently well.
The school has very good systems for assessing all pupils' attainment, tracking their progress and diagnosing any shortfalls. This system is beginning to be used well to track and improve the quality of teaching, although its impact upon the progress of the most capable pupils is not yet sufficient. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities learn satisfactorily because their needs are catered for carefully and they have effective additional support.
Grade: 3
Curriculum and other activities
The curriculum is satisfactory and all statutory requirements are met. The Foundation Stage curriculum is well planned and includes a good amount of independent learning activities. In Years 1 to 5, the curriculum is well planned over the year but in the Spring term too much time is spent on English, mathematics and science in Year 6 in order to practise how best to answer 'test' questions. One Year 6 pupil commented on how she was bored by the amount of 'booster' work taking place. However, pupils find most lessons interesting, especially investigations in science. They like using the interactive whiteboards and where they are used well, pupils' concentration and learning is better. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are included fully in lessons. Older pupils take on additional responsibilities provided and perform them well. Their personal, social and health education is good and they benefit from a good range of extra curricular activities, including coaching in football and information and communication technology, from Rotherham Football Club.
Grade: 3
Care, guidance and support
Effective child protection and health and safety systems promote pupils' well-being effectively. Pupils appreciate that the school needs rules to keep them safe and they follow these well. Good links exist with parents and outside agencies, particularly in providing additional support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These pupils are supported satisfactorily, ensuring sound progress. Good relationships exist between pupils and staff, which help create the caring and supportive ethos evident throughout the school. The large number of school clubs shows the high level of commitment of the staff to the pupils.
Academic and personal development of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is tracked well. The information gained is used effectively to support pupils' learning up to and including Year 4. It is not developed well enough in Years 5 and 6 where teachers' marking and planning are not precise enough, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. It is for this reason that inspectors disagree with the school's judgement that this aspect is good.
Grade: 3
Leadership and management
Leadership and management are satisfactory not good, as the school judges. This is because the improvements made by the new headteacher have not yet led to consistently good progress for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Also, the school's evaluation of pupils' care, guidance and support is inaccurate. The leadership has made important, practical improvements, including the appointment of permanent staff, creating a good learning environment and improving pupil behaviour. Also, the headteacher has successfully engendered a positive drive for improvement shared by an invigorated team of teachers. These developments have led to pupils' progress in Year 6 improving to satisfactory levels. Information from monitoring has given her a clear view on the effectiveness of teaching although feedback to teachers on the quality of their work is not rigorous enough to help them improve further. The school's targets for improvement are accurate and form a sound basis for the school improvement plan. However, the way the school intends to measure success against these targets is not specific enough to give a clear enough picture of how far improvements have been made and what still needs to be done.
Governors meet their responsibilities satisfactorily and the school's capacity to improve is shown by improved pupils' progress, better provision in the Foundation Stage, and the raised morale of staff. The school successfully includes pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and gives them full access to the curriculum. The school provides satisfactory value for money but its financial resources are stretched because of the cost of maintaining the fabric of an old building.
Grade: 3