Governing Body’s Report to Parents Review of 2014 and Plans for 2015

Parents View Average Scores Based on 51 Responses

• 4= Strongly Agree 3= Agree 2 = Disagree 1= Strongly Disagree Would recommend school Taught Well Well Lead and Managed Happy at School Feels Safe Makes Good Progress Well looked after Well behaved Responds well to concerns Recieves valuable information about child's progress Appropriate Homework Deals with Bullying 3 3,2 3,4 3,6 3,8 4

Key Issues Addressed 2014

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Marking Policy

Key Issue. To develop a completely new marking policy that reflects consistently high standards in marking and impacts significantly on achievement, progress and feedback

Success Criteria

There will be a consistent approach to marking that will enable children understand better where they are and what they need to so to improve.

Children will have a much better understanding of what they have done well and also how to edit their work and make improvements based on feedback from their teachers. They will be more involved in the marking process. Verbal feedback will pay a much bigger part in lessons.

Outcome

New system of marking using Pink ( tinkled pink good) and green (room for growth) was explained to children. Three governors carried out a learning walk about marking. Groups of children from each year were interviewed. The governors were impressed about how consistent the marking was , how much the children felt they marking system improved their learning. They particularly liked the green marking as it they felt that it clearly showed them how they could make improvements. They also like the success criteria as they knew what they needed to do to improve and rise to challenges in their work.

Berkley had a BLINK visit from 3 other head teachers and although they were here to look at standards in maths part of their remit was to look at the numeracy books. The feedback on the marking was that it was of an incredibly high standard and this high standard was maintained.

Now focussing in on developing the purple polishing pen so that children can edit their own work. This has already begun in Owls and Badgers and beginning to be developed with year 2’s in Squirrels class.

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Key Issues Addressed 2014

Target Setting

Key Issue. Aspirational Target Setting that encourages consistently high standards across reading, writing and Numeracy

Success Criteria

High standards are being maintained with some movement towards even higher standards particularly in Numeracy and reading

Outcome

As part of the Frome Learning Partnership Mrs Brautigam was on the working party for developing the new Frome flight path setting aspirational targets for all our children across Frome. This flight path explains what needs to be achieved each year in order to progress to achieve at least a C in GCSE. We identified any vulnerable children that were below the flight path levels and developed improved strategies and approaches to learning for them. Our Senco teacher attend a dyscalculia course to help children with severe problems in maths.

We have improved our overall results in both Key Stages still further this year particularly in maths. Children are far more aware of the next steps and what they need to do to be successful.

Key Issues Addressed 2014

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Behaviour

Key Issue. Consistent exemplary standards of behaviour throughout the school, modelled by all adults and children, linked where possible and where meaningful to our Christian values • • Success Criteria Children’s behaviour has improved, they have taken ownership of their new behaviour rules. Positive behaviour is praised and celebrated and children learn from each other. Class targets have worked effectively to embed excellent behaviour .

Outcome

The children developed a behaviour code. A parent walk around school observed this behaviour code in practice and were impressed with behaviour. A governors’ walk took place it identified that children were very aware of the behaviour rules, liked them and felt that they were essential in helping them learn. The observed behaviour in class was excellent. Awards are used to celebrate good behaviour.

Key Issues Addressed 2014

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Information Technology

Key Issue. To begin to adapt school scheme of work in IT in order to meet the new curriculum Success Criteria New scheme has been developed and teachers are planning from it. New programming elements have been added into the scheme. Staff have trialled new elements Everything is in line to introduce Curriculum 2014 in September.

Outcome New elements of curriculum 2014. embedded.

All staff had training which was cascaded by subject leader.

Subject leader and TLA attended county IT updates training which again was cascaded to all staff All staff trialled the new units of work last year All staff are confident using the programming elements of the new curriculum Curriculum 2014 is now fully in place New IT club being run by Mrs Hirons with ipads Miss Pickford now taken over as IT subject leader Classroom observation has identified very good practice going on E-safety very well embedded throughout all the classes

Key Issues Addressed 2014

Numeracy

• • • Key Issue. To begin to adapt school scheme of work in Mathematics in order to meet the needs of curriculum 2014.

Success Criteria New scheme has been developed and teachers are planning from it. Greater focus on mental maths and stretching the more able. Outcome Extensive training took place and we decided to use the “guided teaching groups” approach to the teaching of maths. Our maths co-ordinator Mrs Mathews and our head teacher Mrs Brautigam visited all three classes to carry out joint lesson observations and they were all judged to be good or outstanding. A further two observations by Mrs B were judged to be outstanding. The focus of our blink visit by other Frome heads was numeracy. The teaching was judged to be good and outstanding.

KS1 results have improved still further and we had 7 level 3 children out of 18 and last year we had 4. 25% of our boys achieved the level 4 with 19/21 achieving 4APS across the year and some 6APS.

Other Successes in 2014

• • • • • • • • • • • • Extended our teaching spaces and facilities by adding a new classroom up on the field, so that we can now split KS2 into 2 separate classes. This has included extra toilet provision too.

Added another teaching space in the quiet area which we are calling “The Berkley Den” this can be used for small group work and 1-1 work Added extra sides to our outdoor classroom so that we can use it for longer periods during the school year Established a peaceful sensory garden at the back of Owls and Badgers classes Resurfaced the playground ready for our new markings Added increased soft servicing to our play trail and pathways to our sandpit and tyre park Fenced in the field to create even more security for our children Widened the car park for increased parking facilities Successfully campaigned for 30mph outside the school All our children took part in the Harvest, Christmas and Easter Services and plays with confidence and enjoyment Many of our children took part in the 4 Family Services that we had last year Singing continues to be a strength with two choirs, our weekly singing worship and our music specialist teacher

Other Successes in 2014

• • • • • • • • Our Year 4’s play the recorders when we enter and leave the Church for our worship on Wednesday’s and Friday’s and take pride in this and help to select the hymns for worship All Year 3 and 4’s learn to play a stringed instrument and perform in a concert to parents at the end of the year A group of our Year 3 children took part in a music festival called the Year of the Strings in the cheese and grain which was super Our KS2 choir took part in a singing event and picnic at Jackdaws Music Centre which gave them another opportunity to sing to a wider audience All our children visited St Catherine’s care home in Frome to sing to the residents which was a new venture We had a very good take up for our clubs again this year which included – tag-rugby, hockey, multi-skills, sewing, gardening, gymnastics, maths, writing detectives and programming We now employ Mr Ian Groves (sports coach) to deliver PE to Year 3 and 4’s Swimming continues to be a strength led by Mrs Langton and her team

Plans for 2015

Improve Accessibility Of The Evidence From Which Our Judgements About The School Are Made

Key Issue It is highly likely that the school will have an ofsted inspection in 2015. As these inspections are shorter and more focused it is essential that the school has easily accessible the evidence to substantiate the judgements we make about the school on the School Evaluation Form we send to Ofsted. We have therefore asked the head teacher to establish and co-ordinate all monitoring and evaluation to support the judgements in the SEF.

Success Criteria All our evidence easily accessible for Ofsted.

Plans for 2015

Review The Effectiveness Of The Existing Behaviour Management Strategies

Key Issue Although the school had behaviour as a focus area for 2014 and significant progress has been made, we felt that one year was insufficient time to ensure that the new behaviour rules to be fully embedded. This year we will be focusing on ensuring that these behaviour rules and behaviour management strategies are effective and implemented consistently across the school.

Success Criteria Evidence collected from observations by both governors and parents of lessons and playground activities plus feedback from children and parents show that the behaviour strategies are effective.

Plans for 2015

Numeracy

• Key Issue Building on the work we did in 2014 we need to monitor and track our higher achievers and build on problem solving skills for all pupils. We also need to set targets to increase the number of pupils achieving expectations in mathematics particularly problem solving.

In topic work plan for more opportunities of cross curricular work in mathematics e.g. measuring in the science and geography areas • Success Criteria Higher achievers making very good progress, good problem solving skills developing. Numbers of children achieving expected level in maths has risen. Measurable development in children’s mental recall skills .Higher percentage of girls achieving Level 3 at KS1 and higher percentage of boys achieving Level 4 at KS2. Measurable development of children achieving mental maths recall skills in both KS1 and KS2. Whole school planning and individual planning identifies cross curricular links in maths.. All Staff are using maths as a main driver for a topic in January, Then they will evaluate how successful the links have been.

Plans for 2015

Marking

• • Key Issue Building on the work we did in 2014 we need to ensure that the children have a very good understanding of their needs in learning and how they can improve still further.

Success Criteria Children are using the purple polishing pen to enhance their skills and development on how to improve their work.

Children are fully involved and conversant with the success criteria. Marking is focused to the learning objective and the success criteria Children are becoming more confident when assessing each other’s work and comments improve children’s understanding and enhance their work.