(ISC)
INSPECTION OF BRITISH PRIMARY SCHOOL BRUSSELS

By the INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

on 28 January to 1 February 2002
SUMMARY REPORT

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE
SUMMARY INSPECTION REPORT ON

The British Primary School Brussels
Full Name of the School The British Primary School, Brussels

DFES Number 703 6005
Address Stationsstraat 3, 3080 Vossem-Tervuren, Belgium
Telephone Number : 00 32 2 767 3098
Fax Number : 0032 2 767 0351
Name of Principal Mrs. Dorothy Guy
Proprietor Dr. Bruce and Mrs. Dorothy Guy
Age Range 3 to 8 Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 121

Under an agreement with the British Government, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) now inspects and reports on schools in England which are members of Independent Schools Council (ISC) associations. The same arrangement is also offered to British schools elsewhere in Europe in membership of the Council of British Independent Schools in the European Communities (COBISEC). These inspections use a framework and criteria consistent with those used by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED - the Government's inspection agency in England which also inspects schools not covered by the ISI); apply similar standards of judgement; and are monitored by OFSTED. ISI inspections in England also report to the Government on whether schools meet the requirements of the law there. While British schools elsewhere in Europe are not subject to those legal requirements, these schools are nevertheless encouraged to meet them voluntarily, and ISI and OFSTED inspections take account of that. This inspection of The British Primary School, Brussels has been conducted by the ISI on the above basis.

The inspection does not examine the financial viability of the school or investigate its accounting procedures. The inspectors check the school's health and safety procedures and comment on any significant hazards they encounter: they do not carry out an exhaustive health and safety examination.

© Independent Schools Inspectorate 2002

MAIN FINDINGS

Overall Summary
The British Primary School is a well-led school that provides a very sound education for its pupils. It is a secure and supportive environment for learning and the ethos is good. Relationships with parents are excellent.

What the School Does Well

* The headteacher has a strong and positive influence on the school.
* The school provides a sound education for its pupils with appropriate attention to literacy, numeracy and science.
* The teaching and support staff contribute very effectively to the provision.
* The school is a very caring community with a very good ethos.
* Relationships with parents are excellent.
* Parents contribute to the provision in a wide variety of ways.
* The Nursery and Reception classes provide a very good foundation for the children's learning
* Very good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs.
* Very good results are achieved by pupils in National Curriculum tests.

What the School Should Do Better

* In line with the development plan, the school should develop the role of subject co­ordinators to include monitoring of curriculum planning and pupils' attainment.
* In line with the school development plan, staff appraisal procedures should be extended to include classroom observation of teachers' performance and target setting.

Standards of Attainment and Progress in Subjects

In relation to their ages and capabilities children in the Foundation Stage attain high standards in the early learning goals of personal and social development; communication, language and literacy; mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.

By Key Stage 1 (Year 2), and by Year 4 the pupils attain very sound standards in the core foundation subject of science, and sound standards in the core foundation subjects of English and mathematics. They attain sound standards in information and communication technology (ICT). Too few lessons were inspected in the other subjects of the curriculum for a reliable assessment of standards to be made. However, lessons were observed in art, design and technology (DT), French, geography, music and physical education (PE), and in each of these individual subject lessons standards were sound or better. Throughout the school pupils with special educational needs attain standards in line with their capabilities. Overall, at least satisfactory progress was made by the pupils over the full ability range in acquiring subject knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

In the National Curriculum tests taken in Year 2, at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils attain standards well in excess of the UK national average in English and mathematics. However, there are indications in the relatively low number of results that the performance of boys is somewhat lower than that of girls. Almost without exception parents are pleased with their child's attainment and progress.

The Quality of Pupils' Learning, Attitudes and their Behaviour
The pupils' attitudes to learning are good and they respond well in lessons. They are well motivated and co-operate readily with each other. Pupils consistently show interest in their teachers and work hard. They quickly become absorbed in their tasks and are able to sustain concentration for quite long periods. During the course of the inspection few opportunities occurred for the pupils to undertake personal study. The pupils have positive attitudes and relationships between them are very good. They work well together and pay respectful attention to each other's contributions. A notable feature of many lessons was the eagerness of pupils to respond to the teachers' questions. Pupils show a high level of respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others, and this contributes significantly to the quality of learning. Standards of behaviour are very good.

The Quality of Teaching
The quality of teaching is good overall, and contributes effectively to the pupils' attainment and progress. Almost all lessons were satisfactory or better. A little over half were good or better, and about one lesson in six was very good. The teaching meets the needs of all pupils, including the abler pupils and those who have special educational needs. Effective language teaching provision is made for pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL). Overall, the quality of teaching provided for pupils with the spectrum of special educational needs is good. The very substantial majority of parents are pleased with the quality of teaching provided for their children. Class teachers have a sound overall grasp of the broad curriculum they teach, and this contributes to the high standard of medium-term and short-term planning. Pupils are managed well and the teaching is characterised by appropriate expectations. However, there are indications that expectations could rise even further when teachers are wholly familiar and comfortable with the recently introduced literacy and numeracy strategies. Teachers know their pupils well and the quality of relationships is very good. The teachers' lively approach, skilled use of question and answer techniques, and persistence in rewarding good work with praise, contribute to the overall quality of teaching and the pleasant atmosphere in the classrooms.

Other Aspects of the School Attendance
The level of pupils' attendance is satisfactory and this enables pupils to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the school. Teachers carefully complete registers at the start of each session. Reasons for absence are usually recorded but there is no whole school policy on the use of codes in the registers. Pupils move efficiently between lessons and other activities, though some arrive late at the start of the day. The school should record lateness and attempt to take a more robust stance on it. The introduction of an admissions register would bring the school into line with schools in the UK.

Assessment and Recording
Methods used for assessing and recording pupils' attainment, progress and needs are accurate, consistent and effective. A good record is kept of each pupil and records are transferred from
teacher to teacher as the pupil progresses through the school. Each child's assessment folder contains a wide range of information, and copies of end-of-year reports to parents are helpfully retained in the pupils' files. An up-to-date register is kept of all children receiving additional learning support. Pupils with special educational needs have their own assessment and record folders, and further planning and evaluation records are kept by SEN support staff. Individual education plans (IEPs) of a good quality are prepared for each pupil every half-term. Routine assessment is accurate, fairly consistent and effective in assisting pupils to make progress. However, teachers' marking varied quite widely in style and quality. Assessment contributes to curriculum development and planning and helps teachers to match work to the needs of pupils.

Curriculum

The curriculum offers a broad and balanced general education suited to all pupils across the age and ability range. The Foundation Stage curriculum is based on the early learning goals and all subjects of the National Curriculum are taught in Key Stages 1 and 2. The subjects offered contribute effectively to the pupils' intellectual, physical and personal attainment and development. Responses to the parent questionnaires indicate that almost all parents are pleased with their child's curriculum, and almost all were pleased with attainment, progress and teaching. The curriculum is appropriate for the age, ability, gender and ethnicity of the pupils and prepares them well for the next stage of their education. The curriculum is planned effectively. Curriculum polices are in place for the different subjects but vary in detail. Sound levels of continuity and progression were evident throughout the school, and they were particularly good in the Foundation Stage. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is regularly evaluated by the headteacher and is of high quality. The school recognises that even better provision could be made for the abler pupils and the provision for gifted pupils is a target area for consideration in 2002/2003. The curriculum is enhanced by a range of visits undertaken by the pupils, and by activities such as concerts and book week.

Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff
The hard working all-female staff has a good blend of age and teaching experience. Staff are suitably qualified and experienced for the roles they are required to undertake. Four classroom assistants work in the Nursery, giving an overall adult child ratio that is in line with current guidance in the UK. The deployment of teaching staff is effective. The specialist teachers of French and music, and the librarian contribute well to the pupils' learning, as do the classrooms assistants. Teachers of special educational needs, English as an additional language (EAL) and a speech therapist all enhance the quality of the provision. A range of invaluable support is provided by parent volunteers who support work in many ways. Almost all parents noted that the school encourages them to be actively involved in its life and work. A staff appraisal policy is in place and the in-service training programme is linked to both whole-school and individual needs. It is proposed that the headteacher will monitor teachers' classroom performance with effect from the school year 2002/3 and the resulting assessments will play a part in the appraisal process. Following the recent introduction of performance management in maintained schools in the UK and the growing interest in this initiative in many independent schools, it should be of professional benefit to the teachers, and to the school itself, when the more efficient staff monitoring and development programme is introduced. Members of the non-teaching staff contribute to the ethos of the school.

Resources for Learning

The books, equipment, materials and ICT needed to support the teaching and learning are satisfactory in quantity and quality, and are used effectively. All pupils have access to the computers located in their classrooms, and to the computer that is located in the library. A good

supply of fiction, non-fiction, text and workbooks supports the work in English, and class topics are enhanced by collections of reference books supplied by the librarian. A wide range of other equipment is available to support the curriculum, and all lessons observed were suitably resourced. The resources contribute positively to the pupils' attainment and progress.

Libraries

The library facilities offer good support for the curriculum and are effectively used. The total number of books is about 8000 with a good balance between fiction and non-fiction. Overall, the stock is up-to-date and constitutes good provision. A broad range of fiction is kept in each library. The books are colour coded according to level of reading difficulty, and are well suited to the needs of the pupils. The non-fiction texts cover appropriately the subjects of the curriculum and are Dewey Decimal coded. Although neither library has a generous amount of space, both are very well organized and stock is readily accessible. Each pupil in Key Stages 1 and 2 is expected to borrow one fiction and one non-fiction text each week. While this has enormous potential for contributing to the pupils' enjoyment of books and to their standard of reading, there are indications that some pupils do not read the texts they borrow. The sound level of book provision in the library indicates a good level of investment in the acquisition of books. Book weeks and bedtime reading weeks help to heighten pupils' interest in reading. The librarian, who is a qualified teacher, helps to ensure that the library contributes significantly to the development of pupils' literacy skills.

Premises and Accommodation

A great deal of effort has been invested in making the premises suitable for the pupils' education. The buildings, accommodation and other facilities are appropriate for the numbers, abilities, ages and gender of the pupils. They are used well and enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. The buildings and grounds are suitable for their purpose and are adequate in terms of provision, quality and condition. The premises support curricular provision, teaching and learning, and make a positive contribution to the pupils' personal development and welfare. The entrance hall to the building used by the older pupils is welcoming and displays of pupils' work provide interest. The premises are well maintained and in good repair, well decorated, clean and safe. There is a lack of dedicated social and recreational space for staff, though the kitchen and adjacent French room are used for this purpose. Corridors have interesting display areas that promote learning. The sanitary facilities are clean, in good repair and adequate. The playgrounds have interesting equipment and markings that enhance the environment. The school hires a recently refurbished local swimming pool and two excellent large sports hall facilities that constitute good provision for PE.

Links with Parents and the Community

The school's partnership with pupils' homes is very good. The information provided for parents, and the quality of reports is good. Appointment meetings for parents take place twice a year, and very informative written reports are issued in the summer term. Parents may make an appointment at any time to see a teacher and there is regular informal contact at the beginning and end of the school day. The parental survey recorded many positive comments about the accessibility of staff, including, This is the most accessible school I have known from the initial interview onwards.' The enrichment of the curriculum through links with parents is good and the parent teacher association is very active. Parent volunteers assist the school in many ways. Parents are very supportive of their children's work undertaken at home, and especially with reading homework up to Year 2. Twice-termly newsletters keep parents well-informed and up-to-date with what is happening at school.

Personal Development

Provision for the pupils' personal development is good. Spiritual development is encouraged through the caring ethos of the school. Although the school does not teach RE, many of the festivals and the special days of pupils from different cultural backgrounds are shared at the weekly assemblies. Several occasions were observed during the inspection when pupils' spiritual education was enhanced in lessons. Provision for moral education is good. The effective system of rewards and sanctions focuses mainly on supporting positive behaviour and steps are taken to welcome new children to the school. The caring ethos encourages pupils to develop a respect for themselves, empathy with and concern for others, and a sense of compassion for those around them. Pupils respect others' needs, interests and feelings. Pupils are developing an understanding of other cultures through the curriculum and through daily interaction with friends of many different nationalities. The school has a friendly atmosphere and the rapport between staff and pupils is very good.

Pastoral Care, Support and Guidance
The quality of pastoral care, support and guidance is good. The headteacher is very much in evidence around the school and her example and approachability undoubtedly contribute to the supportive environment. She is known by all pupils including the very youngest. The teachers and non-teaching staff all contribute to the caring ethos of the school and as a result the pupils are happy and secure. Typical of many parent comments was, 'This is an exceptionally happy environment.' The parental survey showed that the overwhelming majority of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives worthwhile help and guidance to the pupils. Measures to promote good discipline and behaviour are effective, and sound procedures are in place to guard against harassment and bullying.

Pupils' Welfare, including Health and Safety
Effective measures are taken to safeguard and promote the pupils' welfare. The school is safe for pupils and staff, and all parts of the premises are in good repair, clean and hygienic. Sound measures are taken to ensure that the premises are secure for pupils, parents and visitors. Attention to the pupils' welfare is a strength of the school, and many comments on the parent questionnaire indicated a very high level of satisfaction with the pupils' happiness and safety. The children are subject to proper care and supervision throughout the day both in the classroom and play areas. Playground rules are displayed and known by the pupils. The headteacher is readily accessible to parents each day as she supervises the arrival of pupils. Pupils are given a range of responsibilities in the classroom, which enhances their maturity and helps with the day-to-day running of the school. An experienced school nurse is on duty every morning and four of the five of the lunchtime supervisors are qualified nurses. First aid resources are kept in each building, and any accidents are recorded in the school accident book kept in the office. The school does not have a child protection policy but reference is made to this in the school development plan and is due to be addressed in Autumn 2002. Fire drills are held termly. The introduction of a health and safety policy could be beneficial.

Governance and Management
The school is owned by the headteacher and her husband. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership, and is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school. This includes the appointment and management of staff, management of the curriculum, contact with parents and a wide range of other duties. Her husband takes responsibility for managing financial matters. The management of the school ensures that its aims are met and that a suitable quality of education is provided. At present subject co­ordinators are expected to provide advice when other teachers need it and to act as consultants.

In a potentially valuable initiative, coordinators' roles are to be extended with effect from year 2002/3. They are to be provided with non-contact time to assume the more exacting role of monitoring the quality of teaching in their respective subjects, and to take a more active role in monitoring the pupils' attainment. In addition to the leaders of subjects, a number of other staff efficiently and effectively carry out management duties. They include the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), the librarian and the specialist teachers of French and music. A key role, closely linked to management, is that of business manager.

The quality of planning is sound and policies guide the conduct of most aspects of the school. The detailed school development plan is prepared in consultation with staff. The plan is reviewed regularly and has a clear and positive influence on the development of the school. Routine administration and the quality of communication within the school and with parents are good. The headteacher and her colleagues work well together as a team with a high level of mutual respect. The aims and values of the headteacher permeate the school and as a consequence the ethos is very good. This contributes significantly to the quality of the provision and prompted many written comments on the parental questionnaire, such as 'The British Primary School combines high academic standards with a warm atmosphere and individual attention,' and 'BPS is by far the most friendly and supportive school I have encountered.'