secretary@office.birchhill.bracknell-forest.sch.uk head@office.birchhill.bracknell-forest.sch.uk

Headteacher: Alan Harding

Ofsted Inspection

 

• Download the 2010 monitoring visit letter as a PDF file by clicking here: or right-click to save to your hard drive.
• Download the 2009 report as a PDF file by clicking here: or right-click to save to your hard drive.
• Downloaded the 2006 report as a PDF file by clicking here: or right-click to save to your hard drive.
• You can also download the 2000 report by clicking here.

Click here to view the results of the 2009 Questionnaire for Parents

 

Birch Hill was inspected in June 2009.

The inspection team made a number of recommendations and highlighted many positive aspects of the school including:

· The many positive strategies to improve teaching and learning that have been introduced recently.

· Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good.

· Pupils are happy to come to school and they enjoy their lessons, particularly the practical and group work. They recognise

that the school takes really good care of them.

· Children in the Nursery classes receive a good start.

· Pupils acquire good attitudes to learning.

· Pupils enjoy school because they feel safe, secure and cared for.

· Attendance is “regular and prompt”.

· In most lessons, behaviour and attention are good.

· Relationships are good throughout the school.

· Pupils are friendly, helpful and confident talkers. Their moral and social development is good.

· They show a pride in their work.

· Their confidence, self-esteem and social skills are particularly well developed.

· The school has introduced several strategies which are beginning to improve the teaching of writing, and so raise standards.

· Teachers are providing more variety in their planning and increasing opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas and to learn through active participation in practical tasks.

· Engaging activities, practical work and good enrichment are strong features of the curriculum.

· Children know who to turn to for support if they have a problem or injury.

· Behaviour, anti-bullying and anti-racist procedures are good and consistent application is appreciated by the pupils, who understand how to behave well.

· The provision of well-managed, intensive support groups for groups who are underperforming is proving effective. As a result, pupils are now in a much stronger position to improve their work.

 

Birch Hill was inspected by Ofsted in July 2006.

The Registered Inspector, Steven Hill and his team clearly identified the strengths of the school. They also agreed with the priorities for development that were already identified.

Some of the key findings are listed below.

• The school has some notable strengths. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide good leadership and clear direction. They ensure a shared vision for the school, leading to good quality care, coupled with a clear focus on raising standards. The school is inclusive. All pupils are made welcome and are valued.
• Pupils' personal development is good, because of the good care and guidance they receive from all staff.
• They behave well, enjoy school, and form very positive relationships with each other and with staff.
• They are cared for very well and develop into confident, well-adjusted young people who play an active and responsible part in the school and wider community.
• There is an exciting curriculum with a wide programme of enrichment activities.
• The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection, and is now well placed to improve further.
• Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because of the effective, well-organised help they receive.
• Pupils enjoy school.
• Relationships are excellent and, from Nursery onwards, children are polite and friendly to each other.
• Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.
• All pupils are helped to feel special. They feel safe and secure because, as a pupil in Year 6 said, 'This is a friendly place and everyone feels included.'
• Pupils are confident that an adult or another pupil will always be there ready to help if they need it. They show strong social skills when participating in the 'buddy system' and 'peer mediation'. They eagerly take responsibilities, such as on the school council, and show good levels of independence. They make valuable contributions to the community, for example through fund raising and getting involved in local events. Their sound achievements in basic skills help to prepare them for their future life.