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.