We WILL improve, says new head of struggling Bramley Sunnyside

Ofsted inspectors have placed Bramley Sunnyside Juniors in special measures after deeming achievement inadequate.

But the Children’s Food Trust has given the thumbs-up to the revamped menu, at Bramley Sunnyside Junior and Infants' School, which has proved a hit with youngsters and parents.

Lead Ofsted inspector Sharona Semlali said of the junior school: “Teaching is inadequate and this has been the case for a long time.

Mrs Semlali said: “Pupils do not reach the standards of which they are capable because they do not make the progress expected of them in English and mathematics.

“The curriculum does not offer enough real-life opportunities and does not inspire or interest all pupils.”

She was also critical of the school governors at the Flanderwell Lane School saying in her report that they were untrained and did not grasp their role and responsibilities.

But new head teacher Helen Headleand, who has been at the school since September, was praised for the action she was taking to revive the school’s fortunes.

She said: “It’s disappointing, but the report states that we’re in the early stages of tackling the issues.

“This will not be a quick fix but we feel we now have the foundations in place. I’ve seen the strong commitment of everyone to raise our game.

“We have met with parents to discuss the action plan we are putting in place.

“It’s good to see the community values the school and with that backing we are confident we will see rapid improvement.”

Meanwhile the Junior and Infant School’s efforts to improve meals won praise from the Childrens’ Food Trust.

Infant school head Mary Smith said: “Just over one in seven children were choosing school meals. This was a worryingly low rate of take up.

“The rest were bringing in packed lunches - these weren’t always well balanced and we noticed the kids were having trouble staying alert for the whole afternoon.

“We knew we’d have to make some changes to make sure things improved, and the first step of this was asking the parents to tell us what they thought.”

The school — helped by the trust — sent questionnaires and found the low take-up was mainly because of a lack of choice.

There are now three lunch choices a day, a newsletter dedicated to school food and nearly 700 children now have school meals every day, up from 450.

Children’s food advisor Jayne Greatorex said: “Schools often worry that tackling school food issues automatically means spending lots of money.

“But that’s not the case at all. There are always ways to improve on low or no budget, with a bit of help to see where to focus your time and effort.

“Schools are such busy places that it can feel hard to make the time to work on school food but, as Bramley Sunnyside’s experiences show, a little can go a long way.

“It really pays back in the response teachers get from children in class, and for getting parents on side.”