Braiswick Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Braiswick Primary School continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Claire Russell. The school is part of the Learning Pathways Academy, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew Smith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Darren Cross.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. The nurturing environment means they are safe and ready to learn.

Pupils know that staff are always available to help them if they have any concerns. This supports them to feel, and stay, safe.

The school sets high expectations of p...upils' behaviour.

Pupils reflect these in their kind and respectful attitudes, both in lessons and around school. Pupils demonstrate the school's rules of 'be kind, be safe, be responsible' throughout the day.

Pupils know staff have high ambitions for what they should learn.

Most pupils achieve well in mathematics and reading. Pupils are calm and settled, so their learning is not disrupted. They find lessons interesting.

This is because the school has given care and attention to the curriculum and how it is taught.

Pupils benefit from a carefully designed programme of personal development. They enjoy the different clubs on offer, such as sports, choir and gardening.

These help pupils to learn new skills and develop their interests. Pupils celebrate and respect their diverse school community. For example, 'Culture Day' celebrates all the different languages spoken at the school and associated cultural elements, such as national dress.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has ensured that the curriculum sets out, in a logical order, the important knowledge and skills for pupils to learn. This sequence begins in the early years and builds progressively, year on year. This sets pupils up for success as they move through the school and beyond.

However, in a few subjects, the frequency of teaching is not regular enough. This means that some pupils struggle to remember and build on key facts and knowledge in these subjects.

The number of pupils who leave and join the school during the academic year is above average.

Many of the pupils who join the school speak English as an additional language. Leaders and teachers noticed these pupils needed more support to become confident readers and writers. As a result, the school has finely tuned its approach and systems for the teaching of early reading and writing skills.

For example, in the early years, teachers focus on important language skills. Consequently, children learn the sounds that letters make and how to write them correctly. Staff check that children know the meanings of new words.

Children begin learning to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. Staff are well trained in teaching early reading. They carefully check pupils' understanding and ensure that pupils' reading books match the sounds they know.

The school provides swift and effective additional support for pupils who need to catch up. Pupils quickly become confident readers. Teachers build on this success by steadily introducing pupils to more complex and varied literature as they move through the school.

For example, Year 6 pupils passionately justified their favourite characters from a Shakespeare tragedy.

The school carefully identifies how the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can be met. Staff work with parents, carers and external professionals to create bespoke pupil plans.

Where appropriate, staff make subtle adaptations to lessons, such as providing additional resources in mathematics, so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils' behaviour is a strength of the school. Leaders and staff consistently apply rules and routines.

They have created a learning environment that encourages pupils to explore and take calculated risks. For example, at lunchtimes, pupils from across the school kindly support one another in building dens, playing in the mud kitchen, composing dance routines and helping each other to negotiate a 'balance barrel course'. The school takes effective action to ensure pupils attend school frequently.

The school has ensured that pupils' personal development is promoted well. This includes effective support for pupils' mental health. Subject teaching, assemblies and visitors provide opportunities for pupils to learn about diversity and equality.

Elections to the school council and eco-council firm their understanding of democracy. Pupils embrace and respect difference.

Governors and trustees hold leaders to account effectively for school improvement.

Trust leaders provide effective training for staff. This shares and grows expertise and ensures staff are well supported to perform their roles well. Leaders' decisions take teachers' workload into account.

This promotes their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the frequency of teaching is not regular enough.

This means that some pupils struggle to remember and build on key facts and knowledge in these few subjects. The school should ensure that the organisation of the frequency of curriculum delivery in these few subjects enables pupils to secure key concepts in their long-term memory and build on their prior learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2018.

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