Brecknock Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and leaders want the best for all pupils. Pupils are safe and enjoy coming to school. Leaders are working hard to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

Pupils treat each other, staff and visitors with respect and kindness. They understand the school rules and learn how to have positive friendships with each other. If pupils are unkind to one another, leaders deal with this quickly.

Pupils described how this means that bullying is rare. In the playground, pupils like joining in with games together, such as playing football. They mostly do this sensibly.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning. They follow a broad curriculum, which int...erests them. Their learning is enriched by scientist and artist residencies and a wide range of other visitors.

These experiences are planned to deepen pupils' interest in and enjoyment of the subjects that they study. Leaders have high expectations for all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils from Nursery to Year 6 progress well through the curriculum.

Following the federation with a nearby primary school, pupils access a wider range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils enjoy coming together with their peers from this school to take part in activities. For example, pupils can take part in a wide variety of sports and music provision, including an orchestra and jazz band, as well as a range of clubs.

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

Leaders have developed a demanding curriculum. They have the expertise to make sure that subjects are typically planned well, and expectations are ambitious. In most cases, leaders have set out clearly what pupils should learn.

They have prioritised making sure that pupils' knowledge builds in a logical order. Through leaders' effective curriculum development, pupils are supported to continuously develop their skills and knowledge.

Starting in the Nursery class, staff and leaders focus on supporting pupils to understand and use important vocabulary in a subject.

Pupils are helped to use the words that they are taught confidently. For example, in art, pupils in Year 5 used subject-specific language accurately to discuss the artists and artwork that they had been learning about.

Staff regularly check what pupils have learned.

If they identify gaps in learning, they provide pupils with effective support to fill these. However, in a very small number of subjects, the delivery of the curriculum does not help pupils to build their knowledge as effectively. At times, teaching does not focus sufficiently on helping pupils to grasp and remember ideas in depth.

In part, this is because leaders' curriculum thinking is not fully developed and clear in these subjects.

Reading is prioritised. Staff have the subject knowledge to implement the phonics curriculum effectively.

Children begin to learn phonics from the start of the Reception Year. Leaders and staff organise regular events so that parents and carers can understand what is being taught in school and how to support their children's reading development. Staff choose books for pupils to read that match their phonics knowledge.

This enables pupils to build up their reading accuracy and fluency. Pupils enjoy reading and talk enthusiastically about stories and books. For pupils who find reading challenging or who are new to the school, leaders provide well-targeted help, both through small-group and individual support.

This helps pupils to catch up quickly in reading.

Leaders and staff implement the behaviour policy effectively in classrooms. Starting in the early years, staff teach children about expectations for behaviour and how to follow routines.

Pupils take pride in their work. They trust and respect each other. This means that they work well together in lessons.

Leaders plan for pupils with SEND to be fully included in lessons. These pupils' needs are carefully identified. Adaptations, such as small-group, focused sessions, help pupils to understand the curriculum content taught.

Pupils are taught about healthy relationships as part of the school's personal, social and health education programme. They also learn about respecting people's rights and their responsibilities, and they are taught about different faiths and beliefs, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to become active citizens in the school community, including becoming school council representatives and members of the 'children's parliament'.

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their future goals and ambitions. Staff encourage them to think about different careers, including in computing and engineering.

Many pupils have a history of poor attendance.

In some cases, pupils' attendance has improved because of leaders' support and challenge. However, for others, attendance remains low. Leaders are taking further steps to tackle this and are proactive in their response to absence.

Members of the recently federated governing body have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities in supporting and challenging leaders' work to improve the school.

Staff are positive about working here.

They receive a wide range of professional development opportunities and value how leaders consider their workload and support them to carry out their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders have made sure that safeguarding is taken seriously.

Staff are trained regularly so that they can spot and report any risks that pupils may face. If there is ever a concern, leaders act quickly. This includes securing additional help from outside agencies to support pupils and their families.

Leaders keep accurate records of any safeguarding concerns.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe, both at school and online. They know that they can talk to an adult if something does not feel right.

This learning starts in the Nursery class, where trusted adults are introduced as an important part of helping children to feel and stay safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Curriculum thinking in a few subjects is not as embedded as it is in others. This results in inconsistencies in how these subjects are implemented by teachers.

In these subjects, teaching does not enable pupils to learn subject content in as much depth as they could. Leaders should ensure that curriculum thinking in all subjects is secure and that teachers are confident to deliver the curriculum effectively. ? Some pupils' attendance rates remain low.

This means that they miss out on their learning. Leaders have been working closely with parents and the local authority to improve these pupils' attendance. This is beginning to have an impact, but leaders need to make sure that improving attendance remains a priority so that all pupils attend school as regularly as they should.