Brierley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is at the heart of the community. Pupils, including children in the early years, know that they are part of the Brierley family.

They said that everyone cares about each other. This helps them to feel valued, happy and safe.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

The care and support that staff provide for children in the early years helps them to settle into school quickly. Children enjoy joining in with the interesting activities that staff plan for them.

Pupils develop their wider interests and talents through clubs, s...uch as sign language, singing and sports clubs. Residential visits and experience days, such as days to learn about the Romans and volcanoes, help to enrich pupils' learning. Pupils and children learn about helping others by holding fundraising events for charities.

Teachers have clear and high expectations for pupils' and children's behaviour. Pupils and children behave well. They are well-mannered and respectful.

Poor behaviour seldom disrupts their learning. Pupils play happily with each other during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Leaders do not tolerate any forms of bullying.

Pupils are confident that, when it happens, staff will deal with bullying quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders are aspirational for what all pupils, including pupils with SEND, can and should achieve. Leaders want pupils to believe in themselves and aim high.

They have designed a curriculum to help pupils and children to succeed both academically and personally.

Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils, including children in the early years, to have learned by the end of each year. Pupils achieve well in most subjects.

This is because leaders have designed the curriculum so that new learning builds, step-by-step, on what pupils and children already know.Leaders have thoughtfully built into the curriculum sufficient opportunities for pupils to recall earlier learning. In these subjects, pupils and children readily remember what they have learned.

For example, in mathematics, pupils recall multiplication facts with ease when they are solving problems. However, in a few remaining subjects, leaders have only recently taken steps to make sure that pupils revisit and recall prior learning regularly. As a result, there are times when some pupils struggle to recall some aspects of their earlier learning in these subjects.

On occasion, this hinders some pupils when they set about completing increasingly complex tasks.Teachers have a strong knowledge of the subjects that they deliver. For the most part, they use this knowledge to deliver curriculums with clarity.

Staff regularly check how well pupils and children are remembering the curriculum. They use this information to plan for next steps and to provide additional support for pupils when required. However, some teachers are new to their roles as subject leaders.

Although they know their subjects well, some subject leaders are still acquiring the expertise that they need to support teachers to better deliver curriculums. This means that, from time to time, teachers are not as confident about the best way to deliver some aspects of curriculums well.

Pupils and children enjoy coming to school.

Most arrive on time and attend regularly. On the whole, pupils and children are keen to try their best. However, occasionally, some pupils lose focus in lessons.

When this happens, teachers act swiftly to ensure that these pupils get quickly back on track with their learning. Learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

Leaders have made pupils and children learning to read a priority for everyone.

They want pupils to become accurate and fluent readers who read widely and for pleasure. Staff celebrate the joy of reading through assemblies and other events. Younger pupils and children delight in listening to stories and sharing books with staff.

Older pupils speak enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

Children become familiar with sounds as soon as they start in the Nursery class. This ensures that they are well prepared to listen to the sounds that make up words when they begin in the Reception Year.

Staff are trained well to teach the carefully sequenced phonics programme. Pupils learn new sounds in a logical order and practise their reading regularly. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they are learning in class.

This helps pupils to become confident readers quickly. Teachers are quick to spot if pupils and children start to struggle with reading. Staff provide extra help for pupils so that they can catch up quickly.

Skilled staff work closely with parents and with other professionals to identify pupils with SEND as early as possible. Staff provide appropriate support to help these pupils learn well. Teachers adapt their approaches, so that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as others.

This group of pupils join in with everything that the school has to offer.

Pupils are prepared well for secondary school. They develop a respect for people's differences.

They learn about different faiths and cultures. They take their responsibilities as school councillors, pupil governors and librarians very seriously. Older pupils understand the importance of being role models for younger pupils.

Governors are knowledgeable about their role and make sure that they are informed well to effectively hold leaders to account for the quality of education provided for pupils, including for children in the early years. Staff said that they are proud to be part of the Brierley family. They feel valued and well supported by leaders to manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that all staff are kept up to date with the latest safeguarding training. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well.

This helps them to notice any changes in pupils' behaviour that may alert them to signs of concern.

Leaders act on any safeguarding concerns quickly and diligently. They work effectively with external agencies to secure appropriate and timely support for pupils and their families.

Leaders and governors understand the risks and dangers that pupils may face in the local area. They make sure that the curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For instance, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Until recently, in a small number of subjects, pupils have not had sufficient opportunities to revisit and recall earlier learning. This means that, from time to time, pupils are hindered in building securely on what they have learned already. Leaders should ensure that their recent changes to the curriculum in these subjects are implemented fully so that pupils have enough opportunity to revisit and consolidate earlier learning across the curriculum.

• Some subject leaders are new to their role and they are still building their expertise in supporting teachers to deliver some aspects of the curriculum. This means that, at times, teachers lack the confidence and support to deliver some aspects of curriculums well. Leaders should now ensure that subject leaders have the further training, continued support and time that they need to lead their areas of responsibility successfully.