Brimpton C.E. Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and caring school. Pupils, parents, staff and governors all feel part of the Brimpton family. The school values of responsibility, love, forgiveness, respect and community are woven into daily school life.

Pupils know they come first. They feel safe and trust adults to listen and to help them. Relationships between pupils and adults are strong.

Pupils behave extremely well. They understand the school's 'good to be green' behaviour system. Pupils concentrate in class and enjoy playing with their friends during social times.

Year 6 prefects are on the playground to help with any problems that emerge. Pupils know the consequences if they do not f...ollow the rules. Those who struggle to manage their behaviour are supported well.

Year 6 pupils are proud to take on roles of responsibility, such as mental health ambassadors and team captains. Pupils enjoy the variety of clubs, for example choir and sports clubs. They appreciated their recent whole-school trip to Hampton Court.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, to achieve well. Pupils are keen to work hard and are motivated to learn. As a result, they typically achieve well across the curriculum.

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

The school has designed an interesting and well-sequenced curriculum from early years onwards. It sets out the building blocks of knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember over time. Each subject has clear intentions for what pupils should know when they leave Brimpton at the end of Year 6.

Staff are swift to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They typically make useful adaptions to support these pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

Staff often provide helpful support that helps pupils to learn important content.

As a result, pupils usually achieve well. Staff revisit important concepts to help pupils to make connections to new learning. They prioritise developing pupils' vocabulary from Reception onwards.

As a result, pupils confidently use technical language to discuss their learning. For example, older pupils use accurate vocabulary to describe the features of rainforests. Sometimes, the tasks that pupils complete are not sharply focused on the most important learning.

This means that on occasion, pupils do not have sufficient time or practise to secure their learning before moving on.

In some subjects, such as mathematics, staff use a well-established approach to check what pupils know and can do. They use this information to carefully adapt their teaching to address pupils' gaps in understanding.

This helps pupils to swiftly correct misconceptions. In other subjects, the school's approach to checking pupils' understanding is not yet fully developed.

Reading is a priority for the school.

Adults want pupils to develop a love for reading. Teachers make sure that pupils have the opportunity to listen to a wide range of quality texts. The youngest children look forward to spending time with their reading buddy.

The school has recently introduced a new programme to teach phonics and early reading. Staff have received high-quality training and have the required expertise to teach early reading. Reception children learn their sounds from the moment they start.

Staff closely follow the programme and provide effective extra support for weaker readers. Pupils at an early stage of learning to read are given books that contain the sounds they have learned. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency.

Expectations of pupils' behaviour are consistent across the school. From the start of Reception, pupils quickly learn the routines and are encouraged to be independent. Classes are calm and learning is not interrupted by poor behaviour.

Pupils engage with their learning and are keen to contribute to lessons. They move sensibly around school. Pupils are polite and courteous to both adults and each other.

Pupils' personal development is a notable strength of the school. The school's Christian ethos and values make sure that pupils are kind and respectful to all. Pupils understand the importance of respecting differences.

They are taught about different cultures and religions. Pupils understand that discrimination of any kind is wrong. They learn what is important in a relationship.

Pupils are taught the importance of how a healthy diet and being fit will support their mental health and well-being.

All staff feel well supported by the school's leadership. They are appreciative of the importance given to their well-being.

Governors share leaders' aspirations for pupils' outcomes. They appropriately hold the school to account and are mindful of the additional challenges facing small schools.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not check carefully enough that pupils have retained important content. As a result, future learning does not address gaps or build well enough on what came before. The school should ensure that teachers emphasise the component knowledge that pupils need and routinely check that it has been learned, so that they can plan appropriate future learning.

• Sometimes, pupils complete tasks that are not sufficiently focused on the key content. This means that on occasion, pupils do not have sufficient time to develop fluency and accuracy with new learning before moving on. The school should ensure that staff design tasks that are sharply focused on the most important knowledge and skills they intend pupils to learn and remember.