Brimsham Green School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have worked with integrity and determination to successfully improve the standard of education the school provides. Governors are committed to the school and are supporting the school effectively to continue its journey of improvement.

The school is an inclusive environment. The needs of pupils, including those with complex needs, are fully met. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points.

Leaders have established clear expectations to raise aspirations and improve attitudes. As a result, the school is an orderly and positive environment. Students make good progres...s in the sixth form.

Teaching enables them to deepen their knowledge and understanding. However, some students feel that they were not fully prepared for the demands of post-16 study. Pupil leadership is a strong thread throughout the school.

Leaders involve pupils in decision-making and actively invite pupils to provide feedback about the quality of their experience. Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils value these opportunities.

Middle leaders have developed their skills so that they can support senior leaders to support the continuous drive for improvement. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is typically good. Leaders have established 'non-negotiables' and provide suitable training to support teachers to develop their practice.

However, leaders have yet to ensure that this is consistent across all classes and subject areas. Disadvantaged pupils, particularly boys, do not make the progress of which they are capable. Subject leaders do not explicitly identify the barriers that such pupils need to overcome.

Therefore they, and governors, cannot precisely gauge whether individual strategies have been successful. Leaders are working hard to improve the rate of attendance. This is having some success.

However, the rate of persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils remains too high. Leaders are developing the programme for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). However, pupils are less secure about the influence of extremism.

Younger pupils say that they require further advice and guidance to help them choose their next steps.

Information about this school

Brimsham Green School is an average-sized 11 to 19 secondary school. The school shares its sixth-form provision with two other local schools, which form the Cotswold Edge consortium.

The school has a specialist resource unit to meet the needs of pupils with physical disabilities and complex medical needs. Consequently, the proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is lower than the national figure.

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. Most pupils are White British and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average. A small number of pupils access alternative provision at 'Pathways', a local authority pupil referral unit and medical needs provider.