Bromley Hills Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Bromley Hills Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are united in their view that Bromley Hills is a nice school to attend. When it makes decisions, the school considers carefully pupils' best interests. Pupils demonstrate the school values, such as showing perseverance when things are challenging.

They are caring towards those less fortunate than themselves.

The school has high expectations for all. Pupils achieve well because of the carefully designed curriculum that they learn.

Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of important subject-...specific vocabulary and enjoy using these new words when writing or speaking about the topics they study.

This is a school where everybody feels included. Pupils learn that everyone is different and unique and that this is celebrated at their school.

They know that being respectful and tolerant are important in ensuring that their school is welcoming to all.

Pupils' views are important to leaders and staff. Pupils hold roles such as subject ambassadors and school council representatives.

Pupils are active citizens in their community. They collect clothing for those in need and make donations to the local food banks. Many look forward to the residential visits they undertake in Years 5 and 6.

For some, their first time away from home helps them to become more independent.

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

The school, in partnership with governors, has made significant improvements to its curriculum. Such changes are now enabling more pupils to achieve well.

The school has accurately identified the improvements needed to enable all pupils to achieve age-related outcomes in all subjects. Governors have an accurate view of school performance. They understand the strengths and where there are areas for improvement.

The school works well with external partners and acts quickly when improvement actions are identified.

Since the previous inspection, the school has developed many curriculum subjects. Learning sequences now build on pupils' prior knowledge, helping them to recall important facts about the subjects they study.

However, in some subjects, there is more work to do to support staff to enable pupils to become better at the subject-specific skills. While pupils know lots of facts linked to their learning, some do not improve the skills linked to those subjects.

Staff check pupils' knowledge well and quickly identify gaps in their understanding.

Pupils receive timely support, such as in reading, writing and mathematics, when they need it. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early and receive timely support from staff and from external agencies when required. The school ensures that pupils with SEND have equal access to its curriculum and wider activities.

There is a high ambition for them to achieve well. However, sometimes, staff do not adapt their teaching of the curriculum well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means some pupils struggle to understand what staff expect of them in lessons.

The school is successfully developing pupils' speaking and listening skills. Pupils learn to expand on their peers' responses and share their thinking, such as with support partners. Pupils are developing their vocabulary, helped by staff who highlight words that will be useful to know.

Staff check pupils' understanding of important words and encourage pupils to use them, for instance in their writing.

Children in the early years are well supported and settle quickly at school. Many successfully learn to control their feelings and emotions, waiting for their turn to share and listening to other children's ideas.

They develop positive relationships with each other and staff. Those at the early stages of learning to read have books matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who do not read regularly at home get the chance to read daily to adults in school.

More-established readers enjoy choosing books by a wide range of authors and from different periods and cultures. Pupils benefit from reading texts linked to their writing topics. They enjoy it when staff read stories to them.

Pupils behave well. Those who experience difficulties with their behaviour are well supported by staff to make improvements. The school keep parents and carers informed about the many rewards that children achieve and also when improvements are required.

Pupils know what bullying is and who to report it to, should it occur. They understand online risks and that they should share any concerns with trusted adults.

The school has begun working more effectively with parents to improve pupils' attendance.

It has recently made changes to how it communicates the importance of pupils being in school every day. However, it remains the case that too many pupils are away from school too often. This affects their learning and means they are unable to benefit from the wider social experiences on offer.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs they are offered. Archery, Makaton, Japanese and karate are just a few of the clubs that develop pupils' talents and interests. Pupils learn from special visitors to the school about the possible careers that they can pursue.

This helps pupils aspire to do well. Learning about different cultures and faiths has helped many pupils to understand the importance of being respectful.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils with SEND do not always have the necessary adaptations made to their learning to enable them to access learning. As a result, some struggle to understand what is expected of them and this delays them starting activities. The school should ensure that staff successfully adapt learning to support pupils to access the curriculum as intended.

• Staff do not always deliver the subject-specific knowledge and skills in the curriculum effectively. Consequently, some pupils learn important facts but they do not become more proficient at the skills associated with the subject. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary support to deliver the subject-specific skills identified in its curriculum.

• Despite the school's early work to reduce persistent absence, too many pupils continue to be away too often. This affects pupils' learning and means some miss the wider opportunities on offer at school. The school should continue to support parents to understand the impact that persistent absence has on their child's academic and social development.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in May 2019.