Brook House Junior

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Brook House Junior School pupils are proud to attend this school. They say that the school makes them feel 'warm and happy inside'. Pupils understand, and follow, the school values: 'Be ready, be safe, be kind'.

They behave well throughout the school day.

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to, and are confident to, report any concerns that they may have. This can be through the worry box or having an identified trusted adult they can talk to.

Pupils are confident to report any concerns, such as bullying. Pupils feel safe.

Pupils enjoy the carefully planned extra-curricular activities on offer.

These range from theatre and residential trips ...to sports clubs. Some pupils run lunchtime activities, such as a popular dance club for other pupils.

There are several opportunities for pupils to develop as leaders.

Members of the school council make a difference. Playground leaders relish the responsibility of leading games with other pupils.

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

Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school.

They know what is going well and what needs to improve. Governors hold leaders effectively to account.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious.

They have identified the precise knowledge that they want all pupils to know. Pupils enjoy learning new content that builds on what they already know. Year 6 pupils are eager to explain some key events that took place during the Second World War.

In reading and mathematics, teachers continually check what pupils know during lessons. They identify pupils who are not keeping up with their peers. Those pupils receive support.

However, this practice is not consistent across wider curriculum subjects, such as history and art. This means that some pupils develop gaps in the key knowledge.

Pupils enjoy reading a range of books that have been carefully chosen by adults.

Pupils receive tokens for completing reading tasks at home. Winning year groups receive prizes, such as a trip to an ice-skating rink. This encourages pupils to read more.

Pupils who struggle to read are swiftly identified by leaders. Highly skilled staff ensure that pupils receive good-quality daily phonics lessons. As a result, pupils who initially struggle to read become confident, fluent readers who cannot put a book down.

Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. They ensure that staff receive training to support pupils with SEND in the classroom. Some teachers write support plans with clear targets and strategies that enable pupils with SEND to be successful.

However, some of these plans are not precise enough to ensure that pupils get the support they need.

Pupils can clearly explain the behaviour policy. They feel that 'turnaround cards' encourage pupils who may not make the right choices, to 'turn around' their behaviour.

As a result, behaviour is good. Leaders encourage pupils to behave well through the house point system.

Leaders have developed a personal development curriculum that ensures that pupils are well rounded, knowledgeable citizens.

Pupils learn about different types of relationships and how to keep themselves healthy. They have a good understanding of fundamental British values. They take part and debate issues such as equality and fairness.

For example, pupils discuss women's roles in and after the Second World War, when they lost jobs once men returned. They link this to the loss of jobs during the closure of local mines.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

They appreciate the opportunity to discuss any questions that they may have through the workload and well-being committee.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make appropriate checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work with children.

They ensure that adults understand the indicators of harm and safeguarding risks, both offline and online. Information is delivered through polices, training and weekly staff updates. Leaders check that staff know how to report any concerns that they may have about a pupil.

Leaders tenaciously use information about behaviour and safeguarding to adapt their personal development curriculum to the needs of the pupils. For example, some pupils in Year 3 struggle to adapt to new routines and get on with each other. Leaders ensure that pupils receive lessons about relationships when they join the school.

This helps them to settle into school life.

Pupils know how to stay safe online. They know not to give out their personal information to others.

Pupils are mindful not to trust people online if they do not know who they are.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils with SEND do not make as much progress as they could. This is because some teachers do not identify precise targets that pupils with SEND need to be successful.

Leaders need to monitor the plans that teachers develop. This will enable them to support teachers to write precise targets and implement strategies that will ensure that all pupils with SEND are successful. ? In wider curriculum subjects, such as history and art, teachers do not consistently check what pupils know and remember before moving on to new learning.

This prevents some pupils accessing new content. Leaders need to continue to develop their systems to check pupils' understanding and retention of knowledge. This will enable teachers to address these gaps before introducing new content.

Also at this postcode