Brooke School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Brooke School. They say that they have a trusted adult that they can speak to, and this makes them feel safe.

Pupils say that bullying is rare, and that staff help them when they need it.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils to behave well and to do well, but they are not clear enough about what they want pupils to learn, why, and when. They are working on improving this, but changes are not happening quickly enough.

As a result, too many pupils are not achieving as well as they should.

Pupils experience a broad range of opportunities to support their learning in the classroom. These include the Duke of Edinburgh award... scheme, forest school, cheerleading and a student council.

These opportunities are promoting pupils' communication and interaction well. Leaders have identified that not all pupils benefit from the wider opportunities that support their individual needs. There are plans in place to address this, but these have not yet been implemented.

There has been a significant number of staff changes over the past three years. Many leaders are new in post and many have changed roles. Leaders and governors have not ensured leaders are sufficiently focused so that all pupils achieve well.

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

When the headteacher was appointed in September 2019, he identified several aspects of the school's work that he thought needed to change. The trust agreed with his analysis. However, these changes have not been implemented effectively and leaders have not received the support and challenge that they need from the trust.

Some leaders have changed roles frequently and have not had the chance to make an impact on the school's work. This has adversely affected the quality of education that pupils are receiving.

Leaders have begun work on developing the curriculum.

Pupils are now taught in different learning pathways according to their needs. In some subjects, such as English and mathematics, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to prepare them for their next stage in learning. However, these plans do not cover all areas and phases of the school, so pupils do not receive a coherent curriculum.

In other subjects, such as personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), the planned curriculum does not identify the knowledge and skills that pupils need to prepare them for life as independent adults. Leaders are aware of this, but there are not yet plans in place to address this.

The newly appointed leader in early years has begun to introduce a curriculum to meet the needs of the children.

The curriculum has identified the appropriate steps that match children's needs. However, not all adults are skilled enough to support children to achieve these goals, and children are not making the progress they should. The early years environment is not designed well enough for children to be able to learn well.

Staff in the nursery provision promote communication and design learning activities that are focused well on the needs of the children.

In the sixth form, the curriculum is not ambitious enough for all students. Students do not build on what they have learned before and this limits their learning.

Students do not benefit from a well-planned life skills programme that prepares them for suitably ambitious destinations, and the curriculum does not provide appropriate pathways for future learning.

Pupils at the early stages of reading are being taught using an appropriate phonics curriculum. In some classes, pupils learn phonics sounds and recognise them in a variety of contexts.

In the pre-formal pathway and in early years, pupils are engaged in appropriate reading activities to support good sound recognition. However, the delivery of early reading is inconsistent and not all pupils learn well. Teachers promote a love of reading through class texts and frequent storytelling, but teachers are not supported in their choice of books and leaders do not monitor the books that teachers read.

This means that some pupils do not get a rich diet of reading.

Leaders provide a calm environment for learning and pupils behave well in lessons. Leaders provide staff with detailed plans to support pupils' behaviour.

Staff value this information, and it supports them to know their pupils well. As a result, staff respond quickly to any changes in pupils' behaviours.

Leaders have introduced new systems to improve attendance.

As a result, pupils' attendance at school is getting better. Leaders use individualised plans to support pupils with medical plans who are frequently absent from school. These are helping some pupils to continue to learn well.

However, leaders have not tackled the attendance of other pupils who are frequently absent. As a result, the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent from school is not falling quickly enough.

The wider curriculum supports pupils' social and communication needs well.

Trips and visits that had stopped during the pandemic have been reintroduced. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have. In the sixth form, students do regular work experience appropriate to their needs.

Pupils learn about the world of work from early years. All pupils receive impartial careers advice and most go on to positive destinations. The school does not meet the requirements of the Baker Clause as pupils do not have the opportunity to find out about the range of work and educational opportunities they may have after they leave school.

All pupils receive relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) but the RSHE curriculum is not matched to the specific needs of the pupils because it is not properly tailored to their needs. Leaders are aware of this but have not yet made sure that all pupils receive the important information they need to prepare them for adult life.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have made sure that there are robust systems in place to keep pupils safe. There are clear procedures to enable staff to act quickly in response to the risks that pupils in the school may face. Staff are trained well; they record their concerns promptly and safeguarding leaders respond appropriately.

Leaders work in partnership with other agencies to make sure that pupils receive the help that they need. Pupils know they can ask adults for them for help if they need it. Leaders conduct the necessary checks on adults working in the school and make sure that staff understand their responsibilities.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not well-sequenced or well-planned. This means that across all pathways and all year groups pupils do not experience a coherent curriculum that meets their needs. Leaders should make sure that there is a curriculum in place for all subjects and all pathways that meets the pupils' needs so that they can learn well.

• Leaders have not made sure that staff have the skills and resources to introduce the newly introduced early years curriculum. As a result, children do not benefit from a wide range of positive learning experiences that meet their needs. Leaders should make sure that staff are skilled well enough to implement the early years curriculum to allow children to make progress.

• Students in the sixth form do not benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what they have already learned. As a result, it does not prepare them well enough for their next stage of education and into adulthood. Leaders should make sure that the sixth-form curriculum is ambitious and meets the needs of all students in all pathways.

• Since the appointment of the headteacher, there have been many changes to the leadership in the school. This has meant that some leaders have changed role frequently and so have not had the opportunity to address some important weaknesses. Leaders and those responsible for governance should make sure that leaders understand their roles and responsibilities and can perform them in a way that enhances the effectiveness of the school.

• Leaders and those responsible for governance have not acted decisively enough when they have identified weaknesses in the school. As a result, pupils have not benefited from a good quality of education. Those responsible for governance should provide targeted support and challenge for leaders so that they can tackle the weaknesses in the school.