Brookland Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Brookland describe it as 'an amazing school'. They thrive in the small school environment where adults know their pupils incredibly well.

Pupils feel safe and support one another to develop positive and supportive relationships. Pupils are confident and keen to talk to visitors to describe what makes their school special. They are proud to rise to the high expectations and ambitions that staff have for them.

All pupils know about the importance of being 'ready, respectful, safe'. They have a secure understanding of the schools' 'CHOICES' values of courage, humility, offering, integrity, commitment, empathy and service. They can talk about not only what these... mean, but why they are important to help form a strong and supportive school community.

The pupils live the values of the school. Bullying in school is very rare. Pupils are confident that if it did happen, staff would deal with it immediately.

Behaviour around the school site is exemplary. Pupils are calm and settled, and there are clearly well-established routines in place. Pupils wait calmly to take turns, for example, in playground games.

Pupils often take on leadership roles, for example groups devise and run games on the playground.

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

Leaders have planned an increasingly well-considered curriculum which is carefully sequenced. This ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn and remember more over time.

This begins right from the early years, where there are strong foundations laid to support learning in Year 1 and beyond. While national test scores last year were disappointing, leaders have already taken steps to develop provision and current pupils are making good progress through the planned curriculum. In reading and mathematics, teachers have well-established systems to assess what pupils know and can remember.

This means that teachers can then adapt what they teach to inform next steps. In some foundation subjects, this is not yet as fully developed. While teachers check learning regularly during lessons, leaders have not embedded a system to check what pupils can remember over time.

Early reading is taught consistently well. Children benefit from targeted and specific sessions to support them with their identified needs. This helps them to develop quickly to become fluent and confident readers.

The school forges strong links with the local nursery, which ensures that leaders can know, identify and meet the needs of children from the very beginning. This is particularly effective for pupils with SEND.

In lessons there is a very positive learning culture.

Pupils are keen to engage with their learning. They can explain what they have understood and they ask thoughtful questions, considering their new learning against what they already know. Classrooms are calm, orderly places.

Pupils know the school rules and understand how these keep them and their friends safe and happy. However, too many pupils currently do not attend school frequently enough, which hinders their learning.

The personal development of pupils in this school is exemplary.

This is strongly rooted in the values of the school, which pupils embody in their actions and their discussion. They know what it is to be accepting of others, and why it is important in a healthy community. In assemblies, for example, pupils engage thoughtfully with discussions around 'offering' and what it means to help others.

Even the youngest children in the school can talk about why showing care and support for others is essential to make their school a happy, kind place.

There is a wide range of trips and visits planned for pupils to experience and learn about the world beyond their immediate community. These include theatre trips and residential visits.

All pupils benefit from weekly sessions in the 'Woodland@Brookland' provision in school. These develop pupils' leadership skills alongside their abilities to work in a team and be resourceful. This high-quality work not only supports pupils' wider development but also carefully reinforces the learning from their subjects.

For example, den building activities in the woodland area were used to reinforce learning about Mayan temples from history.

Leaders know their school well and carefully identify the actions they need to take to develop it. They work effectively with governors and school improvement partners from the local authority to evaluate the impact of their actions.

This helps them to know that their actions are having the impact they want them to. Work on the curriculum over the last few years has resulted in improved opportunities for pupils to learn and develop.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to identify early any signs that pupils may need help or support. They make swift referrals where they have concerns, and leaders act quickly to secure the support that children and their families need. They work well with external agencies and are unafraid to hold them to account where this support is needed.

Leaders complete appropriate checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with children. Governors know their responsibilities in regard to safeguarding and hold leaders to account.

Through the curriculum, pupils are taught to keep themselves safe, particularly online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The levels of persistent absence in the school are too high. As a result, some pupils miss too much of their education. Leaders need to take actions to reduce this figure to make sure that all pupils attend well and can benefit from the education the school provides.

• Summative assessment is not yet well embedded in some foundation subjects. As a result, staff do not know how much knowledge pupils have remembered over time. Leaders need to ensure that the foundation subjects have the same systematic approach to assessment as is evident in the core subjects.