Brooklands School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Brooklands School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and content at Brooklands School. This is evident in their beaming smiles, positive body language and laughter each day.

Strong and trusting relationships exist between staff, parents, carers and pupils. This has helped pupils to develop a strong sense of self and belonging within the school and the wider community. Parents enthuse about the care and support that their children receive.

The calmness that pervades throughout school enables pupils to develop, grow and learn. Pupils recite the school rules, 'Bee calm, Bee safe, Bee responsible', with pride. They enjoy earn...ing rewards for their positive behaviours and work.

Pupils' communication, learning, independence and personal development are of high priority. These are the foundation of the school's broad and aspirational curriculum. Leaders have no limits as to what pupils can achieve.

Staff have high expectations of the pupils in their care.

Pupils learn to communicate their feelings honestly and well, including if they are unhappy or worried about anything. They feel safe.

Pupils are kind to one another. Bullying is rare.

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

Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum.

Leaders have developed four curriculum pathways that are personalised to meet the specific needs of the pupils. These pathways link with pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans. The curriculum is well sequenced and coherent.

Pupils make progress and flourish.

Teachers think carefully about how they present new information to pupils. They use the curriculum well to plan activities that capture pupils' interests.

Teachers enable pupils to recap what they have previously learned. Most pupils are clear about what they are learning and why. Pupils show high levels of enjoyment in their lessons and contribute to class discussions willingly.

For example, in mathematics, pupils confidently talk about what they know and are proud to show off their work. Their behaviours for learning are exceptional.

Leaders have ensured that their systems to check on pupils' progress closely match the personalised learning targets they have set for pupils.

Teachers use these assessments to plan work and extra support that challenge pupils to learn and develop further.

Leaders carefully consider the curriculum content to ensure pupils have the skills to manage relationships and keep themselves safe, both online and offline. For example, in personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils learn about consent in a meaningful way.

Pupils enjoy activities that staff have planned and apply what they have learned in the classroom and around school.

In the sixth form, students study a range of nationally accredited courses, learn about careers and employment and prepare for independent living. They learn useful skills, such as how to travel independently.

There is a wide variety of opportunities to practise work skills, from working in a café to supporting teachers in the classroom. The extent to which the curriculum supports students' entrepreneurial skills is impressive. Students raise funds for local charities, organise and run large-scale social events such as discos for young people with SEND in the local community, and make and sell items in the local town hall.

Students are well prepared to thrive in the future.

Leaders prioritise pupils' communication, language and reading. They ensure that all staff have the expertise and knowledge to teach pupils to communicate effectively.

Pupils use words, symbols, signs and appropriate communication aids successfully. Pupils at the early stages of reading access expertly delivered phonics lessons. They learn to read with confidence and fluency.

They enjoy reading to visitors and talking about their favourite books.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils on roll. In addition, the early years provision opened at the beginning of this academic year.

The school quickly adapted its work to meet these demands. In the early years setting, there are clear routines, which children know and respond to well. Children have settled in well and are happy.

They enjoy listening to the familiar songs that staff sing and sign to help them develop their communication and language skills. However, the early years curriculum is still evolving. It is not clear what children should learn and when.

The purpose of some of the activities, both indoors and outdoors, is not explicit enough to help staff develop children's knowledge, understanding and skills. There are missed opportunities to develop pupils' learning further.Leaders plan for pupils' personal development particularly well.

This is a school focused on helping pupils to find their voices and independence in their local community and beyond. On Fridays, all pupils engage with activities that broaden their learning and support their social and cultural development. The school council is happy to show visitors, including inspectors, around the school.

Members of the school council speak with enthusiasm about visits to the local library, fundraising and their personal aspirations for the future.The school understands the importance of staff workload and considers it thoroughly when planning new initiatives. Leaders respect staff and value them highly.

Staff enjoy their roles and, quite rightly, are proud of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not planned effectively enough what children need to know and develop in the early years.

Staff do not have the information that they need to prepare effective learning or to check that children's knowledge is secure. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum is well designed and ordered so that children acquire the intended knowledge and skills they need for future learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2013.