Brookside Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and senior staff, ably supported and challenged by the governing body, robustly monitor the work of the school, especially the quality of teaching and pupil achievement.

After observing lessons, the headteacher and senior leaders provide clear and accurate feedback to teachers in how to improve. As a result, teaching is consistently good, with some examples of outstanding teaching. Teachers know their pupils well, plan activities that match different pupils' abilities and use question and answer sessions effectively to judge pupils' understanding.

Consequently pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics ...and achieve well. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding because of their excellent relationships with staff and one another, and the way they include disabled pupils and those with complex special educational needs in their activities. Pupils say they feel very safe, that bullying is extremely rare and that staff deal very well with any concerns that they may have.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not consistently give pupils opportunities to respond to the guidance given in marking. Staff in the specialist provision for disabled pupils and those with complex and multiple special educational needs do not always meet the requirements of a few pupils with the greatest difficulties. Progress in writing, especially for more able pupils in Key Stage 2, is not as rapid as in reading and mathematics.

Information about this school

Brookside Community Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2011. When its predecessor school, Brookside Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding. The school is larger than the average-sized primary school and almost all the pupils are White British.

It is not formally linked to any other schools. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below the national average, although the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average. This is partly because the school has specially resourced language and communication provision for disabled pupils and those with complex and multiple special educational needs that is managed by the governing body.

The proportion known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides extra funding for children in local authority care, for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or for pupils whose parents or carers are in the armed forces, is below the national average. There is a children's centre on the site of the school that was not included in this inspection. The school meets current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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