Broom Valley Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Broom Valley is a warm and welcoming school that is at the heart of its community. Because of this, those new to the school, including pupils from overseas, settle quickly.

One pupil, reflecting the views of many, stated, 'The whole school is a big, huge family and no one gets left out.' Pupils enjoy learning in an environment in which they feel safe.

Many pupils speak English as an additional language.

Before starting at the school, some pupils have had no experience of learning in a formal setting. Staff quickly develop pupils' skills to enable them to learn.

Relationships between adults and pupils are strong.

Adults are excellent role mod...els. Pupils behave well and know they have to make the correct choices, even when adults are not close by. They are awarded 'integrity stars' when making a sensible decision.

Pupils are polite, very welcoming to visitors and are eager to talk about what they have learned. Incidents of bullying are rare, but when they do happen, the school is quick to sort them out.

Pupils experience an exciting curriculum.

The school has high expectations and aspirations for all pupils. These are reflected in the quality of pupils' work in books and on display.

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

Published outcomes for the school do not reflect the high-quality of education provided by Broom Valley.

A significant proportion of pupils join and leave the school across any one year.

Reading is a key priority for the school, with the focus on teaching pupils to read and also supporting them to develop a love of literature. Books are celebrated and displayed all around the school.

The headteacher has compiled a recommended selection of books to read, which are prominently displayed. Staff teach phonics well and are quick to provide support for those pupils who start to fall behind. Reading books are accurately matched to pupils' reading ability.

Pupils are given frequent opportunities to practise reading skills in other subjects. When meeting with an inspector, pupils were eager to talk about their favourite authors, such as Anthony Horowitz and Robert Swindells.

Over time, the school has worked hard to develop the curriculum.

Subjects are carefully planned, identifying what pupils need to learn. The curriculum develops year on year from Nursery through to Year 6. Teachers use many opportunities to revisit and build upon what pupils have already learned.

For example, in Year 3 mathematics, pupils used their knowledge of number to add and subtract various three-digit numbers. However, in some subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge, which stops them from progressing as quickly as they could. Leaders recognise this and have already started to further develop these subjects.

When children join school in the early years, the curriculum focuses on communication and language. Children thrive in an exciting learning environment where teachers have planned what children need to learn. Carefully chosen texts support this.

For example, after reading 'The Colour Monster', children were accurate in their vocabulary choice when describing how they felt. Adults are supportive and help children to develop routines. There are many activities that spark children's curiosity.

Some children concentrated for a long time, creating watercolour paintings of a sunflower. Others displayed great resilience when trying to fill up syringes with water.

The school is fully inclusive.

Staff are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, staff are quick to identify these pupils' needs and provide effective support. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and all other aspects of school life, including representing their school at competitive sporting events.

The school has very clear expectations in terms of behaviour, and pupils respond positively to these. Staff support those pupils who find it difficult to manage their feelings. Pupils focus on their work in lessons and are keen to learn.

The school supports families to ensure pupils attend regularly. However, there are still some pupils who are frequently absent and, as a result, they miss out on learning.

Through an elected parliament, pupils actively contribute to improvements in the school.

For example, they have organised a tuckshop within the school. Pupils are very proud of their roles, which include both anti-bullying and reading ambassadors. The school offers a range of clubs, some of which are based on pupils' own interests.

Pupils value and understand everyone's differences.

The school is well led and managed. Governors are committed to supporting the school on its improvement journey.

They know the strengths of the school and what needs to be improved. Leaders demonstrate a clear moral purpose: they are determined to give pupils the best start. The headteacher, supported by her leadership team, has built a motivated and enthusiastic team.

Staff are proud to be part of the school. Teachers, including those at the beginning of their careers, are well supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Across the curriculum, some subjects do not match the quality of others. As a result, pupils remember more in some subjects than others. The school should further develop the curriculum so that it is of equal quality across all subject areas.

• Some pupils do not attend school frequently enough. Because of this, these pupils miss out on vital learning. The school must continue to improve the attendance of some pupils to ensure they benefit from the curriculum on offer.