Brown’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this small and friendly rural school. They say the best thing about the school is the kind teachers.

Pupils feel safe. They are well equipped with the knowledge of how to stay safe, including when online.

There are high expectations for all pupils to achieve their best.

This is realised for most pupils. They have positive attitudes to their learning and understand the importance of working hard. Pupils have high aspirations for themselves.

They feel well prepared for their next steps.

Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful to adults and each other.

Pupils know and follow the school Christian values of... 'hope, peace, courage, friendship, trust, and compassion'.

Pupils enjoy the many sporting opportunities on offer to them. Sports are inclusive for all at this school.

For example, pupils enjoyed demonstrating how they play 'mushroom tag', a free-for-all tag game. These inclusive games ensure that all pupils feel they can participate in sport successfully.

Parents and carers are very happy with the provision for their children.

A parent, typical of many, commented: 'This is a fantastic school, the school has a strong supportive culture and is great for all pupils of all abilities.'

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

The school has a well-designed, ambitious curriculum which meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has thought carefully about what pupils should learn and when in most subjects.

This includes in the early years.

The delivery of some of the curriculum is not yet consistently effective in all classes. Where teaching is stronger, staff have good subject knowledge.

They ensure that they choose activities that match the learning intentions well. Staff check that pupils' understanding is secure before they introduce new learning. As a result, most pupils remember what they are learning.

However, this is not yet the case across all classes. Consequently, some pupils struggle to remember what they have learned.

The school meets the needs of pupils with SEND well.

Where appropriate, staff adapt their teaching to ensure that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff expertise and the use of resources support pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they can.

The school has made reading a priority.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff get the training and ongoing coaching they need to teach the phonics programme. Pupils have books that match their phonics knowledge.

Most pupils use their phonics knowledge to read the books accurately. However, some pupils lack the confidence to read with fluency. These pupils receive extra group and one-to-one support to help them catch up.

The school promotes the love of reading for all pupils. It has invested in a variety of different books, including books about diversity. Pupils practise their reading regularly.

Children in the early years have a strong start to their education. They enjoy learning and playing with their friends. Children remember their learning and can talk about what they are doing and why.

They enjoy listening to the class story. They talk enthusiastically about the characters in the book. Adults' interactions with children help to deepen children's understanding.

The environment supports children's communication, language and writing skills. They are beginning to form letters with accuracy. Children follow well-established routines.

They are well prepared for key stage 1.

Pupils' personal development is prioritised well. They have opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility.

This includes pupils helping to set up the forest school and leading warm-up sessions in physical education (PE) lessons. The experiences provided by the school help to widen pupils' understanding of the world. Such experiences include theatre trips, residential visits and opportunities to find out about other cultures.

Pupils can talk confidently about different religions. They know the importance of respecting difference. Pupils know the British values and what they mean for them.

There are close links between the school and the local community it serves. The school uses these links well in its provision of education for its pupils.

All staff feel proud to work at this school.

They feel well supported with their workload and well-being.

Leaders, including trust leaders, know the school well. They have a good understanding of the school's strengths and the areas for improvement.

The school works well with the trust to bring about the changes required.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some parts of the curriculum are not delivered consistently well.

Not all staff check sufficiently well what pupils know and do not know before introducing new learning. As a result, some pupils struggle to know and remember what they have been taught. The school should ensure that all staff know how best to deliver the curriculum, including in how they use assessment, so that all pupils know and remember what they learn over time.