Brownmead Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to the school. They say that that teachers make learning fun. Pupils feel safe and well looked after.

Pupils apply the Brownmead motto 'Ready, Respectful and Safe'. This helps them to behave well and they do not worry about being bullied.

Pupils have a wide range of experiences that build their confidence.

They do extra jobs around the school. Pupils make sure the playground is clean, help other pupils study, and reduce waste around the school.

Teachers have high expectations of pupils.'

The Brownmead Bucket List' provides a range of exciting curriculum activities that support pupils' learning and character development, f...or example visiting the countryside and working with older neighbours.

Leaders know that more needs to be done to improve the planning in some subjects, and the teaching of phonics needs to be stronger. Attendance needs to improve, so that fewer pupils are persistently absent.

One parent captured the views of many by saying: 'This is a nurturing and caring school. My child enjoys the fun things the school offers.' Pupils are prepared well for secondary school and their place in the wider community.

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

Leaders ensure that pupils enjoy learning. The curriculum is both ambitious and generally well planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Attainment and progress in reading, writing, and mathematics have improved.

Most pupils now achieve well in relation to their starting points.

Twice every term, pupils work on projects of their choice. This develops team work and independent learning.

Pupils are confident to share their views on the injustice of poverty. They have positive attitudes and keep on going until they get it right.

Pupils observe changing seasons, and watch caterpillars turn into butterflies.

This contributes to their spiritual and social development. Pupils take part in cultural, music and sports activities. For example, all pupils in Year 4 learn how to play the guitar.

Children in early years get off to a good start and become confident learners. They settle into their daily routines. Children make good gains in number and simple problem solving.

Language development is at the core of learning. Children were transfixed when acting out Jill Murphy's story 'Whatever Next?' in the role-play area, which is set up as an astronaut's base.

Reading has a high priority in the school.

Leaders make sure that children begin to learn to read as soon as they start at the school. Younger children use the magnetic boards and letters to make simple words such as 'hat' and 'into'. Teachers give immediate support to any pupils falling behind.

While the teaching of phonics is effective, some aspects require more attention. Expectations of which sounds children need to know by when could be even higher.

The mathematics curriculum is well planned and challenging.

Teachers ensure that pupils can add, subtract, multiply and divide accurately. In Year 2, pupils were able to explain the difference between hundreds and thousands.

In science, pupils knew the importance of being precise when planning experiments.

Pupils remembered using 'colourful sweets' to learn about different rock types. In Year 4, they accurately observed and recorded evaporation when learning about the water cycle.

In history, older pupils know the reasons that led to the outbreak of the Second World War.

In art and design, pupils studied the war-torn landscapes of Paul Nash. They were able to explain the senselessness and destruction of war. In geography, pupils used to good effect atlases, globes and the internet to research famous rivers, countries and continents.

Plans for the teaching of reading, mathematics and science identify what to teach in a sensible order, with small logical steps. Leaders are working to ensure that some foundation subjects, such as history and geography, are planned to the same level of detail.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do well.

Adults check that pupils understand new words in learning and adapt work to meet their needs.

Leaders work with parents and carers to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence. Leaders recognise that there is still more to do.

They need to ensure that fewer pupils are persistently absent and overall attendance improves.

Governors support the school and know the school strengths and areas for development. Morale throughout the school is high.

Staff say that it is a 'breath of fresh air' to be in a school where there is a strong emphasis on work–life balance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school.

This is because leaders and governors take safeguarding seriously. Staff are well trained and know how to keep children safe. Staff have a good understanding of issues that pupils face in the local community.

Pupils say they feel safe and, if they have concerns, staff deal with them quickly and effectively. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as 'stranger danger'. Leaders have ensured that pupils and their parents know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's approach to the teaching of phonics is becoming stronger. Work must continue to ensure it becomes more effective. Leaders need to ensure that teachers have higher expectations of the number of sounds children know by the end of each term.

. Leaders have made sure that reading, mathematics and science are well planned and sequenced. However, this is not the case in all subjects.

Leaders need to continue to improve the planning of some foundation subjects. They need to make sure that the curriculum is consistently planned and sequenced in these subjects too. .

Despite leaders' work with parents, absence and persistent absence remain high for some pupils. As a result, their learning suffers and they do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to work more with parents to improve rates of attendance and reduce persistent absence for pupils.

Also at this postcode