Edward Bryant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to be a credit to their school and their community. They rise to meet this challenge. They behave kindly towards each other and to the adults who work with them.

The newly formed Pupil Parliament has taken an active role in setting up buddy benches and a 'Happy Helpers' scheme so that pupils always have someone to talk to. Bullying is very rare in the school and pupils know that if it does occur it will be taken seriously and dealt with well. Leaders work with parents and the local community to make sure that their pupils are looked after.

Pupils feel safe in school.

Pupils are happy and they are enthusiastic about their lessons. They enjoy ...learning and they are successful at it.

Leaders have designed a curriculum with the goal of it being 'irresistible and accessible'. This includes the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. Staff have high expectations of what every child can achieve and they make careful changes to lessons and to the curriculum to make sure that these expectations are reached.

Pupils are known very well by the staff and this allows teachers to meet a wide range of different needs.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that is taught well. This is especially true in mathematics and reading, where pupils achieve highly.

In these subjects, teachers identify gaps in learning and put in place effective support to help pupils catch up and keep up. Reading is prioritised by leaders across the school. Teachers think carefully about how to give pupils lots of opportunities to practise their reading throughout the day.

Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, make very good progress with their reading.

The curriculum in other subjects has been well planned by subject leaders. They have thought carefully about the order in which teachers introduce different topics so that pupils build on what has come before.

However, some pupils have misconceptions that have not been addressed by teachers. Some pupils have gaps in what leaders want them to know and this makes it harder for pupils to learn what comes next.

Leaders work closely with teachers in early years so that children develop the vocabulary that will help them in key stage 1.

Activities are well chosen by teachers. Children are given a suitable mix of teacher-led and child-led activities. Child-led activities are well planned to match the goals that the teachers have set for their classes.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Leaders help teachers to identify specific needs and to then make adaptations. Pupils then work alongside their peers and make progress.

Leaders have recently set up a base in school where pupils with more complex needs can receive additional support. When pupils are taken out of lessons, leaders make sure that they still follow the standard curriculum and so are able to return to learning along with their peers.

The behaviour of pupils in the classroom and around the school is exceptional.

Staff teach pupils how to regulate their own behaviour and pupils are very good at then doing so. This begins in the early years, where teachers help children to resolve disagreements by teaching them how to talk to each other. This continues throughout the school, where pupils are taught and supported to manage their own behaviour.

The attitude of pupils towards their learning is excellent. They work hard in class and take pride in what they produce.

Leaders have also successfully focused on personal development.

Pupils are taught about different cultures, including the wide range of cultures in the local community and in the school. This has encouraged a high level of engagement from parents in school activities. Pupils demonstrate a commitment to school values, such as resilience, respect and pride.

Leaders have planned the wider curriculum well. They make sure that it meets the needs of pupils and gives them experiences that they might not otherwise have.

Leaders engage with parents and carers very well and the vast majority of parents speak positively about the school, especially about the support for pupils with SEND.

The multi-academy trust gives leaders the freedom to make decisions to meet local needs and the support to be successful in doing so. School community councillors and trustees hold leaders to account to make sure that the school continues to develop. Staff in the school are very well supported by leaders and, as a result, they can focus on working in the best interests of the pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff know how to identify pupils who are at risk of harm. There is regular training which has left staff confident in reporting their concerns.

When these concerns are reported, there is rapid action to get pupils the help they need. Leaders are relentless in ensuring that this help is timely and appropriate.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including being taught what healthy relationships look like and how to keep themselves safe online as part of a newly developed relationships and sex education curriculum.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers sometimes move on to new material before ensuring that pupils have learned what was intended. As a result of this, pupils are left with misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. Leaders need to identify the component knowledge that pupils will need for the future and to support teachers in checking that this has been learned securely.

• Professional development has focused on general teaching strategies and on the core subjects. However, teachers are less confident in the disciplinary differences between foundation subjects and how best to approach the teaching of these subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the opportunity to develop subject-specific knowledge and pedagogy.

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