Brookmead School

Inspection of Brookmead School High Street, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 9EX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 3–4 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Brookmead. They enjoy many opportunities which deepen their learning. Regular visits play an important role in pupils’ learning. For example, pupils stay at an education centre where they experience Stone Age life. Residential trips develop pupils’ confidence, resilience and independence. They visit Celtic hill forts and the Verulamium Museum to learn about Roman times. All pupils take part in music and a variety of sports. The curriculum helps them to learn perseverance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to most teachers’ high expectations. They like learning new concepts. One pupil said: ‘I like challenging myself.’ Pupils show mutual respect and tolerance. They work and communicate well together. The school supports every pupil to achieve the aims it sets out. Staff skilfully support disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved in class and during playtimes. Pupils rarely misbehave. If they do, staff deal with it well, so it does not interrupt learning. Pupils have positive relationships with their teachers. They have a growing understanding of what bullying is. They say it does not happen very often. When it does, they know that staff will deal with it.

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better?

Leaders have improved the quality of education since the last inspection. They have created a curriculum which aims to deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills. It is ambitious and generally enables pupils to achieve high standards. Curriculum plans are well developed in most subjects. They set out the teaching of skills and knowledge in a logical sequence. For example, in history, teachers give pupils regular opportunities to use historical evidence. As a result, pupils deepen their ability to interpret the past. Pupils develop a love of reading. Older pupils speak knowledgeably about the books and authors they have enjoyed.

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better?

Teaching across the school supports pupils in acquiring a good grounding in a number of subjects. Pupils are well prepared for the demands of secondary school. Teachers have been well trained to teach the school’s curriculum. They have high levels of subject knowledge and teaching expertise. They know how to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding in subjects. Leaders are keen to further develop pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics and their ability to work scientifically. In the early years, leaders have not yet fully developed outdoor and mathematical learning.

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better?

All staff are well trained to teach phonics and early reading. Leaders give priority to reading from the very beginning. Pupils quickly gain confidence and learn important skills and knowledge. Staff give very effective support to those who struggle. This prevents them from falling behind. In 2019, almost all pupils achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check. Similarly, most pupils achieved the 3–4 December 2019

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expected standard in the national key stage 1 reading assessments. Pupils achieved very well in the national key stage 2 English assessments in 2019.

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Pupils enjoy learning and behave well in class. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and pupils respond well. Staff teach pupils the habits and attitudes they need to be successful learners. For example, staff teach pupils how to regulate their emotions and support each other. Pupils learn leadership skills by becoming house captains or playground leaders. The school encourages all pupils to take part in the range of clubs it offers.

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The school meets the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND well. Leaders want them to ‘keep up’ rather than ‘catch up’. Leaders provide effective training for teaching assistants so they can support these pupils well. Staff apply their high expectations equally to all pupils. They tailor the support they provide to the needs of each individual.

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Governors and leaders clearly understand the school’s strengths and improvement priorities. Leaders at all levels are taking effective steps to continually develop the curriculum. They check how well the curriculum helps pupils to gain the knowledge and skills they need. Teachers feel well supported and that their workload is reasonable. Leaders have created an atmosphere of teamwork among staff.

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The early years leader has a clear vision. She wants children to develop a thirst for learning and an ambition to succeed. Parents and carers comment that their children have made great progress since the beginning of Reception. Staff help children to develop their vocabulary. They give high priority to reading and writing. Staff present information to children in engaging and exciting ways. They ask thoughtful questions to move thinking on. Relationships between children, as well as between staff and children, are very positive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their responsibilities for safeguarding pupils. Staff are very sensitive to pupils’ emotional needs and support them well. Leaders give priority to the emotional well-being and safety of pupils. All staff are vigilant and well trained to spot risks of harm. For example, staff are on duty in the morning to ensure that pupils safely enter the school. They understand the importance of reporting even minor concerns. All staff know and follow the school’s procedures. The designated safeguarding lead takes prompt action when a concern is brought to her attention. She keeps thorough records and follows up referrals vigorously. 3–4 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The planned curriculum clearly sets out the knowledge and skills pupils will acquire as they progress through the school. This is very well implemented and has a positive impact in most subjects. In science, pupils’ knowledge is stronger than their ability to work scientifically. In mathematics, their ability to reason and solve problems is not as strong as other aspects of their mathematics learning. Leaders need to ensure that teaching more effectively develops pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics and their ability to work scientifically.  In the early years, mathematical opportunities in the environment are not as well developed as they are for communication and literacy. Leaders need to ensure that mathematical opportunities are strengthened so pupils can more quickly acquire the skills and knowledge they need.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 3–4 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111161 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 November 2018

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Information about this school

 Brookmead is a larger than average community primary school. The number of pupils attending the school has recently risen from 335 to 346.  The school works closely with a separately registered club which provides before- and after-school care to pupils on the school site.  The headteacher is leaving the school at the end of the current term. Governors have interim leadership arrangements in place, pending the appointment of a new headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), the chair of governors and four other members of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority on the telephone.  We conducted deep dives in these subjects: reading, history, mathematics, music 3–4 December 2019

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and science. When focusing on these subjects, we held discussions with the subject leaders responsible for the subjects, visited lessons in several year groups, including the support provided to pupils with SEND, looked at pupils’ work, and held discussions with teachers and pupils.  We inspected safeguarding by reviewing the arrangements for pre-appointment checks carried out by the school, including the school’s single central record of these checks. We spoke to staff about their training and understanding of the school’s safeguarding procedures. We held discussions with the designated safeguarding leader, and reviewed case files and records held by the school, including records of staff training.  We held discussions with parents at the start of the school day. We considered the 84 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 84 free-text comments. We considered the 62 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. We

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considered the 31 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and we held discussions with staff about their work.

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Inspection team

Peter Wibroe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam French Ofsted Inspector 3–4 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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