Brooke House Day School

Inspection of Brooke House Day School Croft Road, Cosby, Leicester, Leicestershire LE9 1SE

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They behave well when learning and when socialising at break and lunchtimes. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The two school sites are well maintained and have appropriate resources. Pupils look smart in the school’s uniform. They are polite to each other, staff and visitors. Several pupils told us that the school feels like ‘one big family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. There is a culture of mutual respect. Pupils are welcoming and friendly. They told us that adults treat them fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well and work hard. Pupils like receiving ‘star factor’ rewards and tokens. They relish the variety of clubs that are on offer. These include choir, drama, sport and art.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers have positive views about the school. One parent commented, ‘As well as encouraging my child’s educational needs the school does a superb job at developing my child’s social skills.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe at school. However, adults do not do enough to ensure that pupils are kept as safe as possible, for example when taking pupils out on trips.

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better?

Leaders and managers have not made sure that the arrangements to safeguard pupils are effective. Teachers have not had the training they need. Leaders do not record or act on concerns.

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better?

Subject leaders have made sure the curriculum is well planned. For example, in biology, pupils learn about cells before learning about DNA and genetic diseases. Pupils told us that the regular opportunities to revisit topics help them to remember their learning.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. In English, pupils enjoyed exploring the themes of chaos and humour in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. They enthusiastically performed their own playlets based on the text. Pupils performed these confidently and gave each other appropriate feedback.

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better?

Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects. This is particularly the case for those pupils who have been at the school for a long time. There are good resources for teachers to use. This is particularly evident in the art studio. Pupils produce a range of high-quality work in this subject. Pupils achieve very well in mathematics.

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better?

Pupils have positive attitudes towards school. Their attendance is high and they want to achieve well. They have pride in their achievements. Pupils understand the 12–14 November 2019

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importance of healthy eating and keeping fit. They know how to keep themselves safe when online. They know to not share personal information, for example.

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The teaching of phonics and early reading is effective. Teachers promote a love of reading by reading stories and poems to pupils. Year 5 and Year 6 are currently reading ‘Charlotte’s Web’. Pupils’ reading books are at the correct level of challenge. Pupils enjoy reading aloud and read to adults a lot.

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The leader responsible for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has ensured that the curriculum supports pupils’ needs well. Pupils with SEND who need extra help are quickly spotted. Pupils with dyslexia receive very good support. There are links with the speech and language team and an educational psychologist, should a pupil need extra help.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. The curriculum is well sequenced. Adults are ambitious for children to succeed. They take account of children’s individual needs. The curriculum also allows children to learn French and German. Children recently enjoyed growing pumpkins in the school allotment. Well-thought- out arrangements before children start enable them to settle quickly. Communication with parents is good. Resources are appropriate. Adults ensure that children read and are read to often. The recently improved outdoor area has aided children’s physical development. The curriculum enables children to develop confidence. During the inspection, they were excited about performing a nativity play at a local theatre.

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The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHEE) is weak. It is ad hoc and not planned well. Older pupils do not receive good enough careers advice and guidance. Pupils do not meet with independent careers advisers or potential employers.

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There are too few opportunities in the curriculum to teach pupils about diversity and equality. Pupils do not learn about different faiths and cultures. School policies do not include reference to the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

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Leaders have not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. Standards relating to safeguarding, risk assessment, careers advice, the teaching of diversity and the protected characteristics are unmet. Leaders do not fully assess all of the risks that pupils may face, for example when going on trips. Other standards relating to the curriculum and the quality of teaching are met. Teachers ensure that lessons are planned well. They use effective teaching methods and manage pupils’ behaviour well. Pupils are encouraged to act responsibly.

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Standards relating to the premises including lighting and acoustic conditions are met. The proprietor ensures that relevant information is made available to parents on request.

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The proprietor is sensitive to the workload of staff. 12–14 November 2019

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor has not ensured that all staff have received the latest safeguarding training. Staff do not have up-to-date safeguarding knowledge. They have not read the latest statutory guidance. They are not able to spot the signs of potential neglect, abuse or any welfare concerns. When there are concerns, staff discuss these but do not record their concerns or any actions taken. They and leaders do not ensure that record-keeping is appropriate. Confidential pupil files are not stored securely. Not all staff know what to do should they be concerned about an adult working at the school. Leaders do not complete all the necessary checks on staff before they start work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding policy does not refer to the latest government guidance. The policy has out-of-date contact numbers for local authority safeguarding officers. The policy is published on the school’s website.

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Safeguarding

Risk assessments are not detailed enough. They are not specific to the pupils attending the trips. For example, no account is taken of individual pupils who may need medication. On a recent residential trip, risks relating to transporting pupils were not considered. Pupils attending these visits are not as safe as they should be.

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Safeguarding

The proprietor rectified a small number of safeguarding issues during the inspection.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Arrangements to safeguard pupils are not effective. The proprietor should ensure that there are systems in place to check that the arrangements for safeguarding are fit for purpose. Leaders should take immediate action to ensure that all staff receive the latest safeguarding training and that all policies and safeguarding procedures refer to the latest government statutory guidance. Detailed, written records should be kept of any welfare concerns staff have regarding pupils or their families. All necessary checks should be undertaken on adults before they are allowed to work or volunteer at the school.  Current arrangements for the planning of off-site visits and residentials are not thorough enough. Risk assessments are too generic. They do not take account of the individual pupils who will be on the trips. Risk assessments do not consider that pupils might need medication, such as inhalers. The proprietor should make

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

sure that risk assessments are specific to the individual needs of pupils who are undertaking the trip or residential visit and the specific risks involved.  The PSHEE curriculum does not take account of the Equality Act 2010. Pupils do not have a good understanding of diversity. Their knowledge of faiths and cultures different to their own is not secure. The proprietor should ensure that the PSHEE curriculum takes account of the protected characteristics and that there 12–14 November 2019

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are more frequent opportunities for pupils to learn about a range of faiths and cultures.  Pupils receive some informal careers guidance and advice regarding potential future jobs and training courses. However, this is not coherently planned. The proprietor should ensure that pupils receive well-structured careers advice that prepares them well for future careers. It should give pupils impartial advice regarding their potential destinations.

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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 . 12–14 November 2019

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School details

Unique reference number 135185 DfE registration number 855/6023

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School details

Inspection number 10094053 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Reception–Year 6 £6,900 Year 7–Year 11 £8,400 Telephone number 01162 867 372

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School details

Email address brookehousedayschool@tiscali.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–23 June 2016

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Information about this school

 An unannounced emergency fire inspection was undertaken in January 2019. This was because the proprietor had not responded to the Department for Education fire survey following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The survey asked proprietors of schools to check buildings for cladding and, where appropriate, to arrange for cladding to be tested for the presence of specific flammable components. The school buildings are of brick construction and do not have such cladding. Standards relating to fire safety were found to be met at this inspection. 12–14 November 2019

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We held various meetings with the proprietor.  We undertook deep dives into English, early reading and phonics, mathematics, and history. We met with the subject teacher for each subject, visited lessons, examined pupils’ workbooks and met with pupils.  We met with the proprietor to discuss safeguarding. We met with staff to discuss their safeguarding training and their understanding of the school’s procedures to keep pupils safe. We checked the school’s single central register.  We toured both school sites to check the school’s compliance with Part 5 of the independent school standards.  There were no responses to either the pupil or staff Ofsted surveys.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 12–14 November 2019

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; – 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to- date careers guidance that- – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options; and – 2(2)(e)(iii) helps to encourage them to fulfil their potential.

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor- – 5(b) ensure that principles are actively promoted which- – 5(b)(v) further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures; – 5(b)(vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 7 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- – 7(a) arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and – 7(b) such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.  16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that- 12–14 November 2019

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– 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors

 18(2) The standard in this paragraph is met if- – 18(2)(e) in the case of any person for whom, by reason of that person living or having lived outside the United Kingdom, obtaining such a certificate is not sufficient to establish the person’s suitability to work in a school, such further checks are made as the proprietor considers appropriate, having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State; and  18(3) The checks referred to in sub-paragraphs (2)(c) and (except where sub- paragraph (4) applies) (2)(e) must be completed before a person’s appointment.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – 34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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Early years foundation stage

 The proprietor has not ensured that the school meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the statutory framework of the early years foundation stage. This is because the same safeguarding failings that are present in the school are also present in the early years. The relevant paragraphs from the statutory framework are 3.4, 3.6 and 3.7. 12–14 November 2019

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