Brady Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brady Primary School Wennington Road, Rainham, Essex RM13 9XA

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Outcome

Brady Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and caring school community. Pupils, staff and parents and carers typically described being part of this school as like ‘being in one big family’. Leaders and governors have clear aims. They want to support all pupils to become respectful and caring young citizens. The school’s values of dedication, inspiration, respect and achievement are referenced by leaders daily. Pupils said that they like coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils know that their teachers expect them to behave well and work hard. They are enthusiastic about their learning. Pupils enjoy the demanding work that teachers set for them. They work well in lessons, and learning is not disturbed by poor behaviour. Pupils are kept safe at school. Bullying is rare. If it does happen, then adults at the school deal with it quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with a range of clubs, activities and visiting speakers. These aim to help pupils to follow their interests and experience new things. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities to contribute to the wider life of the school, for example through the pupil parliament.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects their ambition for all pupils, including those with SEND. In most subjects, they have set a well-sequenced curriculum for staff to follow, with subject content organised in a logical order. Leaders have adjusted the order in which some knowledge is taught because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes have been made to help pupils catch up quickly on aspects of learning they may have missed.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about the essential knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. They ensure that staff have access to curriculum training and expert advice. Teachers are well equipped to plan and teach activities designed to support pupils in 27 and 28 April 2022

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remembering what they are taught. This helps pupils to achieve well. However, in a small number of subjects, some teachers are not fully secure in their subject knowledge. This means that they feel less sure about delivering some curriculum content, and in turn supporting pupils’ achievement.

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Leaders place great importance on ensuring that pupils quickly learn how to read. An effective reading programme is in place. Leaders have trained staff well and have made sure that all staff use a consistent approach to teaching phonics. This begins in Nursery, when adults teach children to recognise different sounds, and the letters that represent these sounds. In Reception, children quickly learn what they need in order to start reading accurately. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils gain the knowledge and skills to read independently by the end of Year 2. As pupils get older, they continue to love reading. Leaders provide demanding texts from a range of genres, which pupils enjoy. They ensure that staff support pupils who find reading difficult or need extra help. This ensures that these pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.

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In most subjects, teachers make sure that pupils learn new concepts in small steps. For example, in mathematics, pupils complete carefully chosen activities that enable them to learn the intended mathematical concept. Lessons begin with a chance to recap what pupils already know and can do. For instance, regular practice with times tables helps pupils to understand multiplication in depth. In Reception, teachers follow clear routines. This helps children to develop confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Teachers in early years work closely with teachers across the school, so that the knowledge children develop in the Nursery and Reception classes is built on successfully in later years.

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Leaders quickly identify those pupils who may need additional help, including those with SEND. Where necessary, they engage with outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the help that they need. Leaders regularly review the curriculum to make sure that it is supporting all pupils, including those with SEND, to learn effectively. Teachers and other staff work together closely to ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons.

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Leaders arrange a wide range of experiences and opportunities to promote pupils’ wider development. During their time at school, pupils take part in educational visits to a variety of local places of interest, including museums and places of worship. Through the curriculum, leaders aim to develop pupils’ character and to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils have opportunities to participate in a range of sporting activities outside lessons.

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Senior leaders continually review the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They put appropriate actions in place. Leaders, including governors, have taken effective steps to manage staff’s workload. Staff are keen to support each other and demonstrate strong commitment to the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 27 and 28 April 2022

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Leaders and governors keep pupils’ well-being and safety at the forefront of their work. Safeguarding leaders ensure that staff receive up-to-date training. Staff are vigilant and aware of what to do if they have any safeguarding concerns about pupils’ welfare. Leaders are quick to support vulnerable pupils and families who may be in need of additional help and support. They make the correct checks before allowing staff to begin working at the school.

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Through the curriculum, staff teach pupils about how to keep themselves safe. This includes topics about how to keep safe when online and on healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers are less confident in delivering the curriculum. This includes sequencing lessons in a way that helps pupils build up a detailed knowledge of subject content. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ subject knowledge is consistently strong across all subjects, and deepen teachers’ expertise in teaching the planned curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 27 and 28 April 2022

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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. 27 and 28 April 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

24 and 25 January 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2017, shortly after the previous inspection.  The school has increased in size since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders and staff at the school. He met with four members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 27 and 28 April 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector looked at other subjects as part of this inspection, including music and geography.  The inspector met with groups of pupils to talk about their work, behaviour and their experiences of school.  The inspector reviewed a number of documents. He considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector viewed the school’s website and policies, met with the leader in charge of safeguarding, spoke with pupils, staff and governors, and checked relevant safeguarding documentation and records.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 April 2022

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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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