Brockton CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brockton CofE Primary School Brockton, Much Wenlock, Shropshire TF13 6JR

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to school. They enjoy their lessons. Nearly all of them attend very regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for pupils, but the extent to which these are realised is inconsistent. Some pupils find work in reading and mathematics too easy at times and are not sufficiently challenged. Some activities for younger children do not sufficiently promote wider opportunities for their literacy and numeracy development. Pupils are taught a full range of subjects, but leaders’ long-term plans for some of these subjects are at an early stage of development. There is a widening choice of books for pupils to read in school, but computing equipment is limited.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are very few incidents of misbehaviour. Most pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. Incidents of bullying are very rare. Pupils are confident that they would report an incident if it arose and that adults would resolve it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils especially appreciate the wide range of outdoors activities available to them. This includes older pupils’ recent walk to ‘Brown Clee’ to raise funds for charity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show a high level of respect for the rights of others. They are keen to support fund-raising activities. They recently held a cake sale which raised £68 for a local charity.

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

The acting executive headteacher has made noticeable progress in the last year to address weaknesses identified by her, governors and the local authority. There is now a curriculum in place that offers all pupils a full range of subjects. However, it is not yet sufficiently ambitious. Long-term curriculum planning is not in place for all subjects. There 7 June 2022

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is more work to do to consider the sequencing of the curriculum so that it builds on pupils’ knowledge.

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The school has a phonics scheme in place with decodable books to promote early reading. Children start with an effective programme as soon as they join Reception. Adults carefully choose books that match the letters and sounds that pupils know. Pupils can sound out words using their phonics knowledge. Leaders promote a love of reading through displays and by sharing the books they are reading. There are occasions when pupils switch off when work is too easy or hard because the curriculum content in not well matched to their needs.

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Children in Reception enjoy a wide range of art and craft activities, including recreating Hokusai’s ‘The Wave’ painting. However, planned opportunities to promote literacy and numeracy development through tasks like this are sometimes missed.

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Leaders have not ensured that the mathematics curriculum is embedded consistently well. Leaders’ monitoring of curriculum delivery and pupils’ work has led to some improvements. However, the curriculum is not sufficiently sequenced to build on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons, but not all are stretched and challenged as well as they could be. Opportunities for mathematical development in the early years are sometimes missed.

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Many younger children and pupils are developing their geography knowledge well. They can identify continents and countries. They know where they live in England. They can identify the parts of the United Kingdom. However, some older pupils are working at a similar level to younger ones and have not deepened their knowledge and understanding sufficiently well.

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Leaders recognise that checks to identify how well pupils are doing in subjects, other than English and mathematics, are also under-developed.

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The federation has recently extended its leadership provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to ensure the needs of identified pupils are met. Not all staff have had sufficient training on adapting their teaching for pupils with SEND so they can access a similarly ambitious curriculum.

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Pupils are enthusiastic learners. They work well together and help each other. Lessons are largely free of low-level disruptive behaviour. Almost all pupils said in their survey that behaviour is good. A few pupils become disengaged in lessons when work is not pitched at the right level of challenge for them.

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Several clubs have restarted after lockdown and there is a popular residential trip. Pupils empathise with those beyond the school community. However, opportunities to learn about multi-ethnic Britain are limited. Understanding of different families and relationships is at an early stage. 7 June 2022

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There were no concerns expressed by staff about workload. However, governors are mindful of the extensive leadership role of the acting executive headteacher across three schools. There is not yet sufficient distributed leadership across the school.

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Governors have continued taking appropriate strategic discussions about the future of the school in the absence of the substantive executive headteacher.

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In discussion with the acting executive headteacher, inspectors agreed that curriculum planning and assessment in a wider range of subjects may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. In addition, the extent of distributed leadership should be a focus.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that those who require early help are identified quickly and receive the support they need promptly. Leaders and governors have had suitable training to ensure they manage appointments and respond to allegations appropriately. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. They know of the risks posed by mobile phones and are aware of the importance of keeping electrical appliances away from water. Pupils feel safe talking to an adult if they have a problem or are worried about anything. Staff receive regular training so that they know how to respond to incidents.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Long-term planning is not yet in place for every subject on the curriculum. As a result, teachers do not consistently ensure that learning enables pupils to build up the knowledge they need sequentially. Leaders should ensure curriculum planning is in place and that staff are well trained to deliver the full curriculum.  Activities in the early years do not consistently provide opportunities for children to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Consequently, there are missed planned opportunities for children to apply what they have learned in a wider range of contexts. Leaders should ensure the curriculum and planned activities develop children’s literacy and numeracy knowledge and understanding.  Experienced staff have too few leadership roles. This leads to the acting executive headteacher taking direct responsibility for most aspects of leadership in the school. Leaders and governors should ensure that there are more opportunities for other staff

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

to take on leadership roles.  Not all staff are sufficiently well trained to teach pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils’ needs are sometimes missed. Leaders should ensure all staff are well trained to identify and plan for pupils with SEND. 7 June 2022

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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 as 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 on 17 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 .

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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. 7 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211205 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Acting Executive Headteacher Marilyn Hunt

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The acting executive headteacher was appointed in June 2021 following the absence of the substantive executive headteacher.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school had its last Section 48 inspection on 10 March 2017. The next scheduled inspection is due in 2025. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. The inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspectors held meetings with the acting executive headteacher and other members of staff. 7 June 2022

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 Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils. It was not possible to meet older pupils in Years 5 and 6 as they were away on an educational visit.  Inspectors met four members of the governing body (either remotely or face to face) including the chair, and they spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 10 responses to the Ofsted Parent View free-text service and 10 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. There were 20 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey. Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  Inspectors considered information on pupils’ behaviour, attendance, personal development, safeguarding and child protection.  Inspectors focused deeply on early reading, mathematics and geography. They visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, spoke to the acting executive headteacher (who leads on all subjects), teachers and pupils.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 7 June 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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