The Brow Community Primary School

Inspection of The Brow Community Primary School The Clough, Halton Brow, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 2HB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 June 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are all made to feel part of The Brow community. Pupils know that staff care for them. As some pupils explained, ‘We feel safe because our teachers look out for us.’

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils work hard to live up to these expectations and they successfully learn the curriculum. They are thrilled to have their positive actions recognised with praise points, or to be named on the ‘shout-out’ board.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are tolerant and respectful of one another. They enjoy strong relationships with their friends and with the adults in the school. Pupils said that bullying is very rare. They told inspectors that their teachers would deal with any incidents of bullying quickly, should they occur.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend a wealth of extra-curricular activities. They spoke with enthusiasm about the choir, blogging and ukulele clubs. Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from a range of trips that help to widen their experiences. Recently, pupils have visited a local laboratory, a museum and a library. Older pupils take their leadership responsibilities seriously. They enjoy looking after and reading to their friends in the early years. School councillors explained that they get to make important decisions about school life.

p.2

better?

Leaders have maintained an unrelenting focus on improving the curriculum. It is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in the specially resourced provisions for SEND (specially resourced provision). The curriculum is well ordered and builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 achieve well. Children in the early years also experience a high-quality curriculum. As a result, children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

p.2

better?

Leaders support teachers to ensure that the curriculum is delivered effectively. Leaders have made clear the exact knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. For example, children in the early years use mathematical vocabulary, such as ‘equal’ and ‘doubling’, with confidence. However, in a small number of curriculum areas, teachers do not ensure that pupils’ subject-specific vocabulary is as secure as it could be. This can limit the depth to which some pupils are able to talk about their learning.

p.2

better?

In most subjects, teachers regularly check what pupils have learned. This helps teachers to address pupils’ misconceptions and to prepare the next steps in pupils’ learning. However, in one or two subjects, leaders’ assessment systems are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, teachers’ understanding of how well pupils achieve is less precise. 8 and 9 June 2022

p.2

3

Leaders have invested in a range of appropriate books to foster a love of reading among pupils. Pupils said that they enjoy reading and being read to by their teachers. Children in the Nursery class listen attentively to stories and rhymes. They are well prepared to learn phonics as soon as they enter the Reception class. Staff have received regular training in phonics. This helps them to deliver the curriculum well. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to help them to read the books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Effective systems of support are in place to help any pupils who may find reading more difficult. Consequently, pupils are developing into confident, fluent readers.

p.3

3

Classrooms are productive environments. Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning. They can learn without interruptions. Pupils in the specially resourced provisions listen attentively to their teachers. Children in the early years remain focused on their learning activities.

p.3

3

Pupils have a good understanding of British values. They understand the importance of democracy and enjoy the opportunity to vote on a different debate each week. Pupils learn about different qualities, such as resilience and confidence, in their ‘virtue’ assemblies. They appreciate how these qualities will help them to succeed in life.

p.3

3

Staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. Teachers make effective adaptations to the delivery of learning activities, when appropriate for these pupils. This ensures pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provisions, have full access to the curriculum. Leaders access appropriate specialist help to support pupils with SEND when required. These actions help all pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provisions, to achieve well.

p.3

3

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration that leaders and governors have of their workload and well-being. Governors have received additional training to help them to evaluate the quality of education. This is enabling them to support and challenge leaders’ actions to improve the curriculum apace.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training on a regular basis. This equips them to be able to identify any child who may be at risk of harm. Staff understand the importance of reporting any safeguarding concerns quickly. Leaders’ safeguarding records are detailed and actions taken are timely. The family support worker helps ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families have access to the support that they need to stay safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. Leaders use the curriculum well to help pupils to recognise what is appropriate and inappropriate content when online. Visitors such as the community police officer help pupils understand the dangers of gang culture and knife crime. 8 and 9 June 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not ensure that pupils understand and use subject-specific vocabulary as well as they could. This means that, on occasions, some pupils are less able to talk about their learning using the appropriate technical language. Leaders should ensure that all teachers enable pupils to understand and to use subject-specific vocabulary to deepen their learning of the curriculum.  Leaders’ assessment systems in a small number of subjects do not highlight exactly how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. This hinders teachers from being able to identify those pupils who require further support. Leaders need to refine their assessment systems in these subjects to ensure that they can accurately identify exactly how well pupils are achieving. This will ensure that next steps can be more closely tailored to pupils’ learning needs.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 8 and 9 June 2022

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 July 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school hosts specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, on behalf of the local authority, for up to 14 younger pupils in key stage 1 and/or children in the early years. These pupils have speech, language and communication needs. Some of these pupils attend The Brow Community Primary School for two days per week. They spend the rest of the week at their home school. At the time of the inspection, 13 pupils were attending this specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND.  The school also hosts specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, on behalf of the local authority, for up to 10 pupils in key stage 2. These pupils have speech, language and communication needs. These pupils attend the school full time. At the time of this inspection, 16 pupils were on roll.  The governing body manages the before-school provision.  School leaders do not currently make use of any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and two governors, including the chair of governors. An inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, lunchtimes and during lessons. Pupils talked to the inspectors about their views of their school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, science and history. This involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing the subject curriculums, talking to pupils and teachers and looking at pupils’ work. An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  An inspector held discussions with the leaders of other subjects.  Inspectors checked leaders’ safeguarding procedures. They viewed a range of

p.6

Information about this inspection

safeguarding documentation and discussed how incidents are managed and recorded.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers at the start of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff questionnaires.

p.6

Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Jean Tarry Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 June 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7