Broomhill Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Broomhill Junior School Broomhill Road, Hucknall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG15 6AJ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Outcome

Broomhill Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils, who all feel part of the Broomhill family. As one pupil said, ‘We are called the ‘Broomhill Family’ and that is how it feels.’ The ‘Five Rs’ of respect, reflective, relationships, responsible and resilient are lived out by all and are a common theme in every aspect of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that there are high expectations of their behaviour. Low-level disruption is rare. This is an inclusive school in which differences are respected and pupils help each other. Pupils are taught about role models such as a local athlete and a past pupil who is now a professional footballer. They have had wheelchair basketball lessons. The ‘Take Five’ approach is used across the school to support pupils in their learning to try new activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At playtimes, pupils access the new multi-gym playground equipment and the school’s farm. They say that bullying is rare and that when it does happen, it always gets resolved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a lot of extra-curricular clubs on offer that pupils of all ages enjoy. These include environment, netball, football and art. The school has a welcoming and colourful learning environment.

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

Leaders have made sure that early reading and phonics are given a high priority in school. This makes sure that pupils are given the knowledge that they need to read fluently. Knowledge content is well sequenced and adjusted according to the needs of the pupils. Ongoing assessment ensures that when a gap in knowledge is identified, the curriculum is adapted to ensure that pupils are taught the specific knowledge they need to help them progress.

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

The curriculum sequencing is typically well constructed to support all groups of pupils. Teachers revisit parts of the curriculum to ensure that pupils remember important content. However, the curriculum is not as clearly set out in some aspects of English. For 21 and 22 September 2022

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example, pupils are given opportunities to write about different topics. However, teachers do not explicitly teach pupils how to develop their writing in a range of genres.

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Pupils enjoy learning mathematics and understand its importance in the school’s curriculum. As one pupil said, ‘I like it when the maths is fun and hard,’ modelling the school value of resilience, which is revisited daily.

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Pupils are able to describe important features and beliefs of different religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. They understand the meaning behind different religious stories. As one pupil stated, ‘Morals are important to know so you do a good thing.’ The personal, social and health education curriculum is well sequenced and prepares the pupils for life in modern Britain. They can describe fundamental British values and know the importance of staying healthy. Pupils also learn about different cultures from around the world.

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Parents and carers have extremely positive views of the school. They see the school as a family and work together to get the very best for the children. As one parent reported, ‘This is a brilliant school.’

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Many pupils attend school regularly. Leaders, supported by the pastoral team, are working to improve the attendance of those pupils who miss too much school. While they have had some success, there remain too many pupils who do not attend school as often as they should.

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Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils. The provision for, and progress of, all pupils with special educational needs are carefully tracked and targets are regularly reviewed with parents and pupils. Staff at all levels benefit from extensive training from the special educational needs coordinator and learning mentor team. This enables everyone to support these pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that safeguarding in school is always given the highest priority. Staff know the safeguarding procedures and how to make appropriate referrals when needed. Leaders ensure that all staff have up-to-date safeguarding training. All records are thorough and clear.

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Safeguarding

The school has a robust recruitment process in place to ensure that all staff are safe to work with children. Pupils feel safe and know who to speak to if they have any concerns. The school’s curriculum ensures that all pupils are taught about staying safe, including online and in person.

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 In almost all subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils must learn is clearly identified and curriculum thinking supports pupils to build on their prior learning. This is less well developed in some aspects of English, particularly writing. Some pupils’ writing is not as well developed as it could be. Leaders should ensure that the writing curriculum identifies the key knowledge that pupils must gain and that this enables pupils to build sequentially on what they have previously learned.  There are too many pupils who do not attend school as often as they should. This hampers their learning. Leaders must build on the work they have already begun and ensure that pupil absence is reduced even further.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 and 24 May 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternate provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the two assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and staff from the special educational needs and pastoral teams. He met with a range of other staff.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. He listened to some pupils reading.  The inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspector visited collective worship and the school farm and spoke to pupils during

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Information about this inspection

breaktime and lunchtime. He also spoke to parents outside the school. 21 and 22 September 2022

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 The inspector met with safeguarding leaders and reviewed the single central record. He also reviewed school documents concerning safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  The inspector reviewed the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text comments from parents. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jon Brown, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 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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