Brockhampton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brockhampton Primary School Brockhampton, Bringsty, Bromyard, Herefordshire WR6 5TD

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Outcome

Brockhampton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school where pupils enjoy learning. They know what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour and work. Pupils work hard in lessons and support each other to live up to the high expectations set by leaders and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They know they can talk to staff or other pupils about any worries they have. For example, pupils run a lunchtime worry club for any child who is upset and wants to talk about their feelings or problems. Pupils readily take on responsibilities such as these, as they are mature, sensible and caring towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and play together happily. They have a strong understanding of different types of bullying. They know the difference between bullying and ‘mean moments’. A recent pupil-led anti-bullying campaign, ‘Beat Bullies with Bob’, was a huge success. As a result, incidents of bullying are rare. Leaders have skilfully empowered pupils to take ownership and deal with most situations that occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy all aspects of school life, including forest school. Outdoor education is a strong feature of the school. All pupils work outside regularly. This aids their physical and mental health development.

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

Leaders have constructed a broad and effective curriculum. English and mathematics are suitably prioritised to ensure that pupils have the skills and knowledge needed to achieve well in each key stage. In addition, leaders and staff have worked hard to develop other subjects. Content is well sequenced, and staff know the importance of building pupils’ knowledge over time. However, in some subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to know and remember, including in the early years. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Leaders formally assess how well pupils are achieving in English, mathematics and phonics. This enables them to identify where extra support is required. Teachers also question and check pupils’ understanding in daily lessons. They revisit any concepts pupils have not grasped. However, assessment of pupils’ knowledge and understanding in some subjects, such as music, is at an early stage of development.

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Reading is a high priority in the school. Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff are well trained in teaching phonics. Consequently, most pupils reach the standard expected by the end of Year 1. The lowest attaining pupils have additional ‘short burst’ phonic lessons. This helps them catch up quickly. Leaders expect pupils to read regularly and ‘strive for five’ times a week. Parents and carers are very supportive and help their children with reading at home. All children take home a reading book matched to their phonic ability. However, some other home reading books do not have words that pupils can break down using their phonics knowledge. This reduces their fluency and confidence in early reading.

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The mathematics curriculum is well sequenced and implemented effectively. Children in the early years make a strong start in learning about numbers. Staff make good use of the outdoor environment and nature to support learning. For example, children counted and made repeated patterns using conkers, acorns and fir cones. Adults model language well. They provide high levels of nurture and support for children in Nursery, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps all children to settle well at school.

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All year groups enjoy ‘music of the week’. Pupils listen to different artists and different styles of music. This promotes their appreciation and love of music. Many learn to play instruments, sing in the choir and perform publicly.

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Leaders and governors are quite rightly proud of how well pupils with complex needs are included in school life. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified when they join the school. Staff are alert to pupils’ needs as soon as they arise. Leaders act on this information. They ensure that parents are fully involved in decision-making and access any specialist support pupils need. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Leaders place a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. As such, leaders organise a rich and diverse range of experiences for pupils. School clubs, sports tournaments and participation in local community events all add to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Pupils relish the opportunity to take on different roles and responsibilities, such as feeding the school chickens, helping at lunchtime or running clubs. Leaders seek pupils’ views regularly and empower them to put their ideas into practice. Consequently, pupils develop good citizenship skills and high levels of confidence and independence.

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Staff morale is high. Leaders are supportive of staff’s well-being and their work-life balance. Staff appreciate the support provided by leaders and their approachability. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is at the heart of the school’s work. Leaders ensure that all staff are fully trained to spot any changes in pupils’ character or behaviour. Any concerns detected are reported systematically. Leaders act swiftly and provide the support needed to pupils and their families. Leaders carry out stringent checks on adults working in school to make sure they are suitable to work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum offers many opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. A high priority is given to ensuring that pupils feel confident to share any worries they have with someone in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all curriculum subjects set out the explicit knowledge, skills and vocabulary that teachers want pupils to know and remember in different year groups, including in the early years. This leads to pupils having gaps in their learning. Leaders should ensure that pupils gain the skills and knowledge needed to be successful across the curriculum and build their vocabulary year on year.  Teachers’ use of assessment in some foundation subjects is at an early stage of development. This means that leaders have not identified where additional support is needed or know how well pupils are achieving. Leaders should ensure that systems are in place to enable staff to assess how well pupils learn and retain information in all subjects.  Sometimes, books that children in the early years and key stage 1 take home do not support the phonics work they learn in school. This reduces their progress in phonics. Leaders should ensure that home reading books are well matched to the phonics that

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils learn in class so that they can practise and consolidate their early reading skills.

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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 July 2017. 18 and 19 October 2022

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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Website www.brockhamptonprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school now offers provision for two- and three-year-olds.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders and four governors. She also spoke with the chair of the governing body on the telephone.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at work in pupils’ books.  The inspector met with all teaching staff to talk about the curriculum, staff’s workload and the behaviour and personal development of pupils. She also met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and well-being. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 The inspector looked at curriculum plans and observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a member of staff.  The inspector checked the school’s single central record and spoke to the headteacher about safeguarding procedures.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement. Records of attendance were checked.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  The inspector talked to parents after school and considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses. She gathered the views of pupils and staff on site through discussion with these groups and from their online questionnaire responses.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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