Brookland Junior School

Inspection of Brookland Junior School Hill Top, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 6EJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a welcoming environment at the school. Staff encourage pupils to build their confidence throughout their time here. Expectations are high. Parents and carers typically said that teachers develop and challenge pupils in equal measure. This supports pupils to express their own opinions and ideas, and ‘be the best that they can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive and enthusiastic about their learning. Teachers resolve any rare incidences of bullying quickly. Pupils are safe. Teachers, supported by knowledgeable leaders, provide a rich and broad curriculum for pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a comprehensive personal development programme for pupils. Staff encourage pupils to be good citizens and care for each other. Pupils express their views through the school council. They visit landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament. They are taught about risks and how to keep safe online. Leaders organise many clubs for pupils, including jewellery-making, eco club and dance. Pupils are also encouraged to think about future career possibilities and the world of work.

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better?

Leaders have planned a curriculum that covers the full range of national curriculum subjects. Curriculum thinking is strong in many of them. In many subjects, pupils build on their prior knowledge as they progress through the curriculum. In these subjects, pupils create high-quality work as they deepen their subject expertise. For example, in mathematics, pupils learn to identify right angles in Year 3. In Year 4, pupils build on this knowledge by learning about acute and obtuse angles. Finally, pupils apply this knowledge by measuring angles in different contexts.

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better?

In a few subjects, curriculum thinking is not as precise. In these subjects, leaders have not isolated the knowledge that pupils need to develop their understanding over time as clearly as they could. Occasionally, pupils are asked to complete activities that require skills and knowledge that pupils have not yet mastered.

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better?

Teachers often check that pupils understand what they have learned. In these instances, teachers check that pupils are secure in their learning before introducing new information.

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better?

Staff make sure pupils read widely and often. Pupils typically have a book that they are reading for pleasure in their own time. Leaders use clear systems to identify pupils who need help learning to read, including pupils with SEND. Pupils new to the school who require help with phonics receive extra support from appropriately trained teachers. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Teachers make sure that pupils read books which match the phonics they know, to help them to catch up with their peers. Those that need support improving their fluency and comprehension are also given additional support.

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The personal development curriculum is exceptionally well designed. It is extensive and high in quality. Staff run outings throughout the school year and make sure that all pupils take part. Leaders identify any barriers that may prevent pupils from participating in visits and clubs and provide extra opportunities for these pupils.

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Pupils debate sensitive issues maturely during class. They are encouraged to build their understanding of healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries in friendships, and maintaining physical and mental health. For example, pupils are taught what makes for good friendships in Year 3, and about conflict and mediation in Year 4. In Year 5 they are introduced to the concept of peer pressure and in Year 6 they are taught about respectful relationships, including online.

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Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Pupils typically meet these. They behave sensibly in classes and during break time. Staff praise pupils regularly through the use of the school’s rewards policy. They rapidly correct any misbehaviour. This means that learning time is almost never lost because of bad behaviour.

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Staff are very positive about the school and leadership. They are proud to work at the school and said that leaders do everything that they can do to support the staff’s well-being and workload. The governing body knows its statutory duties and carries these out supportively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have clear and established systems that help them to identify any pupils who may need support. They also know about any local risks. Leaders provide staff with regular and relevant safeguarding training. This means that they can accurately recognise and report any concerns to leaders. Leaders provide pupils who need help with prompt support. Leaders work closely with external agencies and closely track pupils’ welfare to ensure that they are always safe. Records of leaders’ actions, which are accurate and up to date, are stored in a secure and accessible format.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum thinking is not consistently strong across all subjects. In a few subjects, the knowledge and content that pupils need to know has not been sufficiently broken down in as much detail as it could. In these instances, implementation of the curriculum is less strong. Pupils, including pupils with 6 and 7 December 2022

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SEND, do not therefore build their knowledge over time as effectively as they could in all subjects. Leaders should isolate and sequence subject-specific knowledge and skills with greater clarity throughout all subject curriculums.

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How can I feed back my views?

You can use to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, 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.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10255348 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 June 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  The proportion of pupils at the school with an education, health and care plan has increased over the last two years.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, personal, social and health education, behaviour, early reading and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and music. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding and supporting pupils’ health and safety as well as their welfare and well-being. This included looking at case studies and reviewing the school’s record of pre- employment checks.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Phillips His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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