Drapers' Brookside Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Drapers’ Brookside Junior School Dagnam Park Drive, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex RM3 9DJ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2023

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Outcome

Drapers’ Brookside Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at school. They enjoy their learning. Staff foster warm and supportive working relationships with pupils. They understand the individual needs of pupils well, and care about them. This helps pupils to settle in quickly when they transfer from the infant school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils study a broad and rich curriculum. They achieve well and leaders ensure that they are ready for secondary school when the time comes. Teachers also provide a range of wider curriculum opportunities for all pupils. This includes a broad selection of trips and clubs. For example, the link with the Drapers’ Trust means that pupils attend the Lord Mayor’s Show annually.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Very little learning time is lost to low-level disruption. Pupils learn to be considerate of the needs of others. They are kind to one another. Bullying is rare, but dealt with effectively when it does occur. Pupils trust their teachers to help them if they have any difficulties.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders think carefully about how best to support their pupils and their families, and in particular how pupils’ learning and well-being have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, leaders are focusing on helping pupils to know how to be resilient if they face setbacks. Pupils and their families appreciate the support that they receive.

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

Leaders care deeply about pupils, and are determined to give them the knowledge, skills and wider experiences that they need to succeed. The school is a happy and cohesive community. Pupils learn to enjoy learning, to be resilient, and to empathise with others.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. This is clear in the way that they prioritise reading across the curriculum. Through regular assessments, leaders know which pupils need further help to become fluent readers. These pupils receive carefully tailored extra help, 25 and 26 January 2023 including through a planned phonics programme. Leaders make sure that staff have the expertise to support those pupils who are learning to read. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and choosing books.

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

Leaders have planned the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn a deep body of knowledge in all subjects. For example, in mathematics, pupils master the key subject content and methods that they need to know before moving on to new learning. This helps them to build confidence. Leaders constantly review what is working well in classrooms. For example, they are introducing new approaches to checking how well all pupils have understood the subject content taught within a topic.

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

Learning is clearly sequenced so that pupils are able to apply their learning to increasingly demanding contexts. For example, in geography, Year 4 pupils learn about how physical geography affects the types of farming that can take place. They then apply what they know to consider the question of how countries can be self-sufficient.

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

Leaders provide teachers with training and support to develop their knowledge and expertise in delivering the range of subjects that they teach. They ensure that subject leaders are given time and training to fulfil their roles. They have also invested in materials to support teachers in the planning of lessons and assessment of pupils’ learning. However, sometimes, pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in learning are not picked up and sorted out promptly. This is because some teaching does not check how well pupils have understood what they have learned previously.

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

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well understood. Leaders secure additional expertise to meet pupils’ needs where needed. They make sure that staff know how to adapt learning to help pupils to learn successfully. Well-trained teaching assistants also support pupils with SEND in class. Where pupils have complex needs, leaders ensure that these are met.

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

Pupils appreciate the rewards that they can receive for positive behaviour and effort. Most attend well and engage in learning and the wider curriculum enthusiastically. For example, they enjoy being part of sports teams and the choir, and going on outings, such as the recent geography trip to the coast. Leaders teach pupils about the importance of tolerance and help them to explore wider issues, such as those related to cultural identity.

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

Staff are proud to work at the school. They are well trained and supported. Trustees and governors are well informed and hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff are well trained to recognise and report concerns about pupils who may be vulnerable or at risk. They carry out careful checks to ensure that only suitable staff are employed. Leaders keep meticulous records. They liaise effectively with external agencies and follow up concerns to make sure that pupils get help when they 25 and 26 January 2023 need it. A range of strategies are in place to support pupils’ well-being. This includes learning mentors, family outreach workers and mental health support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are confident that they will be helped if they report any concerns. They are equally sure that teachers will notice if something is wrong. They learn about how to stay safe through a well-designed curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some cases, teachers do not check effectively how well pupils have understood the subject content that has been taught. This affects how well pupils acquire knowledge over time, because some teaching is not adapted to addresses misconceptions and gaps in learning. Leaders need to ensure that teachers identify aspects of pupils’ learning that are less secure and adapt teaching so that pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are tackled effectively.

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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.

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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. 25 and 26 January 2023 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. 25 and 26 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255457 Type of school Junior

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Not applicable

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School details

Number of pupils in the sixth form Not applicable

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Drapers’ Multi-Academy Trust.  The school shares a site with Drapers’ Brookside Infant School.  Leaders make use of one alternative provider and a tuition service provided by Havering Local Authority.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 and 26 January 2023  The inspector held meetings with the principal, the vice-principal, senior leaders and subject leaders. She met with the chair of trustees and the chief executive officer, as well as other trustees and members of the local governing body virtually. She also met with other members of the local governing body in person. She had a phone conversation with the school improvement partner.  The inspector did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, geography and mathematics. She 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. She also listened to some pupils read. Some other subjects

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Information about this inspection

were considered as part of the inspection.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding, pupils’ wider development and behaviour. The views of parents and carers, pupils and staff were also considered through meetings, conversations at the school gate, and Ofsted’s surveys.  The inspector scrutinised records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks on staff. She had discussions with the designated safeguarding lead, and viewed records of safeguarding concerns. Conversations with staff and pupils also included questions about safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Alice Clay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 January 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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