Brookvale Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brookvale Primary School Mallard Drive, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 7YB

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Outcome

Brookvale Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get along together and show an eagerness to do well at school. This is because leaders’ vision of being ‘ambitious for our success and the success of others’ is brought to life through their actions. They set high expectations for behaviour and learning. Pupils show respectful behaviour and generally achieve well. They benefit from a super curriculum, but more work is needed on the way it is delivered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value that their school is welcoming and say it is a joy to come to school. Pupils like that staff are kind and fair. When bullying happens, leaders confront this head on and support everyone involved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders leave no stone unturned in helping pupils learn how to be ‘a caring citizen’ within the community. The attention to detail in the topics covered within their personal development and well-being (PDW) programme is impressive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders tackle tricky and sensitive topics in an open and honest manner. This helps pupils to speak in a mature way about topics, such as women’s place in society, county lines and puberty. Pupils know why it is important to learn about these things. They know that it will help them to make the right choices as they become the ‘author of their own lives’.

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

Trustees and school leaders work closely together to continually strengthen and improve the school. Trustees check the right things and, as a result, know the school well. School leaders are extremely well versed in understanding the diverse community they serve.

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

Leaders use what they know to help with every decision they make. Parents and carers value this, as do staff. Parents appreciate the way staff have the pupils and their families at the heart of everything they do. They like the many varied opportunities to join in with school life. Staff echo this. They say, ‘our school encourages our children with their learning and aspirations.’ 7 and 8 February 2023

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Staff are strong in their gratitude of the time leaders take to get to know them as individuals. A united sense of teamwork shines through.

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Leaders have created a stunning curriculum. It is powerful in the way it sets out, step by step, what is to be taught from the early years and the ambitious vocabulary to be used. Leaders have created a staircase of learning that spirals onwards and upwards in a way that is unique and special. In addition to this, they have carefully woven clear strands of PDW within and across all learning. No opportunity is missed to help pupils grow their understanding of the world they will encounter as they grow up and their place within it. Leaders have clearly set out what learning should be checked, and when. This information is used well.

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Leaders’ vision for the curriculum is not fully reflected in the teaching across all of the subjects. In some subjects, including history and mathematics, pupils explain their learning confidently and with enthusiasm. The curriculum in these subjects is helping pupils to know a great deal and make deep, meaningful links across their learning. However, this is not the case for a few subjects. This is because teachers, including in the early years, do not always choose the best way to help pupils secure what they know.

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Leaders have given thought to how pupils should learn to read and develop a love of books. This is reflected in pupils’ positive attitudes to reading. From the moment they enter school, pupils are surrounded by beautiful books that capture their imagination as well as allow them to see themselves and their cultures within stories. Staff teach phonics well. This allows pupils to use phonics to get better at reading. They quickly move on to read a range of books with expression and accuracy. No pupil is left behind. A range of extra support is there if and when needed.

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Leaders are exceptionally skilled at recognising when and what extra help is needed for pupils. Their commitment to identifying and understanding pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is excellent. It is humbling to listen to and see the successful way that pupils with SEND access their learning and are included in school life.

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This deep belief that every pupil, including those with SEND, deserves the very best, starts in the early years. The individual support, care and teaching sets pupils up to achieve well as they move through the years. Nothing is too much trouble for leaders. Their attitude of ‘if we don’t fight for the rights of these pupils, who will?’ ensures the pupils get the right help, at the right time, from the right people. They are not afraid to challenge external agencies if the help is not forthcoming or is not in the best interests of the pupil.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a real 'belt and braces' approach to safeguarding. This ensures that leaders, staff and pupils know they have a right to be safe, looked after, understand potential dangers and that they have someone to turn to in times of trouble. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Leaders ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils. Training for staff is rigorous and regular. Staff show absolute clarity about what they should do if they have a concern. This includes when, why, and how they do it.

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Pupils respect the importance of what they learn in the weekly safeguarding assemblies. They know who the ‘safeguarding staff’ are but know they can talk to any member of staff if needed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always choose the most appropriate approach for delivering a topic or helping pupils to remember and build on the specific knowledge being taught. As a result, pupils’ learning is not consistently secured and extended. Leaders should ensure that staff expand their understanding of the range of pedagogical choices open to them and know which to use when, so that pupils can successfully expand their knowledge in all subjects.

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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 February 2018.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269114 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) Multi Academy Trust.  The school runs a breakfast club.  The school accesses nurture provision at a partner school within the ATLP trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector also looked at pupils’ work, spoke to leaders and visited lessons to consider mathematics.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult. 7 and 8 February 2023

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 The inspector had formal meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and school staff.  The inspector met with representatives of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, including the chair of trustees.  The inspector had a phone call conversation with the school improvement partner.  The inspector talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online parents’, pupils’ and staff’s surveys.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunchtime. They spoke formally with groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  The inspector met with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. They reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding and behaviour. The inspector spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ safety.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation

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and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Foulkes, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 7 and 8 February 2023

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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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