Brookfields Primary School

Inspection of Brookfields Primary School 2 Hingeston Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6PU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 and 14 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and children ‘SHINE’ at Brookfields Primary School. Pupils know that adults care about them. In return, pupils work hard and are happy at this nurturing and inclusive school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils get the help they need to meet these expectations. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), generally achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and welcoming to new pupils and visitors. They are proud of their school and say it is ‘fun and friendly’. Pupils understand the rules of ready, respectful and safe and they behave well. Staff deal with bullying effectively. Pupils know to talk to adults if they have a worry. Pupils are confident that staff will deal with their concerns. As a result, pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to visit places such as a farms and museums. These visits allow pupils to see in real life what they have learned about in the classroom. This helps them to remember important information. Many pupils take on responsibilities such as well-being ambassadors, playmakers and school councillors. These roles teach them to be responsible and ‘get them ready for the future’.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They are determined to continue to improve the school further. Leaders have designed and sequenced the curriculum so pupils’ knowledge builds progressively over time. Staff are committed to helping pupils overcome any barriers to learning. As a result, many pupils achieve well.

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better?

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They use recall activities regularly, such as the ‘power ups’ in mathematics, to check what pupils know. This helps pupils to remember information over time. Overall, teachers explain new content clearly and choose effective activities to help pupils learn. For example, in music pupils learn to play the recorder across several year groups. This helps them to build knowledge about musical notation. However, occasionally, staff do not deliver the curriculum as effectively as leaders would like. Sometimes, they do not present information as clearly as it could be. When this happens, pupils do not remember as much as they might over time.

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better?

Teachers use questioning well to check that pupils understand what they have learned. Leaders ensure that these checks identify mistakes and gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils then get extra support so they do not fall behind.

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better?

Staff identify pupils with SEND swiftly. Adults who support pupils with SEND are well trained. Teachers know how to help these pupils to access the learning in the classroom. Pupils with SEND feel fully included. The curriculum is appropriately adapted to support pupils who are new to speaking English. These pupils benefit 13 and 14 March 2023

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from additional teaching and visual resources to support their learning. This helps them to catch up quickly and achieve well.

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Staff receive effective training in teaching phonics. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This helps to improve pupils’ confidence and fluency in reading. Leaders quickly identify pupils who need extra help. These pupils get the support they need to catch up. Well- chosen books and authors feature prominently in all areas of the school. These books also reflect life in modern Britain.

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Children settle quickly into the early years. Adults work effectively with children to develop their vocabulary and communication skills. Staff encourage even the youngest children to speak in full sentences. This gives the children the confidence to talk about their learning. However, the outdoor learning space is not as well equipped or organised as it could be. Leaders recognise that this space is not fully supporting pupils’ learning as well as it might.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. From the early years, pupils follow the routines set by their teachers. Relationships between pupils and staff are respectful. The school is calm and orderly. Staff support pupils with complex needs well to help them to manage their behaviour. During playtimes, pupils share equipment and older pupils help younger ones.

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Too many pupils miss school regularly. Leaders have identified this and make clear to parents the importance of school attendance. Leaders know that there is more to do in this area to improve the attendance of some pupils.

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Pupils learn about people who are different from themselves. Pupils understand and value equality and diversity. Leaders provide opportunities that help pupils experience the wider world. For example, pupils can explain how residential trips teach them about teamwork and trusting each other.

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Teachers are proud to work at Brookfields. They feel valued and supported. Staff benefit from an effective programme of coaching and training. They appreciate that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They are confident to send their children to a school where they feel that ‘staff care for and support each and every child’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of care and vigilance in the school. Leaders ensure that all staff and trustees receive regular safeguarding training. Staff are clear about how to report concerns. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on all who work at the school. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Staff know the local area, pupils and their families well. This helps staff to identify any potential concerns. Leaders make timely referrals to external agencies when needed.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn about safe and respectful relationships. They learn about fire safety and road safety as well as online dangers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always deliver the curriculum as clearly as leaders would like. As a result, some pupils do not always remember more over time. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in every subject is delivered as intended so pupils can fully build their knowledge over time.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly. They are missing too much learning and miss opportunities to benefit from the range of activities provided by the school. Leaders should continue their work to reduce persistent absence so that these pupils attend school regularly and can take full advantage of the good quality of education that is offered by the school.  The outdoor learning environment in the early years is not as well developed as it could be. Children do not benefit from engaging opportunities to learn outside. Leaders should ensure that staff in the early years develop the outdoor provision to enable children to benefit from well-planned learning opportunities outside.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256815 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Brookfields Primary School joined the Create Partnership Trust to become an academy in November 2018. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  The school operates a breakfast club.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography and music. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum 13 and 14 March 2023

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with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met representatives from the trust.  Inspectors met with the leaders responsible for the early years, disadvantaged pupils, behaviour, attendance and personal development. Inspectors also met with groups of staff.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, records of governance and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector met with the designated leader for safeguarding to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read

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to a familiar adult. Inspectors met with several groups of pupils from across the school.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, the survey for pupils and the survey for staff. The lead inspector spoke informally with parents on arrival at the school.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Potter Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 2023

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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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