Braywick Court School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Braywick Court School Hibbert Road, Maidenhead SL6 1UU

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Outcome

Braywick Court School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a community of excellence. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. They feel happy and safe. Leaders have the highest aspirations for pupils’ academic work. They prepare pupils very well for the next stage of their education. Pupils strive to meet the high expectations of leaders. Behaviour is exceptional. Classrooms buzz with a quiet hum of learning. Around the school, at break and lunchtimes, pupils are polite and respectful of others. The school deals with any rare incidents of bullying well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is set within a nature reserve. Pupils visit often through the changing seasons. This enables them to develop a deep understanding of the plants, trees and wildlife around their school. Pupils are passionate about the need to protect the environment. They recycle and reuse materials regularly. Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including very many extra-curricular activities and trips. These experiences nurture pupils’ talents and interests, and deepen their understanding of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities, such as house captains and well-being ambassadors. Parents speak highly of the school. They are confident that staff will do their utmost to ensure their child’s welfare and academic progress.

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

The school succeeds in its vision to provide a rich and inclusive learning environment where pupils become confident, independent learners. Leaders are committed to improving pupils’ life chances and ensuring that they experience success. For instance, pupils do well in Spanish as they start learning the language in pre-school.

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

The curriculum is exceptionally ambitious. It is designed to be exciting and interesting. In all subjects, there is a clear sequence of learning. From the age of two, children who enter the pre-school benefit from a very well-planned curriculum. Through carefully chosen activities, children develop strong social skills and a thorough grounding in all areas of learning. Reading, writing and mathematics skills are exceptionally well developed in the early years foundation stage. This ensures that pupils are very well 25 and 26 April 2023

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prepared for their learning in key stage 1. As pupils move through the school, they have many opportunities to revisit learning and key vocabulary from previous topics. This means that when they leave in Year 6, they have a deep understanding of every national curriculum subject.

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Teachers are proud to work in such an inspirational environment. They want pupils at this school to be well prepared for their future lives. Staff deliver the curriculum consistently well. Often, the learning activities provided enthral pupils. For example, pupils were fascinated when researching and considering the arguments for and against the diet of people in World War 2. Low-level disruption is rare. Teachers carefully use assessment to check what pupils already know, to adapt learning in the future. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are given the right support to enable them to learn successfully.

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Strong reading is at the centre of the school’s success. From the pre-school, leaders are diligent in ensuring that children quickly learn the sounds that letters make. As they progress through the Reception Year, pupils quickly acquire the knowledge and skills to read and write sentences with accuracy and confidence. This means that most children pass the phonics check in Year 1. Any pupil who has fallen behind is given effective support to enable them to catch up quickly. Pupils are inspired and enthusiastic about reading. They have access to many books, both in class and in the school libraries. They talk confidently about the different types of books and authors that they like to read.

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Teachers support pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. Opportunities abound for pupils to be involved in making their school community a better place. The extensive outdoor learning curriculum starts in the pre-school, where children learn about healthy eating by growing vegetables in their allotment. Pupils develop a good understanding about democracy. For example, those who have stood for election as school councillors have their votes declared by an official Windsor and Maidenhead recording officer. Pupils’ sporting abilities are nurtured by an enthusiastic and dedicated team which succeeds in its aim for all pupils to be active for at least 30 minutes a day. Pupils make good use of the nearby leisure centre to develop their skills in many different sports.

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Those with governance responsibilities, including trustees, share the same high ambitions of school leaders. They work well together to deliver the ambitious vision of the school. All leaders are mindful of staff well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are vigilant in their care for pupils. Staff receive regular training. They build highly positive relationships with pupils and their families. Staff know how to keep children safe and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. Leaders recognise that some pupils need additional help to ensure their welfare. Therapies such as drawing and talking therapy are provided for those who need it. Pupils feel safe. They are confident to talk to trusted adults if they have any concerns. Pupils learn about different ways of keeping safe, including when using the internet. 25 and 26 April 2023

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in June 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.

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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. 25 and 26 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268014 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Bellevue Place Education Trust.  Since the previous inspection, an off-site pre-school has become part of the school. Currently, there are 50 children who attend.  The school runs a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school currently does not use any alternative provider.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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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 held meetings with senior leaders, staff and pupils. They also spoke with those with governance responsibilities, including members of the local advisory board, representatives of the trustees and the chief executive. There was also a meeting with the director of education. 25 and 26 April 2023

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 Deep dives were conducted in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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 reviewed a wide range of documentation related to safeguarding. This included checking the record of pre-employment checks, meeting with the designated safeguarding lead, speaking to staff and pupils, and scrutinising documents relating to safeguarding.  The responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff, parents and pupils were considered.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 April 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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