Brimington Manor Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Brimington Manor Infant and Nursery School Manor Road, Brimington Common, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 1NT

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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 Good 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers hold this school in high regard because it is central to its local community. As one parent, typical of many, stated: ‘It is an amazing little school. I would recommend it to anyone.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school because they feel safe and like to be with their friends. This is because positive, warm relationships are prioritised for all. Pupils care for each other. They know that if they have any worries or concerns, adults will listen and help them to sort it out. As one pupil commented, ‘We are all better, together.’ Occasionally, some pupils’ behaviour in lessons does not reflect the high standards seen at other times of the day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy opportunities to take on different roles and responsibilities. Fruit monitors help peers to make healthy snack choices. Others support younger children to develop table manners as part of ‘family dining’ at lunchtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the themed approach to the curriculum. They particularly enjoyed learning about fire safety after work on the ‘Great Fire of London’. However, some subjects are not yet fully implemented. In these subjects, pupils do not recall the knowledge they need to know as well.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made significant improvements to the school’s curriculum. They have ensured that it clearly identifies the knowledge pupils need to know and when from early years to Year 2. Where necessary, leaders have sought external support and advice to shape the curriculum. For example, leaders sought support to consider how physical education (PE) can be adapted to take account of the school not having a hall. In some subject areas, the work to refine the curriculum is not complete.

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better?

Leaders ensure that regular checks are made on what pupils are learning and remembering in different subjects. Teachers help pupils to recall what they have learned in previous lessons. Where necessary, they revisit key learning to ensure any misconceptions are addressed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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better?

Leaders have implemented a new approach to early reading. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. Pupils enjoy reading and being read to. Children in Nursery play different games that help to prepare them well for learning to read in Reception. Leaders ensure that staff have the expertise to teach the early reading programme. Extra support is put in place for pupils with gaps in their phonic knowledge.

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better?

The school rules of ‘be safe, be kind, be ready, and try your best’ have been recently introduced. Parents appreciate how the rules have been simplified. This has helped 10 and 11 May 2023

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to improve behaviour in school. The ‘brilliant board’ is used to celebrate pupils’ achievements. Pupils look forward to receiving a ‘star of the week’ certificate in assembly, as this could mean having afternoon tea with the headteacher. Pupils learn to use different breathing techniques or the ‘calm down corner’ to help them when they feel anxious. Leaders recognise that pupils’ behaviour for learning, including in the early years, remains inconsistent throughout the school day. They have plans to address this.

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Nursery and Reception children play and learn well together. They enjoy sharing different foods at the snack table linked to the story of ‘Handa’s surprise’. Leaders have considered how the environment will be enhanced over the course of the year to enable the children to know more of the early years curriculum. Children with SEND are well supported. This helps them to succeed in school.

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Trustees and local ‘Champion’ governors ensure that they receive accurate information about the school’s development. This helps them to make the right checks to further improve the school.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They say that there is ‘a strong sense of collaboration and team play’. They appreciate leaders’ efforts, including those from the trust, to reduce their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that they regularly check on systems for safeguarding in school. Where necessary, they refine and adapt procedures so that they meet statutory duties. Leaders provide regular training for staff and governors. Staff know how to spot pupils who may be at risk. They pass on concerns promptly. Record-keeping is detailed and thorough. Leaders ensure that all safeguarding concerns are logged, no matter how small. They do not shy away from challenging external agencies to provide additional support to meet the needs of pupils or families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about different types of safety. They have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet fully implemented in a few subjects. Thus, in these curriculum areas, pupils do not retain and recall knowledge as well as they do in others. Leaders need to make the necessary adaptations to the remaining subjects. They must provide staff with the relevant knowledge and expertise so they can help pupils to know more of the school’s intended curriculum.  Systems and routines to improve pupils’ behaviour, including in the early years, 10 and 11 May 2023

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have been recently introduced. Aspects of these approaches are not fully embedded. Leaders need to ensure that the behaviour systems in school are fully established. They need to ensure that pupils’ behaviour for learning and conduct are consistent throughout the school day.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Website www.learnerstrust.org/brimington-manor

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been no significant changes in leadership. The school shares its local ‘Champion’ governors with the local junior school within the same trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 met with the headteacher, leaders from the trust and representatives of those responsible for governance.  Inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, geography, computing and mathematics. Aspects of the school’s curriculum for PE 10 and 11 May 2023

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and personal, social and health education were also sampled. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, met with pupils and listened to them reading to adults. They considered curriculum plans and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils at various times during the inspection, including during social times.  Inspectors spoke with parents during the inspection. They considered the views of parents expressed through Ofsted surveys.  The single central record was scrutinised as part of the inspection of safeguarding. Inspectors spoke with a range of staff and pupils and sampled documentation relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Roary Pownall His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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