Brisley Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of Brisley Church of England Primary Academy School Road, Brisley, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 5LH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 17 and 18 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy attending Brisley Church of England Primary Academy. They flourish in an environment where their education and wider development are valued equally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’. This can be seen in the way pupils show a strong sense of community, where everyone is included and expected to achieve well. Older pupils take care of younger ones at breaktime. They share lunches together and read with one another each week. Bullying is rare, but pupils and staff know what to do should it occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In recent years, the school has been transformed as pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations. Pupils are polite and confident. They typically show good levels of concentration in class as they learn from a well-planned curriculum. Most pupils learn well. By the end of Year 6, they are ready for learning in secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to take on responsibility, and they are proud and keen to play a role in charity fundraising, looking after the school grounds and leading whole-school worship.

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that sets out what pupils should know and remember each year. They are ambitious for what pupils should achieve. Teachers use effective strategies to check how much pupils learn and where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Teachers know pupils’ strengths and areas for improvement. They put in place strategies to help pupils catch up if they fall behind.

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better?

Leaders continually review their curriculum plans so that they build effectively on what pupils have previously learned. They are considering carefully where changes to ordering content will make this more effective. For example, the mathematics curriculum has been adjusted to ensure that pupils in mixed-age classes are supported well to learn more challenging content.

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better?

Phonics teaching starts as soon as children begin Reception. Leaders ensure that pupils build on their phonic knowledge systematically. Teachers’ regular checks mean that pupils who need extra help to keep up get it quickly. Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to teaching phonics. Some staff do not organise the classroom as well as others. As a result, though they achieve well overall, some pupils’ phonics learning is patchier than others’. Leaders promote a love of reading. Teachers provide daily opportunities for pupils to read quietly and to listen to carefully selected stories which expose pupils to a wide range of literature.

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better?

Leaders consider the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) carefully when planning the curriculum. Leaders ensure that the progress of pupils with SEND is monitored carefully and that staff get helpful advice 17 and 18 May 2023

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to ensure that pupils are given extra help when required. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Children in Reception get off to a good start in their education. There is a strong focus on teaching reading and developing good communication skills. Adults carefully identify the important knowledge that children should learn. Adults’ well- planned activities support children’s learning well. By the end of Reception, children are prepared well for learning in Year 1.

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Children in Reception learn to follow routines that help them to learn and play with others. Older pupils listen attentively in lessons and follow teachers’ directions. This means little learning time is lost. Pupils’ learning is rarely disturbed by others’ behaviour.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils particularly enjoy assembly time and the opportunities they have to lead the act of worship programme. Pupils develop character through activities such as gardening, representing the school in competitions and charity fundraising. They learn about diversity and are respectful towards those from different religions, cultures and backgrounds. Pupils enjoy attending a wide range of clubs and residential opportunities, such as a trip to France. Leaders ensure that all pupils can be included in these opportunities.

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School and trust leaders ensure that teachers develop their knowledge of how to teach different subjects well. Teachers value opportunities to meet with colleagues from other schools to share ideas about what works well.

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Trustees and governors know what is working well and what could be even better. Staff appreciate the consideration given by leaders to their workload and well-being. The trust, governors, leaders and staff are united in that they all want the very best for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They work closely with outside agencies to meet pupils’ needs and keep them safe. Staff receive regular training, which is kept up to date. This means staff have the skills and knowledge to identify signs of potential harm.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and are aware of the dangers they might face. For example, pupils are taught about the risks of being online and what they should do if they are concerned while using the internet or social media. 17 and 18 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum needs to be further refined so that pupils can know and remember more of what they have been taught. Leaders should ensure the long-term teaching sequence so that learning builds year on year and pupils are appropriately challenged in all subjects.  The new approach to teaching phonics is still in the early stages of implementation. On occasion, classroom learning could be organised more effectively to engage all pupils fully. Leaders should continue to support staff with additional professional development so that they can deliver the phonics programme more effectively so that all pupils learn to read quickly.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Headteacher Belinda Allen (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Hope Federation, a group of three primary schools. It is also part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT).  The three schools in the federation are Brisley, Rudham and Weasenham Church Of England Primaries. They share an executive headteacher and an executive deputy headteacher.  The school joined the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT) and became Brisley Church of England Primary Academy in December 2018. This is the first inspection since it became an academy.  The school is a Church of England school and is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was on 4 October 2016. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of that date.  The school uses the services of one alternative education provider, which is unregistered. 17 and 18 May 2023

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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 met with the executive headteacher, the executive deputy headteacher and other senior leaders, a range of middle leaders, support staff and several pupils. An inspector met with three members of the governing body and three trust representatives, including the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics, science and art. This involved visiting lessons with leaders, discussing curriculum plans, looking at pupils’ work and talking to pupils and teachers.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school, governing body minutes, curriculum plans and the school website. Reports

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Information about this inspection

from trust monitoring activities were examined.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, the lead inspector met with senior leaders, the designated safeguarding lead and deputy designated safeguarding lead, and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns. Inspectors also met with the trust safeguarding lead to check how well the trust oversees this responsibility. Leaders’ record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils was examined.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils through formal and informal discussions. The lead inspector checked survey responses, including those from 10 staff and 23 parents. This included the 19 free-text responses submitted to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Imran Khan Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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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