Bracken Edge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bracken Edge Primary School Bracken Edge Primary School, Newton Garth, Off Newton Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS7 4HE

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Outcome

Bracken Edge Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bracken Edge Primary School is a vibrant and happy place to learn. The recently established leadership team has created a culture that makes pupils feel welcome. Pupils feel they belong here. Staff inspire pupils to treat each other with the utmost respect. Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations through their conduct around school. When pupils struggle to manage their emotions, expert support is on hand to help them to get back on track. Bullying rarely happens, but if it does adults act to make sure that it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that brings learning to life for pupils. When learning about Windrush, pupils find out about Gertrude Paul, the first black headteacher in Leeds. Leaders have made sure that the curriculum reflects the diverse community that the school serves. Adults have high aspirations for all pupils in the school. The curriculum supports pupils to achieve these aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give pupils many opportunities to explore their interests. Pupils enjoy looking after the school’s chickens and the goats. Sports leaders support their school by helping younger pupils during sports day. These opportunities are helping pupils to become citizens of the future. They are keen to serve their school and the community. Leaders have created a truly inclusive culture in which all pupils can flourish.

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

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum. They have identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. At the start of each lesson, teachers help pupils to review this knowledge. This is helping pupils to remember their learning. When studying the industrial revolution, teachers ensure that pupils remember important information. Pupils learn about steam power, mechanisation and the development of factories. This helps pupils to consider the impact and legacy of this period in history. However, leaders’ ambition for the curriculum has not been fully realised in all subjects. 21 and 22 June 2023

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Teachers’ knowledge about how to teach some subjects is less well developed. The support that pupils receive to learn new things and to practise the things that they already know is not as precise as it could be.

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Leaders have made reading a priority. They have made sure that all staff have the training that they need to help pupils to become fluent readers. In early years, children learn phonics from the start. Adults share carefully chosen stories that inspire children to explore the many books in their classroom. Most children are becoming confident readers. Some pupils struggle to read and some have missed out on phonics teaching before joining the school. Leaders make sure that these pupils receive extra tuition to help them to catch up. Leaders celebrate reading. They make sure that the books that pupils read reflect the diversity within the school. Some pupils see reading as a refuge. They love to get lost in the characters and the stories. Pupils thoroughly enjoy reading.

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Children in early years get off to a flying start in mathematics. Staff give children lots of opportunities to develop their mathematical skills, for example by making odd and even numbers using a variety of objects. Children become confident with numbers quickly. Teachers help older pupils build their mathematic knowledge step by step. Pupils have lots of opportunities to rehearse and revisit learning. This is helping them to become confident mathematicians.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders remove any barriers that pupils might face to their learning. For some pupils, teachers construct written instructions using pictures to represent each word. Pupils use the pictures to help them to focus on the most important learning. Leaders have made sure that all staff are experts in adapting their lessons to include all pupils. Pupils with SEND receive the support that they need. They master new knowledge quickly and are confident learners.

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Leaders welcome a very high number of pupils at different times of the year who are new to the school. Staff check what these pupils know and can do. Teachers make sure that each pupil receives the right support for them. Pupils who are new to English receive highly tailored support that helps them to master English rapidly.

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Leaders and staff show pupils how to treat everyone with kindness and respect. Pupils understand differences and know that everyone deserves to be respected. One pupil summed this up saying ‘we welcome everyone here’. Staff provide pupils with many opportunities that help to broaden their experiences. Leaders make the most of the outdoor space and woodland area. All pupils take part in bushcraft activities. This significantly enriches pupils’ experience. Staff also make sure that pupils have lots of opportunities to take part in after-school clubs. These include singing, cheerleading and cricket. If pupils cannot attend, leaders find out why. They try to remove any barriers so that all pupils have the chance to take part.

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Governors challenge and support leaders to improve the school. They share leaders’ ambition to provide pupils with a high-quality education. Governors ensure that they have the skills they need to fulfil their statutory duties. 21 and 22 June 2023

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Staff are passionate about the community that they serve. They feel that leaders support them well and are proud to be a part of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff are trained well and receive updates to safeguarding guidance. This includes regular briefings and a daily safeguarding question to keep staff knowledge up to date. Staff work hard to build strong relationships with families. They know pupils and their families well. Staff are vigilant and know how to identify any risks that pupils may face. They swiftly follow up any concerns over pupils’ welfare. Leaders and governors check that staff follow safeguarding procedures consistently. Leaders are tenacious in using links with external agencies to help pupils and families get the support that they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the way teachers support pupils’ learning is not as precise as it could be. This means that, sometimes, pupils are not supported to learn new things, and to practise the things that they already know, as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that staff have the knowledge across all aspects of the curriculum to guide and build pupils’ learning in each subject.

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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 on 7 and 8 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. 21 and 22 June 2023

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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. 21 and 22 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255891 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This a larger than average primary school.  There have been many changes in staffing and leadership since the last inspection, including a new headteacher.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does make use of 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 that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and early years leader.  The inspector held a meeting with school governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 21 and 22 June 2023

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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 listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to review a range of documents, including the school’s log of safeguarding incidents. The inspector also spoke to staff about how they keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed the school’s single central record to check the suitability of staff working at the school.  The inspector scrutinised a range of other documentation, including records of pupils’ behaviour, governor meeting minutes and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life. She also talked to parents at the start of the school day.  To gather parents’ views, the inspector took account of the views of parents from

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Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including free-text comments. She also took account of the school’s own parent survey.  To gather the views of staff, the inspector took account of the staff survey.  To gather the views of pupils, the inspector took account of the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 June 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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