Brudenell Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brudenell Primary School School View, Leeds LS6 1EN

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

Brudenell Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this warm, welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils appreciate the care and support they receive from adults. They know they will help with any worries. Parents and carers appreciate the support that their children receive, both at school and at home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils, both personally and academically. Pupils learn in a supportive and caring environment. The school gives pupils the emotional and learning support that they need to be happy and successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils often join the school midway through the academic year. Where extra help is needed, this is quickly identified. Teachers make sure that these pupils get the right support in place, and they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. They have positive attitudes towards their learning. Exploring ‘ASK’ (attitudes, skills and knowledge) in lessons helps them to stay focused. Pupils listen to their teachers and respond well to instructions. This begins in the early years, where children follow a clear set of routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Being a ‘champion’ in school gives pupils the opportunity to lead with purpose. They work on different projects to engage in a positive way with different members of the local community. For example, community champions worked with a university to develop a tree garden.

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

The curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ language and vocabulary. Many pupils learn to speak English as an additional language (EAL). New pupils, and those who are just starting to learn English, are welcomed and included. Staff use a range of strategies effectively to ensure that these pupils are able to talk about and explore their learning. 13 and 14 September 2023

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They settle into school quickly. These strategies also help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to learn well.

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The curriculum has been developed from firm foundations that are taught in the early years. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They are clear about how new learning builds on previous learning. This helps pupils to understand key concepts. Teachers carefully check what pupils already know before introducing new learning. This means that new learning builds on prior learning. For example, in science, pupils learn how to investigate and think scientifically with increasing depth. Teachers work hard to plan activities that engage pupils in their learning. Teachers make effective use of the curriculum resources shared by leaders, which brings learning to life.

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Learning to read is a priority. Older pupils develop their reading skills through guided reading lessons. They are enthusiastic about the range of books available. They are fluent and accurate readers, showing a thorough understanding of the books they read. The school has recently introduced a new phonics programme. Staff are trained to use this programme. Despite this training, some younger pupils find it difficult to master early reading skills. For these pupils, books are not matched well enough to the sounds that they know. Intervention lessons, although planned, are not delivered regularly enough to ensure that pupils catch up with their peers.

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There is a language-rich environment in the early years. Adults ensure that children’s vocabulary is developed through regular and appropriate interactions. This helps to promote learning in all areas of the curriculum. Adults ask questions to move children’s learning on. Children are taught how to share resources and listen to each other. Children sustain their concentration and are independent. Adults plan activities that capture children’s imagination and curiosity. For example, during the inspection, children were focused and engaged in a role-play activity to extend the story of 'The Three Little Pigs’. During independent activities, children show high levels of concentration and perseverance.

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Pupils understand that being ‘good to be green’ helps them to behave well. They enjoy earning rewards like ‘friends and buddies’ (FAB) tickets and the headteacher’s award. A large proportion of pupils are persistently absent from school. The school talks to parents to understand the reasons for their children’s absence and to promote the importance of regular attendance. This strategy is not having enough impact. Pupils’ attendance is too low across the school. Too much vital learning is being lost.

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The school focuses on developing pupils’ aspirations and their ability to overcome challenges. For example, ‘Aspirations week’ encourages pupils to think about potential future careers. ‘Safeguarding me’ week gives pupils an awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Educational visits are deliberately planned to ensure that pupils have experiences they have not had before. For example, they travel by train to visit a railway museum.

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Staff are very positive about how leaders engage with them. They feel supported with their workload. Experienced and knowledgeable subject leaders know how to develop 13 and 14 September 2023

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their subject further and support teachers well. Governors are proud of their inclusive school. They have effective systems in place to hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils who are at the early stages of reading do not have enough opportunities to practise their phonics and early reading skills. This means that some pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that these pupils have sufficient opportunities to practise their phonics and read books that are well matched to their phonic knowledge in order to develop their reading skills quickly.  Some pupils do not attend school often enough. This means that they miss out on important learning. The school should ensure that a more rigorous and effective approach to monitoring attendance is adopted so that pupils’ attendance improves and they can access the full curriculum offer.

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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 14 and 15 March 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.

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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. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of Lantern Learning Trust (Inner North West Leeds).  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has 77% of pupils who speak EAL.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education 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 the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives from the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of 13 and 14 September 2023

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lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, including comments received via the free-text facility. The inspector also talked to parents in the

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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