Brindishe Lee School

Inspection of Brindishe Lee School Wantage Road, Lee Green, London SE12 8NA

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. They are put at ease by the caring professional relationships that they form with staff and by the kindness and consideration with which pupils treat one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. From the start of the early years, staff get to know each pupil individually and work hard to help them achieve their potential. Pupils do well at school and enjoy studying the broad range of subjects that leaders provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. The school promotes a highly positive culture, and this is reflected in pupils’ conscientious behaviour. Pupils are courteous and respectful of others. They voluntarily support one another. Play leaders lead games and support their peers to feel comfortable at breaktimes. The school is a calm place to be and helps all pupils to be successful in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school organises plenty of extra-curricular activities. Teachers consult pupils at the start of each year to understand their interests. The programme is then built to accommodate these, and to account for gaps in pupils’ experiences. Pupils enjoy taking part in chess, karate, salsa dancing and gardening, for instance. Pupils have opportunities to perform, for example in the recent Year 6 production of ‘The Lion King’ and as part of the school choir.

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better?

The curriculum is well thought through. The school, working closely with other leaders within the federation, has thought carefully about how they intend to build pupils’ knowledge over time. They have defined the key vocabulary and concepts that pupils need to know. For example, pupils learn how to make hypotheses and test them out in a range of practical activities to support them in working scientifically with confidence by Year 6. At times, teaching does not focus on the key subject curriculum content as closely as leaders intend. As a result, pupils’ knowledge sometimes develops less securely.

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better?

Leaders provide many opportunities for the professional development of staff within the federation. Teachers use their subject knowledge to explain new ideas clearly and point out key vocabulary. In the early years, adults deliberately draw children’s attention to new vocabulary and ideas. For example, children in Reception were excited to mix paint to make new colours. Sometimes, teaching does not check pupils’ understanding of the key content that they need to know and plug any gaps before moving on to more complex work.

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better?

Reading is treated as a high priority for leaders. From the early years onwards, pupils hear stories that extend their knowledge and their vocabulary. For example, children in Reception were supported to use new language in making observations about ‘The Gruffalo’. They enjoyed describing his ‘purple prickles’ and wondering if 19 and 20 September 2023

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his black tongue makes him ‘related’ to a giraffe. Staff teach phonics following a structured programme. They identify any weaker readers and provide additional support to help pupils catch up. Class libraries and the school library are frequently used. The school promotes a love of reading, such as through author visits and visits to local libraries.

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Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work closely with specialist agencies and organisations to secure the right support and guidance to meet pupils’ needs. Teachers make some adaptations to the teaching or resources where these help pupils to access the curriculum. Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND are included in all areas of school life.

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The school’s values underpin the pupils’ learning about relationships, health and the wider world. For example, pupils discuss the importance of collaboration when they study the British parliamentary system. They elect members of their own pupil parliament. Pupil parliament members listen to the views of their peers and help them to make changes, including improving the equipment in their playground. All pupils learn about relationships at the start of each year. Online safety is taught regularly. Assemblies promote key messages, such as the importance of treating different cultures, beliefs and heritages with respect.

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Pupils engage with their work diligently and with extremely positive attitudes. They consistently work hard. They are highly motivated to learn and regard weekly praise assemblies to be special occasions when they come together to celebrate one another’s successes. Pupils rarely miss a day of school. Leaders go to great lengths to support pupils whose attendance needs to improve.

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Leaders, including the governing body, seek out opportunities to collaborate with others and to find ways to improve, both within the federation and with other professional networks. They understand their roles and carry them out well. Staff appreciate the support they receive to develop their expertise and to manage their workload. They value being part of the school and the federation.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, when teaching does not check systematically pupils’ understanding of key subject concepts, pupils’ knowledge develops less securely in some areas and pupils are less well prepared to attempt more-complex tasks later. The school should ensure that pupils’ recall of prior learning is checked and any gaps addressed. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 In some instances, teaching does not emphasise the key subject content that leaders intend for pupils to remember. As a result, pupils sometimes focus more on completing activities than on understanding and remembering important ideas that they will need to know for future learning. The school should ensure that key subject content is taught securely so that pupils build up the cumulative knowledge that they need.

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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’ 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). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 October 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with two other schools.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  Since the last inspection, there have been changes to leadership, including a new headteacher and new executive headteacher.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and science. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including leaders who work within the federation. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour, early years and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.

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 The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Brian Simber Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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