Brooke Primary Academy

Inspection of Brooke Primary Academy Brooke Primary Academy, Wike Gate Road, Thorne, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN8 5PQ

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Sarah Hall. This school is part of Venn Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Simon Witham, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Terry Johnson. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Brooke Primary Academy is a warm and welcoming place. Pupils feel safe and happy. They show respect to each other and to adults. Positive relationships are at the centre of everything that the school does. Parents say they are happy with the support and information that leaders and staff provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. These are realised. Parents comment positively on the progress pupils make. They say that pupils learn and develop quickly while at the school. Leaders have made changes to the way they address behaviour. This helps pupils to reflect on and understand their feelings so that they can make better choices. As a result, behaviour is positive in lessons and during playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect each other. They say that bullying does not happen, but if it did, they would tell an adult, who would resolve any issues quickly. Pupils believe in the school values. These include sharing, caring, and kindness. They say these help the school to be a safe and friendly place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents are positive and appreciate the wide range of clubs on offer. These include football, rugby, forest school and choir. These opportunities help to develop pupils’ talents and wider interests.

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better?

The school is determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. Leaders coordinate the training and support for teachers effectively. This ensures that staff have a thorough understanding of the school’s phonics programme and are confident in the teaching of early reading. When pupils are learning to read, they are given decodable books that match the sounds they have been taught. This helps pupils to read accurately and with growing confidence and fluency. Staff quickly identify any pupils who fall behind in their reading. These pupils benefit from effective catch-up sessions in small groups. Leaders have put strategies in place to support pupils’ enjoyment for reading. These include reading each day and providing pupils with the opportunity to take books from the school library. Pupils talk about their favourite books with enthusiasm.

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better?

The school has carefully considered what pupils will learn across the curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6. Each lesson builds on previous learning. This helps pupils to make links in their learning and deepen their understanding. However, assessment systems do not provide an accurate picture of what pupils have learned. This means that gaps and misconceptions in learning are not addressed quickly enough.

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better?

School systems for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effective . Leaders ensure that the views of parents are included in the assessment process. Teachers adapt lessons well, including the use 13 and 14 September 2023

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of tailored resources, to enable pupils with SEND to successfully build new knowledge.

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In the early years, adults model effective speaking and listening skills when interacting with the children. This modelling sets an example of respect and tolerance for others. As a result, children quickly develop positive relationships with their friends. They take turns and collaborate when learning. Adults use assessment well to understand what children know and can do. They make good use of this information to make regular changes to the provision. This ensures that the provision is interesting and engaging for the children. However, the curriculum in the early years does not link effectively to the curriculum in Year 1 and beyond. As a result, children are not prepared well for their later learning.

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Pupils learn about diversity and British values through lessons, assemblies and themed focus weeks. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of these topics in their positive attitudes and actions. They respect each other and accept differences willingly. The school encourages pupils to play a part in the local community. For example, the school choir sings in residential homes at Christmas, and pupils spend time helping out with the local food bank.

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Trustees and governors have the skills and commitment needed to fulfil their responsibilities. They regularly visit the school and speak to leaders, pupils and staff. This ensures they have a detailed and accurate picture of the school. They are informed and empowered to ensure that the school continues to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The assessment processes used to check what pupils know and understand are not strong enough. This means that leaders are not able to accurately identify strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders should ensure that assessment identifies any misconceptions and gaps in learning to help sustain pupil progress.  The early years curriculum is not aligned well to the curriculum in Year 1 and beyond. As a result, children are not prepared well for their later learning. The school should ensure that learning in the early years includes the key knowledge and vocabulary necessary to support children with their subject learning in key stage 1. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The executive headteacher took full responsibility for the leadership of the school in December 2022.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the chief executive officer, trustees, and governors. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, listened to pupils’ read, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Turner Ofsted 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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