Brookmans Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brookmans Park Primary School Bradmore Way, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7QY

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2023

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Outcome

Brookmans Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning in a safe and nurturing environment. They affirm that bullying is not an issue. They know that adults are readily available to help them in resolving any friendship concerns or worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils listen well and work hard. The school sets high expectations, and pupils strive to meet these standards. This results in pupils achieving well throughout the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about and appreciate diverse cultures. They show empathy and express considerate views on war and justice. Pupils understand and respect differences. Pupils say that there is ‘no normal family,’ and that the world would be a better place if, ‘everyone was respectful’.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many chances to learn more through various trips and visits which enrich their curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show a good understanding of computing and the positive and negative effects on well-being and safety. They recognise the convenience that information technology can bring to daily life but also learn not to believe everything presented online. Consequently, pupils learn to be good digital citizens, and are therefore well prepared for growing up in modern Britain.

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum that builds a strong foundation for pupils from the beginning. Leaders have identified important knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. Teachers ensure that pupils build on what they have learned each year. This is helping pupils to remember essential information across a range of subjects. 22 and 23 November 2023

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Leaders have made sure that reading is central to the curriculum. Staff choose books that engage and inspire pupils to read. Pupils enjoy reading at home and in school. They enjoy visits from local authors. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their favourite books and stories. Staff are adept at teaching pupils to read and quickly identify those who struggle with their sounds. Staff help pupils by giving them focused support to improve their confidence and fluency. This helps pupils, who find reading difficult, catch up quickly. Furthermore, staff move pupils on effectively when they are ready. As a result, almost all pupils can read fluently by the time they leave key stage 1.

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The school tailors staff training to meet the specific needs of the pupils. This is ensuring that most staff develop strong subject knowledge to teach across the curriculum. Consequently, pupils achieve well, notably in English and mathematics. However, some staff members are less confident than their peers in teaching new concepts. This means that some pupils are not routinely given the opportunity to achieve as well as they should.

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The school make sure they gather and use all the information available to them to provide precise support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to ensure they are able to successfully access the curriculum and show their learning. Consequently, pupils access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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In the early years, children develop important vocabulary by engaging with quality texts and stories. Adults effectively model vocabulary and skills. This enables children to independently engage in a wide range of activities independently. This prepares children well for Year 1.

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The school’s values contribute to the personal and broader development of pupils. Pupils learn to reflect by writing notes about what they have learned. Pupils enjoy learning about the environment and different religions.

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Pupils actively contribute to the vibrant life of the school. Pupil parliament help make important choices about what happens at school, such as picking charities to raise money for. In Year 6, pupils create clubs for lunchtime activities such as dance, art, and mindfulness. In addition to orchestra and choir, pupils have many opportunities to engage in various sports. Pupils are proud to represent their school in competitions and other activities outside of class.

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Governors bring a wide range of skills to the school. They know the school’s strengths and what the school’s priorities are. They support and challenge school leaders effectively.

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Staff say they are well supported by leaders and are proud to be a member of the school community.

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The vast majority of parents say they are happy with what the school offers for their children. 22 and 23 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have made a secure start at implementing the newer aspects of their curriculum. However, not all staff have developed the skills necessary to deliver some of the more-complex aspects confidently in some subjects. Leaders must continue to provide training and guidance for teachers so that they can develop the skills to help all pupils achieve as well as they can.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2014.

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 22 and 23 November 2023

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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). 22 and 23 November 2023

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Dates of previous inspection 27 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision to meet the needs of the pupils.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, members of the local governing body and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 22 and 23 November 2023

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.

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 The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, records of governor meetings, school development plans and school policies.

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 The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. The lead inspector also considered an email from a parent.

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 The inspector considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 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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