Brown Clee CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brown Clee CofE Primary School Station Road, Ditton Priors, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 6SS

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Outcome

Brown Clee CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an atmosphere of togetherness at Brown Clee CofE Primary School. There is a strong sense of pastoral care that permeates the learning environment. Pupils appreciate this. They know they are cared for, which helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils listen well and focus on their work. They enjoy working together to help each other with their learning. The pupils also love spending time with their friends, whether it be chatting in the dining room, playing handball on the playground, or participating in activities on the field. During break time, they make the most of their free time and enjoy every moment. Leaders have placed the school values, such as respect, at the heart of everyday life. Pupils embody these values. They welcome visitors with a smile and display good manners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, supported by governors and staff, have high expectations of all pupils. They want them to ‘be the best they can be’. As a result, they have made changes to improve the quality of education that pupils experience. Nonetheless, they are keen to improve the curriculum even further.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of school life. In particular, they value the family feel of the school, which they feel a part of.

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

In a range of subjects, the school has carefully considered the content and order of what pupils will be taught within and across year groups. As a result, what pupils learn today builds on what they have learned before. This helps pupils to make connections to previously taught knowledge and skills. What children learn in Reception provides a firm foundation for what they will learn in Year 1, especially in reading and early mathematics.

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

Teachers and support staff have secure subject knowledge in a wide range of subjects. As a result, they explain new learning clearly in a step-by-step manner. In many subjects, 9 May 2024

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especially mathematics, staff model subject-specific vocabulary accurately. As a result, pupils use this same language when they explain their own understanding. However, teachers are not routinely making checks on pupils’ understanding. As a result, some misconceptions held by pupils are not identified and addressed.

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Reading is high on the school’s agenda. Pupils at the early stages of reading use their phonic skills accurately to decode unknown words. The school has recently introduced a new phonics programme. Staff value this because it clearly maps out the sounds that pupils need to learn week by week. Due to the newness of the phonics programme, there are some small pockets of inconsistency in phonics teaching. However, the school is already taking effective action to address this. The school is promoting a love of reading through the English curriculum, regular story times and special events. Pupils enjoy reading and love to talk about their favourite books and authors.

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The school has recently restructured how they organise curriculum leadership. Subject leaders are passionate about their curriculum area, and they are keen to support staff who ask for help. However, they have not been given sufficient time to monitor their subject areas. As a result, they are unaware of what is working well and any potential areas for development.

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The school has established a graduated system to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This process involves parents every step of the way. Teachers make sure that pupils with SEND get the right support so that they can learn alongside their peers.

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Pupils are very proud of their school. In particular, they speak highly of the extensive school grounds and the opportunities this affords them, especially outdoor learning. There is a wide menu of after-school clubs on offer and the school welcomes a range of visitors into school to support the curriculum, including a Viking. Pupils take part in a wide range of inter-school sporting tournaments, which reflects the school’s focus on physical activity. Pupils understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle, underpinned by a healthy diet and regular exercise. Pupils are knowledgeable about Christianity, but what they remember about other religions and cultures is less developed.

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The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They use this information to hold school leaders to account, while at the same time providing support where required. Governors work closely with the school to drive improvements.

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Staff value the training they receive, including curriculum training provided through the cluster group. Staff work well together and support each other whenever they can. They appreciate changes made by leaders, such as reviewing the marking policy, which has made their workload more manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 9 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is not making effective checks on how well the curriculum is being taught. This means that leaders are not always aware of what is working well and where changes may be required. The school should make effective checks on how well the curriculum is taught, so that any inconsistencies can be identified, and appropriate support put in place.  The school is not using formative assessment consistently well to identify pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, misconceptions are sometimes not identified and pupils’ misconceptions remain unchecked. The school should routinely use formative assessment to identify pupils’ misconceptions, so they can be addressed at the earliest opportunity.

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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 September 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.

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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 9 May 2024

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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). 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Margaret Buckingham

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A SIAMS inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Brown Clee CofE Primary School as a Church of England school took place on 19 March 2022.  The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club. This provision is operated by the school.  At the time of the inspection, the school had an interim headteacher.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation.  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 9 May 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with the interim headteacher to discuss provision for pupils with SEND and attendance. He met with six members of the governing body, including the chair. In addition, the lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspection team considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses received during the inspection. The lead inspector considered the responses

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to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation. This included the school’s self- evaluation form, school development plan, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing body.

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Inspection team

Wayne Simner, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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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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