Brookhurst Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brookhurst Primary School Ullswater Avenue, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 6NH

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Outcome

Brookhurst Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well at Brookhurst Primary School. They meet the school’s high expectations. Pupils are proud to share work in their learning journals and in displays around the school. They appreciate the care and support that staff provide. Pupils feel safe and happy. They know they can talk to an adult if anything is worrying them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy leadership responsibilities such as well-being ambassadors or road safety officers. The younger children have an older ‘learning partner’ who looks after them. Pupils play together happily in the playground and cooperate well in the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides an impressive range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and talents. Pupils can attend clubs such as choir, football, yoga, cooking and drama. Music is important at Brookhurst. Many pupils learn to play instruments and the school band play tunefully each week.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to develop opinions and respectfully express their own views. They have opportunities to perform and speak publicly in the classroom and in assembly. Older pupils participate in national debates with pupils from other schools. When they leave Brookhurst, pupils are confident well-rounded individuals who are ready for the next stage of their education.

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

The school has developed a carefully planned curriculum. The important information pupils need to know is organised to build pupils’ knowledge over time. Carefully chosen trips and visitors such as authors and historical re-enactment experiences enrich the learning. In mathematics teachers organise escape room type challenges. Pupils say this makes mathematics exciting and helps them to remember what they have learned. 21–22 May 2024

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Teachers value the training they receive and they have good subject knowledge. They use this to ensure that pupils experience appropriately adapted learning. The school uses outdoor spaces and the forest school regularly to make learning in all subjects fun. Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding. This helps them to identify where pupils have gaps in their learning. As a result, pupils get the help they need to catch up.

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Staff make sure that pupils know and use the important vocabulary that relates to their learning. This starts in the early years where priority staff prioritise developing children's language skills. The Reception classrooms are well organised with defined spaces for each area of learning. However, the early years outside area is not as engaging and outdoor activities do not support children’s development as well as they could.

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The school has ensured that reading is prioritised and promoted in all subjects and across the early years. There are many enticing book areas across the school and a well- equipped library. Staff use a consistent, highly effective approach to learning to read. Pupils read books that closely match the sounds they know, so they get the practice they need to read with confidence. Well trained staff know how to support pupils who need extra help with reading. As a result, by the end of Year 6 almost all pupils read fluently.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is effective. These pupils are happy in school. They achieve well and get the extra support they need to learn alongside their peers. Staff have built positive relationships with many parents and carers of pupils with SEND.

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Behaviour in lessons is calm and mostly focused on learning. Pupils agree that behaviour is good for most pupils most of the time. They understand that some pupils need extra adult support to remain focused on learning. Staff manage these pupils’ behaviour well. The sensory room provides a helpful space for pupils who occasionally need a calming environment.

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The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils are encouraged to become philosophical and curious thinkers. Pupils raise their future aspirations by learning about different careers. They develop an understanding of finance so that by Year 6 pupils can plan and budget for a fundraising event to pay for their end of school celebration. Pupils have a good understanding of fundamental British values. For example, they learn about the rule of law by meeting magistrates who talk about their work.

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Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for improvement well. They provide appropriate support and challenge to the school. The school makes it a priority to support staff with their workload and well-being. Staff appreciate this. They work successfully as a team and enjoy working at the school.

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The school provides effective pastoral support for pupils and families. Many parents appreciate the information they receive from the school. However, there are some parents, including some parents of pupils with SEND, who do not feel the school communicates effectively. 21–22 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not always communicate with parents in a way that all parents feel is helpful or timely. As a result, some parents do not feel they are well informed about how their children are doing and the wider work of the school. The school should review how it communicates with parents, including parents of pupils with SEND, so that all parents get the information they need.  The early years outdoor area is in need of development. Currently children have limited opportunities to consolidate their learning or practise and apply what they have learned outdoors. The school should ensure that children in early years benefit from a well- resourced and engaging outdoor area.

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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 October 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. 21–22 May 2024

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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). 21–22 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Alysa Levene and Jonathan Turton

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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

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club and an after-school club.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  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.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the 21–22 May 2024

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. She met representatives of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation on the school’s website.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey.  During the inspection, the inspector met with groups of pupils both formally and during less structured parts of the day.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 21–22 May 2024

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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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