Broomfields Junior School

Inspection of Broomfields Junior School Bridge Lane, Appleton, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 3AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management 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 headteacher of this school is Rachel Morris Brown. This school is part of The Challenge 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 (CEO), Andrew Moorcroft, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Howard Platt.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Broomfields Junior School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Broomfields Junior School to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 22 and 23 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in the caring environment of this happy school. They thoroughly enjoy learning and they value their education. Pupils achieve highly. They work with tenacity and resilience to meet the ambitious goals that the school sets for their achievement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During lessons and at social times, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils build incredibly positive relationships with one another and with staff. They listen attentively, show respect and give their utmost when completing work. Classrooms buzz with purposeful learning. Pupils encourage each other to be the best that they can be and to ‘dream big’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), participate fully in school life. For instance, the school provides an extensive variety of sports and musical activities. It ensures that pupils have the chance to seize every opportunity to learn something new.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the many opportunities on offer to develop their talents and interests. For example, they take part in a wide range of clubs. Pupils can also choose to be part of the school’s citizenship award. They leave the school at the end of Year 6 as thoughtful and knowledgeable individuals. The school prepares pupils well to embrace the challenges of the next stage of their education.

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better?

The school has established an ambitious vision for the high-quality education that it provides for pupils. The trust and local governing board challenge and support the work of the school very well. The school thinks carefully about the knowledge that pupils should learn and when subject content will be taught. This enables staff to know the important building blocks of information that pupils need to know and remember.

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better?

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. Professional development through the trust’s hubs supports staff to develop strong subject knowledge. Staff design activities that help pupils to learn subject content well. In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies carefully to check that pupils learn all that they should. However, in a small number of subjects, the assessment methods that staff use to check what pupils know and remember over time are not as well established. On occasion, this prevents teachers from successfully building on pupils’ learning and identifying any gaps that pupils have in their knowledge.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils enjoy times when their teachers read to them. They relish opportunities to be immersed in high-quality literature. Pupils become avid readers. This supports their learning across the curriculum, including their understanding and appreciation of a range of cultures. 22 and 23 May 2024

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However, a small number of pupils who struggle with their reading are not supported as well as they should be in the application of their phonics knowledge. This hampers the progress that they make in becoming fluent readers.

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The school identifies and understands the additional needs of pupils with SEND exceptionally well. It works diligently and expertly to remove obstacles to pupils’ learning, while not expecting less of anyone. The school ensures that extra support sessions are well designed and implemented. As a result of the school’s skilful work, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school as often as they should. Pupils were eager to explain the school’s attendance league challenge to inspectors. Pupils are rarely absent from school.

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Pupils maintain the highest standards of conduct. They are friendly and polite, eager to offer a cheery greeting to anyone that they meet as they travel around school. The school makes sure that pupils understand and follow well-established routines.

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The provision to support pupils’ personal development is exceptional. With great enthusiasm, pupils take part in an array of wider opportunities, such as educational visits, which help to enhance their learning. These include residential visits and trips to historical sites. The schools ‘our world, my world’ project gives pupils the opportunity to learn about each other’s differences, cultural beliefs and challenges. This gives the pupils a remarkable understanding of those around them.

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The trust and the local governing board fully understand their roles and responsibilities. They carry these out effectively. There are clear systems in place for the trust to assure themselves of the quality of pupils’ experiences. Through the trust’s hubs, there is a constant focus on improvement and innovation.

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Teachers appreciate the way in which the school engages with them when making decisions that could affect their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the assessment strategies that the school uses to check what pupils know and can do are not as well developed as in other curriculum areas. This means that, on occasion, gaps in pupils’ knowledge and vocabulary are missed. The school should refine its approach to assessment in 22 and 23 May 2024

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these subjects, so that teachers better identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  A small number of pupils at an early stage of learning to read are not supported effectively to catch up. This hinders how well some of these pupils develop their reading fluency. The school should ensure that staff receive further training and guidance to better support these pupils to catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.

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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). 22 and 23 May 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Broomfields Junior School converted to become an academy school in December 2019. When its predecessor school, Broomfields Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school is part of the Challenge Academy Trust.  Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and chair of the local governing board have been appointed.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 22 and 23 May 2024

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 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 that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the CEO, headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. She met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, history and physical education. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 3 to 6 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They met with leaders, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.

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 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.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. She met with members of the trust, including the chair of the trust. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day. They took account of

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the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey to consider.

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Inspection team

Helen Friend, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Cooper Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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