Brookland Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Brookland Infant and Nursery School Hill Top, Hampstead Garden Suburb NW11 6EJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 years ago, and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. 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. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Brookland Infant and Nursery School is an inclusive school. The right of everyone to be respected and included is central to the ethos and reflected in the school’s motto of ‘Be Kind, Grow Together, Learn Forever’. The school’s values of courage, respect, friendship, tolerance, honesty and responsibility are woven throughout school life. Parents and carers are highly appreciative of all the school has to offer and its prominent place within the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe. They know there are lots of trusted adults who look after them. Pupils are typically kind to each other and know they can report any concerns they might have to get the help they need. They understand the ‘golden rules’ for behaviour and follow these consistently in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally achieve well. Expectations for learning are clear. These are embedded in some subjects, but are not as strong across other aspects of the curriculum. Pupils are typically well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have extensive opportunities to take on additional leadership roles. They apply for the ‘jobs’ on offer, understanding that this is an important and fair part of securing a role. This prepares them well for life beyond school and their future aspirations.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. The curriculum in English and mathematics is well developed and enables pupils to know and remember more. This is reflected in the outcomes pupils achieve in reading, writing and mathematics.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised early reading. All staff have been trained to teach phonics consistently. Children start learning letter sounds from their first days in school. Those at risk of falling behind are swiftly identified, and additional opportunities put in place for them to ensure that they catch up. Books used to teach reading are closely matched to the sounds pupils know. As a result, pupils are becoming fluent and confident readers. A love of reading is promoted extensively across the school. For example, a reading shed outside allows parents to donate, swap or take books to read at home. This ensures that all pupils can experience a wide range of books to read for pleasure.

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better?

In all subjects, leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that sets out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to secure. Children get off to a good start in early years. Learning progresses in a logical order, with time made for children to revisit and practise important concepts. This helps them to tackle more complex ideas over time. For example, in mathematics, children learn to count accurately with the help of objects and a tens frame. This gives them the foundation knowledge that they will need to tackle more complex calculations in Years 1 and 2. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Similarly, the physical development curriculum is designed to help children in early years to develop their core strength and balance. Children access this provision outside, developing their skills and showing high levels of engagement. This prepares them well to access the physical education curriculum and develop the posture needed to sit and write for longer periods later on.

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The implementation of some subjects beyond English and mathematics is less consistent. In some instances, staff subject knowledge is not fully secure. Where this is the case, assessment is not used as precisely to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, this limits the depth of understanding that some pupils achieve in these subjects.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well catered for. Staff know pupils incredibly well and this ensures that support is tailored to need. Thoughtful adaptations, such as visual timetables and workstations, help pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers, wherever possible.

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Behaviour in lessons is good and pupils are eager to learn. Pupils are well motivated and work confidently on their own or with their peers. Behaviour is sometimes less consistent when pupils move around the school. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Effective support is in place for those whose attendance needs to improve.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. For example, the curriculum is designed to help pupils understand and respect different faiths. Visits to local places of worship enrich this learning further. Pupils and parents appreciate the range of additional activities that are on offer, including singing, art, karate, chess and science, as well as a residential visit for pupils in Year 2. All pupils benefit from swimming lessons in the on-site pool each year.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive from leaders to manage their workload and well-being. Leaders and those responsible for governance have an accurate view of the strengths and priorities of the school. For example, leaders have rightly identified the need for subject leaders to increase their oversight of the curriculum areas they manage so that they can provide more timely support for staff. Appropriate plans are in place to enable this to happen.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some aspects of the curriculum beyond English and mathematics, assessment is not used with consistent precision to identify and address any errors or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, some pupils develop a less secure body of knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that appropriate training and support is provided so that the curriculum is implemented consistently and impacts well on pupils’ learning and achievement.  The oversight of some subjects is not as robust as it should be. As a result, aspects that need further development are not consistently identified and acted on. The school should carry out its plans to ensure that subject leaders are supported to check the implementation of the curriculum and its impact on pupils’ achievement.

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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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average infant school.  It is part of a federation with the junior school on the same site. The two schools share a governing body.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  After-school provision is run by an external company on the school site.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and met with six governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and computing. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  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 inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for

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improvement.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dawn Titus Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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