Brimrod Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Brimrod Community Primary School Holborn Street, Rochdale, Lancashire OL11 4NB

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years, and pupils across key stages 1 and 2, soon settle in and make friends at this warm and welcoming school. Pupils respect each other and their teachers. They happily play together. They support each other well. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff who care about them. Pupils appreciate the ‘worry boxes’ that they can use to report an issue or concern to staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They look forward to visiting the school’s ‘reward’ shop, where they can exchange the positive behaviour points that they have earned for prizes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants the best for pupils academically, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are keen to live up to these aspirations. In some subjects, they progress well through the curriculum and show a secure grasp of important concepts. However, in some other subjects, pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly take on a range of leadership roles in school. These include working as digital leaders and being part of the eco-committee, school council or sports council. Pupils particularly value their roles as well-being ambassadors. They proudly told the inspector about how they gifted toothbrushes to the school community to encourage pupils to look after their teeth, as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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

Developing a love of reading is high on the school’s agenda. Cosy and enticing reading areas encourage pupils to enjoy books. Children in the Nursery class enjoy sharing rhymes and much-loved stories. Staff grasp every opportunity to develop children’s 16 and 17 July 2024

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communication and language skills. This prepares them well to start to learn the school’s phonics programme that begins in the Reception class.

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In the main, staff implement the phonics programme well. Most early readers use their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar books. However, some of the support that the school provides for struggling readers is not as effective as it could be. This sometimes hampers these pupils from developing into confident and fluent readers. Despite the school’s considerable efforts, some of these pupils also do not attend school as often as they should. This further exacerbates the gaps in these pupils’ reading knowledge.

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Older pupils spoke very enthusiastically about the school’s attractive and well-stocked library. They enjoy taking part in reading challenges, where they can gain awards depending on the number of books that they have read. They particularly value the opportunity to win books from the school’s reading vending machine. Overall, pupils read well.

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The school has designed a programme of learning which meets the ambition of the national curriculum. In some curriculums, the key content that pupils should learn has been introduced in small logical steps so that pupils build on their prior learning effectively. In these subjects, staff demonstrate secure subject knowledge and explain new content to pupils well. In the main, they quickly address any misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ learning. In these subjects, most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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The design of some subject curriculums does not support pupils to build on their earlier knowledge or practise their skills sufficiently well. This is because the subject-specific content of these curriculums has not been identified or emphasised clearly enough. Sometimes, subject content is not introduced in a way that helps pupils to connect knowledge and become confident learners over time. Staff are not as secure in their delivery of these curriculums as in others. In addition, assessment systems do not support staff to know how well pupils are understanding and retaining important learning in the longer term. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn all that they should in these subjects.

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The school works very effectively with parents, carers and external agencies to quickly and accurately identify any pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND mostly learn well alongside their peers. They play an active part in school life.

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The school places a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ well-being and mental health. Pupils who may struggle to follow the school’s behaviour expectations are provided with the care and guidance that they need. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The school has made reducing pupils’ rates of absence a top priority. It has worked with pupils and their families to improve attendance. However, despite the school’s best efforts, some pupils still do not attend school as often as they should and/or they do not arrive on time.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered programme to support their personal development. They show a strong awareness of fundamental British values, such the rule of law and 16 and 17 July 2024

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individual liberty. Pupils understand and celebrate the differences between people from different cultures and backgrounds. They value the variety of opportunities that they have to learn about the wider world. For example, pupils spoke with great enthusiasm about a recent trip, where the whole school took part in a visit to a local beach. Pupils also enjoy learning different musical instruments, such as the euphonium and the drums.

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Governors have a wide range of skills and experience to support them to carry out their roles. They spoke knowledgeably about the improvement in some pupils’ attendance rates and improvements to the phonics curriculum. However, they do not have the same oversight about the school’s work in some other subjects.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ work to reduce their workload, for example, by reducing written marking expectations. They value the regular well-being breakfasts, where they can come together to share food and enjoy each other’s company.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the support for struggling readers is not as effective as it could be. This sometimes hampers their progress through the phonics programme. The school should ensure that these pupils receive effective help so that they develop into confident and fluent readers.  Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This means that they miss out on important learning, particularly in reading and phonics. The school should ensure that these pupils are punctual and attend school as often as they should so that they make strong progress through the curriculum.  The design and delivery of some curriculums do not support pupils to develop subject- specific knowledge or skills as well as they should. In addition, some staff do not make sure that the checks that they make on pupils’ learning help them to identify gaps and shape future teaching effectively. This hampers some pupils’ ability to build on earlier

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

learning as well as they should. Governors should ensure that the school refines its thinking in these subjects so that pupils, including those with SEND, are supported to build on their learning in a coherent way and develop a deep body of knowledge in each of these subjects over time. 16 and 17 July 2024

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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 November 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 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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.brimrodprimary.rochdale.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and chair of governors have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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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 that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and art and design. For each deep dive, she met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. She also observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 The inspector considered other subjects on the school’s curriculum. She talked to the leaders of these subjects. She also spoke with some pupils and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with governors including the chair of the governing body. She also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school and held discussions about their behaviour and learning. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtime.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single

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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 met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. She scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. She also spoke with governors, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school’s priority action plan, governor reports and the school’s self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 July 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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