Brailes Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Brailes Church of England Primary School Lower Brailes, Banbury, Warwickshire OX15 5AP

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Outcome

Brailes Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Heather Childs. This school is part of The Stour Federation Multi 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), Christian Hilton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jo Barker.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils focus intently on their learning and enjoy working together to solve problems. Leaders and staff help them to develop curiosity and resilience. The school has high aspirations for what pupils will learn, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It supports pupils to do well. The school encourages pupils to be independent from the start and finds ways to enable all pupils to ‘shine as a light’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils appreciate the way that staff challenge them to do their best. They feel proud when teachers recognise their efforts. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They find lessons interesting and want to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They trust adults to help them. They enjoy being with their friends. Pupils take on responsibilities such as acting as reading buddies, mathematics leaders, librarians and school councillors. They take these jobs seriously. Pupils like helping one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many and varied opportunities to develop their talents and skills. For example, they participate in the primary schools concert at the Shipston Proms. They talk enthusiastically about visits to the pantomime and other shows that they have seen. 3 December 2024

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It has been further developed and refined since the last inspection. It sets out clearly what pupils will learn in each subject at each stage of their education. Connections within, between and across subjects are meaningful and relevant. For example, the history project on dynasties is linked with a mask-making art and design project. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding of ancient Chinese art and culture. The curriculum helps pupils to learn important knowledge that is built up over time.

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

In some subjects, including music, the school has carefully considered the essential vocabulary that pupils need to know. Pupils explain their thinking clearly in these subjects. In a small number of other subjects, the school is at an earlier stage in identifying the important words that pupils should know and understand. Pupils do not build their subject-specific knowledge as securely in these subjects.

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

Teachers revisit prior learning before moving to new learning. They use assessment strategies effectively to understand where there are gaps in what pupils know and can do. This helps teachers to adapt the curriculum to fill any gaps in knowledge. Teachers introduce new learning clearly, which helps pupils learn important knowledge such as number facts in mathematics. This is supporting pupils, including those with SEND, to know more and remember more.

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

The school ensures that teaching every child to read is an absolute priority. This work starts at the earliest opportunity. Children in Nursery share stories and listen for sounds while those in Reception begin to say and write sounds every day. Regular assessments ensure that children who need help are identified early. Adults provide effective support to help these children catch up and keep up. The school makes sure that teachers are well trained and know how to teach reading effectively.

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

Pupils love to write. In the early years children concentrate hard on forming their letters correctly and neatly. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about ‘time to write’, when they choose how and what to write. They are proud of their poems, reports, stories and diary entries written about a dragon. Work across the trust has helped to develop clear processes for the teaching of reading and writing. This helps teachers to deliver these subjects effectively and ensures that pupils achieve well.

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

Staff know pupils well. They make suitable adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can succeed alongside their peers. External specialists train staff in knowing how to support individual pupils.

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

Attendance is high. The school works closely with families to ensure that their children attend school regularly and on time. It has carefully considered how to teach pupils about life in modern Britain. Pupils demonstrate respect and tolerance. They are quick to serve others. For example, Reception-aged children pour milk for those in Nursery. The curriculum is enriched with carefully considered trips, such as to Compton Verney and the Ashmolean Museum. Children in the early years learn how to stay healthy. They describe 3 December 2024

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milk as ‘cold and delicious, full of calcium which is good for your bones’. Pupils across the school talk confidently about how to stay safe online.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They work collaboratively across the trust, which helps their workload. Staff feel valued and say that leaders are mindful of their well-being. Trustees and governors provide highly effective support and challenge. They make strategic decisions in the best interests of pupils. Leaders at all levels have continued at pace to improve and develop the quality of education since the last inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the school’s curriculum the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should learn is not made clear. As a result, some pupils struggle to explain their understanding of subject knowledge and concepts. The school should ensure that teachers model the essential vocabulary that pupils need to know so that pupils can share what they know and understand with precision and clarity.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Brailes CofE Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2014. 3 December 2024

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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). 3 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school manages a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school is part of The Stour Federation Academy Trust. Brailes Church of England School converted to become an academy school in 2021. When its predecessor school, Brailes CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school has a religious character, Church of England, and was last inspected under section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in November 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years of that date.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 December 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, and a range of teaching and non-teaching staff. An inspector held a meeting with those responsible for governance and trust executives including the CEO of the trust.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors took note of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and considered the response to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Wood Ofsted Inspector 3 December 2024

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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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