Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School High Green, Brooke, Norwich, Norfolk NR15 1HP

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and achieve well. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils behave well and feel safe. A newly implemented behaviour system is used consistently well by staff. Lessons are typically calm, so pupils can concentrate and get on with their work. Pupils get on well together and have lots of friends. If someone is unkind, this is quickly sorted out. Pupils are confident to talk to an adult if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is interesting, and pupils like all the visits, visitors and activities that enliven the subjects they learn. Teachers explain things well and make sure learning activities enable pupils to gain the knowledge they need to achieve well. Staff check pupils’ work and help pupils to improve their work. If pupils are stuck, they get the help they need. Pupils relish the independence that comes from being given the tools to work things out for themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy participating in the wide range of clubs and community activities. For example, Reception children loved their visit to church to hear about the Christmas story and to decorate the tree. Pupils value their leadership roles, including being house captains and playground buddies.

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

The school has gone through a period of significant change since the last inspection. Governors have ensured that an effective leadership structure and team are in place. Recent actions have increased further the rate of improvement. The issues from the 10 December 2024

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previous inspection have been addressed. However, the school does not always communicate effectively the reasons or purpose for changes to all stakeholders, in particular parents and carers and support staff.

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The curriculum has been redesigned to ensure that pupils progress through the knowledge and skills to build a body of knowledge. The new curriculum clearly shows how pupils can progress through the curriculum in mixed-age classes. For example, in mathematics, pupils have work that is suitably challenging for their age and ability. The school has ensured that pupils learn the important knowledge and gain the understanding and skills they need for the next stage in their education.

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Teachers have taken on board curriculum changes. They have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Standards, including presentation of work in pupils’ books, have improved. Teachers carefully assess pupils’ learning. Additional challenge or support are given when needed.

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Children learn their sounds from the start of the Reception year. The effective phonics curriculum ensures that most pupils learn to read fluently and with understanding by the end of Year 2. Pupils love reading. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and the types of books they enjoy. Pupils are thrilled to be involved in setting up book corners in their classrooms. They describe these as ‘cosy reading dens.’ Pupils have lots of opportunities to read a wide range of books at school.

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The school has revised and simplified the behaviour system. Teachers are using the system consistently well to ensure a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils like the rewards they get for behaving well. Pupils understand that a small minority of their peers find it difficult to manage their behaviour. The school ensures that these pupils receive effective support to manage their behaviour; thus, ensuring that pupils can learn well.

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There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is tenacious in securing the best help available as soon as possible. For example, the sensory room and circuits help pupils to understand and cope better with their emotions. Pupils with SEND make strong progress through the curriculum.

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Children settle rapidly into the Reception class due to many opportunities for children and parents to get to know the staff and the school before they start. The curriculum is well planned and engaging, so children enjoy learning and are well prepared for Year 1. There is a strong focus on developing children’s communication, vocabulary and behaviour. There is effective provision for children with SEND.

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The school has recently revised their core values. For example, wisdom, kindness, love, togetherness and resilience are at the heart of school life, and pupils live these values. The school has strong links with the local community. Pupils take an active part in village life. For example, as part of Christmas festivities, pupils sing carols to the elderly in the community. 10 December 2024

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Teachers enjoy working at the school because they feel supported by one another and by the school. Teachers recognise that the amount of recent change occasionally impacts their workload. However, teachers are confident that the changes will reduce workload once complete.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The rapid changes the school is making are not always communicated effectively to all stakeholders. As a result, support staff and parents do not always understand why changes are being made, or feel their views and contributions are sufficiently sought or valued. The school should ensure that support staff and parents are fully involved as valued partners in the school improvement process.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2014. 10 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). 10 December 2024

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Lewis (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The governors restructured the leadership team in March 2024. A new executive headteacher and deputy executive headteacher took over in June 2024.  The school is part of the Diocese of Norwich. The most recent inspection of its denominational education and collective worship, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, was in November 2020. The next section 48 inspection is expected in 2026.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 10 December 2024

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 During the inspection, inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers, the chair and vice- chair of governors and representatives from the local authority and Diocese of Norwich.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and Ofsted’s staff survey. The inspectors considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Benjamin Axon Ofsted Inspector 10 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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