Saracens Broadfields

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Broadfields Primary School Roseberry Drive, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 8JP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Broadfields 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 Robin Archibald. The school is part of the Broadfields Academy Trust. The school is a single academy trust and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Drimer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a nurturing and highly inclusive school. Pupils are keen to come to school. They enjoy their learning. Parents and carers speak highly of the school and recognise the strong pastoral care provided. The school is community driven and has a welcoming ethos. Pupils are happy here and find it a warm and inviting place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe. Conduct around the school site is calm and pupils are courteous. Many pupils take on leadership responsibilities where they help and mentor each other. These include English as an additional language ambassadors, reading mentors, digital leaders, membership on the school council and writing for the school magazine.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is quick to identify opportunities and initiatives that will develop pupils’ interests and foster their talents. Pupils benefit from a strong personal development programme and gain valuable life experiences. The school hosts a variety of speakers and workshops for pupils, alongside a strong offering of clubs. These include debating, drama and football. Staff and parents also come together for a popular book club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for the achievement of pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND). Pupils study a broad and enriched curriculum. Typically, pupils achieve in line with these high expectations. 21 and 22 January 2025

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

The school provides an ambitious curriculum. This is thoughtfully sequenced to build on previous knowledge. Teachers routinely check understanding before moving on to new content. This means that pupils often remember their learning well. For example, pupils can explain the difference between inherited and environmental characteristics in science.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. Enrichment activities are used to help deepen pupils’ understanding. For example, a pupil trip to an RAF museum strengthened their learning about life during the Blitz. While in the early years, staff use fun and creative activities to help children learn through play effectively. For example, in the Nursery, children take turns tasting different vegetables and staff support their language development by asking them to describe their colour and taste. These are then used to make pizza toppings to mimic traffic lights.

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

The provision for pupils with SEND is excellent. Needs are identified quickly, and pupils work successfully alongside their peers in the classroom wherever possible. Where pupils’ needs are more significant, they receive exceptional support from highly skilled staff in the specialist provision attached to the school. The school aims to develop the talents of these pupils and build their independence. Pupils with SEND take an active role in school life and make good progress through the curriculum.

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

There is a strong culture of reading in the school. Pupils read ambitious texts. A love of reading is evident. The phonics programme is set out logically to build pupils’ knowledge gradually and securely. Staff deliver the programme skilfully. Pupils who need additional support are identified. They are given appropriate help so that they become fluent readers.

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

Literacy lessons are thoughtfully designed to build on pupils’ reading and draw on vocabulary and themes from the books read in class. Here, pupils demonstrate control over their handwriting as well as developing their understanding of composition and grammar. However, these high standards are not consistently applied across all subjects. Consequently, some of the work which pupils produce is not of the high quality of which they are capable.

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

Children in the early years learn and play with each other cooperatively. Older pupils are motivated to learn in class. If pupils fall short of the school’s expectations, leaders respond appropriately. The school works closely with parents to ensure pupils attend regularly. Staff have built positive, strong relationships with pupils that help develop their confidence. Pupils are well supported as they move up the school. This begins from the school’s provision for two-year-olds, where great thought is given to their transition into the Nursery.

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

Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern day Britain and learn how to stay healthy and keep themselves safe, including online. The school sets out a rich set of experiences, best seen in their ‘broadening minds’ programme. This comprises weekly trips. Groups of pupils enjoy these trips and then report back on them. This helps to develop their verbal 21 and 22 January 2025

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skills, for example visiting the House of Lords to learn about the political process, or a botanical garden to explore adaptation and evolution. Pupils learn to play musical instruments and many take part in the school choir. Pupils participate in a project about Shakespeare and many compete in national competitions in different subjects. These activities enrich the curriculum and develop pupils’ understanding of the world around them.

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Staff are committed to the school and are proud to work here. Leaders prioritise both their well-being and their professional development, which is of a high quality. Trustees and leaders are knowledgeable of their school’s context. They take their duty of care very seriously. They work together to drive a culture of ambition where the pupils are at the centre of every decision they make.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 High expectations for writing are not fully embedded across subjects. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in their writing. The school should ensure that they routinely provide pupils with opportunities to develop their writing in line with the same high standards across the curriculum.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2015.

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Broadfields Academy Trust. This is a single academy trust.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. This is composed of two units. One supports pupils with autism, where there are 26 pupils. The other supports pupils who have moderate learning difficulties, specifically with learning and cognitive needs, where there are 21 pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school clubs. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and took that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, representatives from the trust, a representative from the local authority, teachers and support staff.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also spoke to pupils, parents and staff and took into consideration the online staff and

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Information about this inspection

pupil surveys.  The inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived at and left the school.  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.

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Inspection team

Sarah Saunders, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Allan McLean Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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