Brough Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Brough Community Primary School Brough Community Primary School, Church Brough, Brough, Cumbria CA17 4EW

p.1

Outcome

Brough Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this friendly school at the heart of the village community. They arrive each day eager and ready to learn. Pupils thrive in the school’s nurturing environment. They know that staff care about them. This helps pupils to feel safe in school, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to live up to the high expectations that the school has of them. Most pupils behave well and follow the school routines. Pupils work hard in lessons. This helps them to achieve their best.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly represent their school in a range of sporting events. They relish the many opportunities that the school provides to enrich the curriculum. These opportunities include visiting the local heritage railway, entering exhibits to local county events, leading coding workshops and learning traditional crafts such as knitting.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils take on responsibilities as house captains, monitors and members of various committees. Visits to places of cultural interest, such as the theatre and places of historical significance, help to broaden pupils’ horizons. Pupils’ confidence and resilience is developed further through residential trips. Pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves and ‘follow their dreams’, such as to become a successful racing driver or to run their own business.

p.1

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

In this small school, most pupils learn in mixed-age classes. The school has thought carefully about the design of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. 4 February 2025

p.1

2

In most subjects, the knowledge that pupils’ need to learn has been carefully sequenced. Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their classmates. The training that staff receive enables them to deliver the curriculum well. Frequent checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are used accurately to identify any misconceptions. This information is used effectively to help pupils to catch up quickly.

p.2

2

Staff successfully adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. Appropriate learning activities enable pupils to practise what they are learning. In most subjects, pupils’ knowledge builds securely over time. Pupils confidently apply what they know when they are learning something new. Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

p.2

2

The school’s development of the curriculum is ongoing. This means that in a small number of subjects the knowledge and vocabulary that children should learn is not clearly identified. Where this is the case, some pupils do not make as much progress as they should.

p.2

2

Teachers regularly check that pupils are learning what they should in lessons. There is an increasing focus on developing ways to check what pupils recall and can apply, to inform next steps in learning.

p.2

2

The teaching of reading is a priority. Most pupils successfully apply their phonics knowledge well when reading unfamiliar words. Pupils who struggle with reading are identified quickly. They receive the help that they need to catch up. Most pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.

p.2

2

Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often. A love of reading is fostered across the school. The wide selection of texts available from the visiting library bus enrich pupils’ access to different genres. They talk avidly about their favourite authors. Older pupils use their increasing vocabulary successfully to enhance their written work in English.

p.2

2

The school positively promotes the importance of school attendance. They work closely with families to provide additional help should pupils’ attendance need to improve. This includes working with other agencies when necessary. Most pupils, including those with SEND, attend regularly.

p.2

2

Pupils conduct themselves well around school. They are polite, well-mannered and treat each other with understanding and respect. Pupils learn in a calm environment, free from disruption. This helps them to focus on their learning. On occasion, some pupils may struggle to manage their emotions. The school has skilled staff who apply a range of strategies well. This ensures that pupils get the right support to improve their behaviour.

p.2

2

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, especially when using the internet. Pupils’ personal development is promoted well through the extensive range of activities, visits and events that the school provides. They confidently demonstrate their understanding of British values and are prepared well for life in modern Britain. 4 February 2025

p.2

3

Governors know the school well and understand the challenges faced by small schools. They are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. Governors use their knowledge effectively to hold leaders to account for the quality of the education that the school provides.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes the key knowledge and vocabulary that the school wants pupils to learn is not clear. When this is the case, some pupils struggle to recall prior learning. The school should ensure that what they want pupils to know and understand is clearly identified to enable pupils’ knowledge and understanding to build securely over time.

p.3

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

p.3

4

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.

p.4

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 4 February 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 30 and 31 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education pro- vision.  This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The in- spectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed documentation relating to safeguarding including 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 headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordi- nator. They also met with subject leaders and other staff during the inspection. 4 February 2025

p.5

6

 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body to talk about the work of the school, safeguarding and staff’s well-being and workload. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their experiences of school, behaviour and personal development.  The inspectors considered a range of documents relating to the curriculum and spoke to staff. They also spoke with staff about SEND, safeguarding, their well-being and their workload.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and the re- sponses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

p.6

Inspection team

Amanda Stringer, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Julie Brown Ofsted Inspector 4 February 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7