East Brent Church of England First School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: East Brent Church of England First School Church Road, East Brent, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 4HZ

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Outcome

East Brent Church of England First 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 Katie Whiting. The school is part of the Wessex Learning 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), Gavin Ball, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Jacobs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a high level of care at this small and welcoming school. They strive to live up to the school’s core values, including enthusiasm, aspiration, respect and service. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They form warm, respectful relationships with staff, who know them and look after their well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They are resilient and work hard in lessons. Most pupils meet the high expectations that the school has for their achievement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff set demanding standards of pupils’ behaviour. They ensure that pupils follow the school’s routines and procedures consistently. Pupils behave well. Lessons are calm and productive. Pupils are polite and courteous. As soon as children start in the early years, including the pre-school, they learn how to play together and work independently.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has carefully considered the provision for pupils’ wider development. Many pupils attend the after-school clubs on offer. They value these opportunities to develop their interests and talents further. Circus skills, gymnastics and football are particular favourites. 18 March 2025

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the work that the school does. Many hold the school in high regard for its welcoming, supportive and nurturing environment.

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

The school continues to have a well-designed, broad and ambitious curriculum that starts in the early years. The curriculum sets out the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they should learn it. Staff receive ongoing training from the school and trust. This helps them to teach the curriculum effectively.

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

The school prioritises developing pupils’ learning so that they can read, write and use key mathematical facts confidently. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They give clear instructions and explanations. In the Reception Year, adults provide precise guidance on how to form letters correctly and count sets of objects reliably. As a result, children form the foundational knowledge they need for future learning. Well-trained staff in the early years, including the pre-school, ensure that children get the help they need to build their communication and language skills.

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

Pupils at the early stages of reading receive effective support. They develop their accuracy in applying their phonics knowledge to read fluently. Pupils’ comprehension skills are developed through a well-structured reading programme. Staff check that pupils are learning and remembering the taught sounds. If any pupils start to fall behind, they receive additional support so that they catch up quickly. Pupils read books that match the sounds they already know. This helps them develop fluency and a love for reading.

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

Pupils learn well in most wider curriculum subjects. However, they can sometimes struggle to make links with what they have learned before. This is because the school does not use its checks effectively to ensure that pupils learn and remember the curriculum in the longer term. Consequently, this makes it more difficult for pupils to build their knowledge securely over time in some subject areas.

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

The school ensures that the support provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) closely matches their individual needs. Staff adapt their teaching so that pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum and be successful.

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

The school is committed to equipping pupils with the essential life skills that prepare them for personal success. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and keep physically and mentally healthy. The annual careers week offers pupils valuable insights into potential career paths. It encourages them to explore their aspirations from a young age. Pupils understand the importance of fundamental British values and how these are lived out. The school’s work ensures that pupils develop into respectful citizens of the future. Pupils are well prepared for the challenges of modern life.

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

The school has high expectations for behaviour and attendance. Pupils focus well on their learning and take pride in their work. They learn and play with their peers with consideration for each other’s feelings. The school has robust systems in place to track 18 March 2025

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pupils’ attendance. It responds quickly to pupils’ absences by working closely with pupils and their families. As a result, pupils’ attendance has improved and is now broadly in line with the national average.

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Leaders have an exact understanding of the school’s strengths and a precise focus on areas for further development. Governors and trustees support and challenge the school. The school and trust engage proactively with staff to consider their workload and well- being. Staff feel valued. They are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is still being developed in some wider curriculum subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been identified or addressed swiftly enough. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively so that pupils learn and remember the curriculum successfully in all subjects.

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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 predecessor school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2013. 18 March 2025

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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). 18 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher also has the responsibility of leading another school in the trust.  The school manages an on-site pre-school that provides provision for two- to four-year- olds.  The school has a Christian religious character. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2025. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight years.  The school does not use any 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. 18 March 2025

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The 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.  The lead inspector held a meeting with those responsible for governance, including representatives from the board of trustees, the local partnership board and the CEO and deputy CEO.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spent time with pupils at lunchtime and breaktime to observe their

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behaviour and speak to them about school life.  The lead inspector considered the responses made by parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text response. Responses to the staff survey were also considered.

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Inspection team

Neil Swait, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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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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