Brenkley School

Inspection of Brenkley School 3-5 Brenkley Way, Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE13 6DS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring and welcoming school. Pupils are proud to attend. The school establishes strong relationships between pupils and staff. Staff understand how to support pupils with both their social and emotional needs and their learning. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils are respectful of each other. Classrooms are calm and pupils focus on their learning well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, the proprietor and staff have high expectations for pupils who attend this school. The curriculum is ambitious and broad. It enables pupils to achieve well. Pupils’ aspirations are high. They typically want to move on to further education and university. The school is effective in supporting pupils to be ready for their next steps in life. The school ensures that the individual needs of pupils are well met.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of additional activities outside of the classroom. Pupils visit the theatre to watch plays that they have studied. They make use of the local environment to study coasts and learn skills such as surfing or trapeze. The school’s therapeutic provision supports pupils’ emotional well-being effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers are positive about the school. They recognise how the school’s ambition and care is transformative for their children.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is aspirational. Although some pupils have experienced disrupted educational journeys, they rise to the challenge that the school sets. Pupils achieve a range of qualifications which enable them to access further education or training. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed. This helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills gradually over time. Staff are knowledgeable in the subjects they teach. In most subjects, they check on pupils’ understanding well. In some subjects, however, staff’s checks on learning are less effective. They do not align with the knowledge set out in the curriculum. This means that sometimes pupils’ do not remember curriculum as well as they could and misconceptions go unnoticed

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better?

The school makes reading a priority. Pupils enjoy frequent opportunities to practise reading, both in and out of lessons. Pupils become skilled in reading with fluency and accuracy. The curriculum ensures that pupils benefit from a wide range of texts including poetry and Shakespeare’s plays. Staff make the most of opportunities to explore language and further embed pupils’ comprehension. This strengthens pupils’ grasp of a wide vocabulary.

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better?

All pupils at this school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are skilled in assessing and supporting pupils’ needs well. Staff’s insightful knowledge of each pupil helps to ensure that pupils can learn in the most appropriate way. Staff get the very best out of the pupils they work with. Pupils have a range of resources to help them get on with their learning. Pupils respect and celebrate the differences 8 to 10 April 2025 they may have from each other, including any different ways of learning that others use. This contributes very well to the school’s inclusive atmosphere.

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better?

The school’s expectations for behaviour are high. Pupils are keen to meet them. They display attitudes to learning which are exemplary. Staff enable pupils to engage with their learning positively. This supports pupils’ self-esteem well. Pupils are proud of their achievements. Leaders ensure that staff have all the necessary information to support pupils when they face challenges. Incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare. This makes the school an oasis of calm. Pupils value that they can get on with their learning with minimal disruption.

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better?

The school plans visits and other opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning and broaden their experiences. Regular enrichment activities allow pupils to explore existing talents and interests and develop new ones, such as playing padel tennis. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education helps pupils to understand the world they live in. For example, pupils learn about the risks of drugs and alcohol. This work is enhanced by visits from the police to support pupils’ understanding of online safety. Pupils learn to treat each other fairly. Their understanding of equality is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils discuss discrimination in history through learning about the world wars and the exploration of the American west. Pupils develop enterprise skills through running the tuck shop. They support local charities through fundraising events.

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better?

Staff morale is high. Staff are well supported by leaders and the proprietor to strengthen their professional development. The proprietor, with leaders, has ensured that the independent school standards are consistently met. This includes compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the ways in which staff check on pupils’ learning are not effective. Staff sometimes lack a clear understanding of what pupils know and remember. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not addressed consistently well. The school should ensure that these checks on learning provide staff with clarity on how securely pupils’ knowledge and skills are building as they move through the curriculum. 8 to 10 April 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 8 to 10 April 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 145239 DfE registration number 392/6001

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School details

Inspection number 10342133 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £42,065 to £48,600

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 to 25 November 2021 8 to 10 April 2025

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Information about this school

 Since the last standard school inspection, there have been two material change inspections in July 2023 and July 2024. These material changes were to increase the number of pupils on roll and to use another site as part of the school. Both of these material changes were subsequently approved by the Department for Education (DfE).  All pupils have an education, health and care plan. Pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. Most pupils have a diagnosis of anxiety and/or autism spectrum disorder.  The school receives referrals for pupils through consultations with a number of local authorities. Some pupils have not attended school for some time prior to being admitted to this school.  The school is registered to admit 50 pupils. There were 31 pupils on roll at the time of this inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school’s main premises are at 3–5 Brenkley Way, Seaton Burn, Newcastle

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Information about this school

upon Tyne NE13 6DS. The school has additional premises at Buttress House, 36 Brenkley Way, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 6DS. These locations are a very short walk from each other.  The name of the school changed from ID Academy to Brenkley School in 2022.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the proprietor, the headteacher and senior leaders. Inspectors spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in a range of other subjects. 8 to 10 April 2025  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and to their education. They talked with staff and pupils about pupils’ personal development and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors checked the school’s compliance with the standards. As part of these checks, an inspector toured the school’s premises accompanied by school leaders.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also spoke directly with some parents by telephone. Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings and Ofsted’s staff survey. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through discussions held during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk His Majesty's Inspector 8 to 10 April 2025 to 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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