The Holy Brook School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Holy Brook School 145 Ashampstead Road, Southcote, Reading, Berkshire RG30 3LJ

p.1

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have experienced a period of significant disruption at this school, which has had an impact on their learning and progress. Following recent improvements, most pupils enjoy coming to school. They particularly appreciate the caring and supportive culture that has been developed. Pupils appreciate that staff get to know each of them individually and understand their needs, interests and motivations.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Although pupils are cared for, they do not learn as well as they should. Gaps in their learning have developed over time because the curriculum has not always been delivered systematically and coherently. Until recently, pupils’ learning has also been disrupted by frequent poor behaviour and a high turnover of staff.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of enrichment activities, such as visits to local parks and cafes, which help them to develop their social skills and independence. Through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education pupils develop their understanding of themselves, and they are encouraged to identify their strengths and interests. Pupils are taught to communicate their feelings and provided with choices about the support and education they receive. This helps them to feel a sense of connection and belonging to their school community.

p.1

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

Standards in education have declined at this school. There has been a period of instability, which involved a high turnover of leaders and other staff. This included a period during which the school was temporarily closed to pupils. These factors have slowed pupils’ progress in terms of their academic and social development. Since January, new 7 and 8 May 2025

p.1

2

leadership has worked at pace to bring all pupils back into school and create a safe, nurturing environment. Priority has been placed on the school’s culture and pupil behaviour. New systems and training for teachers has resulted in a dramatic reduction in behavioural incidents, which had previously been very high. Attendance has improved and pupils typically show positive attitudes towards their learning.

p.2

2

The school ensures that pupils experience a broad curriculum. Through an emphasis on subjects such as drama and cooking, pupils learn important life skills, including how to eat healthily and communicate effectively. However, sometimes the range of activities that are provided to pupils across the curriculum are not as ambitious as they should be, particularly in core subjects. Sometimes these activities are more focused on engaging pupils than the intended learning set out in the curriculum.

p.2

2

The school has thought about what it wants pupils to know, although the sequencing of this is much clearer in some subjects than others. Particularly in reading and mathematics, the school is in the process of re-establishing a more systematic approach to the curriculum. The choice of activities in these core subjects is not always well sequenced. This prevents pupils from learning as well as they should because what they are taught does not consistently build on what they have learned previously.

p.2

2

Pupils who attend this school have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has a clear understanding of what this means for each individual pupil. They provide effective support for pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs by helping them to learn how to regulate their behaviours and emotions. This work, as well as the PSHE programme, helps to prepare pupils for their next steps and life in modern Britain.

p.2

2

Current leaders have inherited a school in extremely challenging circumstances. Despite the evident decline in standards, the impact of their work in a short period of time is clear. Governors also have a strong understanding of the school’s culture and have acted quickly alongside the local authority to provide additional support when this was required. Governors’ understanding of the quality of education is less well developed, largely because there is not enough information available to them about the effectiveness of the curriculum. All leaders, including governors, are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Staff feel very well supported in this regard.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The learning activities provided for pupils in lessons are not always sufficiently ambitious because there is more focus on engagement than the intended curriculum 7 and 8 May 2025

p.2

3

content. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum delivered to pupils is suitably ambitious in core academic subjects.  The school does not make sure that learning activities routinely link to pupils’ prior understanding and build on what they already know. This has contributed towards gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary expertise to deliver the curriculum in a more coherent and systematic way, particularly in mathematics and phonics.

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 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 March 2019.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.3

4

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). 7 and 8 May 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

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

p.5

Information about this school

 The Holy Brook School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan with places funded by a local authority.  Since the school’s last inspection, there have been significant changes to the school’s leadership and staffing. Many of these took place during the first term of this academic year.  The school’s headteacher was unavailable during the inspection. At the time of the inspection, there was an interim headteacher, Kay Charles, who had been in post since January 2025.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative provisions.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.5

6

 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.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including the interim headteacher and deputy headteacher, to discuss the school and its progress over time. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the local authority and local governing body.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 as open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to surveys to parents and staff. There were no

p.6

6

responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors spoke with a range of pupils throughout the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Ellison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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 looked-after children, 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