Broomhill Primary School

Broomhill Primary School

Address: Station Road, North Broomhill, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 9UT Unique reference number (URN): 122196

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have put in place a clear and consistent approach to improving attendance. They monitor it regularly and quickly identify patterns and concerns. Leaders work closely with pupils and their families to understand barriers to attendance and put appropriate strategies in place to support them. Attendance is improving steadily, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is also decreasing steadily.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils’ behaviour has improved significantly. Leaders’ high expectations, a clear behaviour policy and effective training have strengthened staff expertise in behaviour management. Pupils understand what is expected of them and typically behave well. In lessons, they work hard, follow instructions and show positive attitudes to learning. They are polite, respectful and demonstrate excellent manners. Pupils are motivated by the recognition they receive in weekly 'achievement assemblies'. Bullying is rare and is dealt with quickly when it occurs. Pupils learn, play and develop in a nurturing and respectful environment. Unkindness of any sort is not tolerated.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Teachers have an increasing understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND receive tailored support if it is needed. For example, pupils respond positively to support from teaching assistants, peer mentors and a range of interventions that help them manage their emotions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders at Broomhill prioritise inclusion. They have implemented a range of improvements that are benefiting pupils who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders work closely with external professionals to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They have strengthened systems for reviewing pupils' progress and evaluating the impact of support. As a result, pupils receive appropriate support at the right time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Training in key areas, including autism, dyslexia and social, emotional and mental health needs, has increased staff expertise. Consequently, staff support pupils with SEND in increasingly effective ways. Leaders have introduced successful strategies to meet pupils' needs. For example, specific sessions help pupils develop their communication, turn-taking and problem-solving skills. Sensory breaks enable some pupils to sustain their concentration and engage more successfully in lessons. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to ensure that they understand pupils' needs and provide effective support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff generally support disadvantaged pupils and those known to children's services well. Leaders use additional funding, including the pupil premium grant, strategically to improve disadvantaged pupils' reading and attendance. They also ensure that disadvantaged pupils benefit fully from the wider experiences on offer at the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

As a result of leaders’ decisive and timely actions, the school is improving. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and have worked effectively to improve pupils’ behaviour and develop a more inclusive culture. The school is calm and classrooms are productive. Increased staff expertise means that pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs are supported well. Leaders have raised expectations and placed positive relationships at the heart of the school. For example, they listen carefully to parents and carers to understand barriers to pupils' attendance and act in their best interests when they put effective support in place. As a result, attendance is improving steadily. Parents are typically positive about their children’s experiences at school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know where further improvements are needed. They have taken steps to improve the curriculum, teaching and achievement, including in the early years. For example, staff training has been focused on these priorities. Leaders also work closely with external professionals, including the local authority, to strengthen the curriculum. Although improvements are evident, inconsistencies remain. In this smaller-than-average primary school, where staff have multiple responsibilities, leaders take careful account of workload in their approach to school improvement. Staff value this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors, many of whom are new to post, are skilled and committed to improvement. They carry out their duties appropriately. Their oversight has contributed to improvements, for example, in the school’s financial position.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Morale is high. Staff work well together, feel supported and appreciate that leaders prioritise their wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have developed a coherent programme for pupils’ personal development. The personal, social and health education curriculum, including age-appropriate relationships, sex and health education, is carefully designed so that pupils build their knowledge over time. Pupils learn how to be a good friend, about different types of families, discrimination and how to challenge stereotypes. Leaders select stories pupils read carefully, so that pupils learn about diversity, different cultures and ways of life. Pupils benefit from visits and visitors that deepen their understanding of different religious beliefs. Trips to places of worship further support their learning. Pupils are tolerant and respectful of difference. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well when learning about sensitive topics.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils have secure knowledge of how to stay safe in the local community and online. For example, some pupils learn how to stay safe when cycling on local roads. Pupils know not to share personal information online and understand how to alert adults to concerns. Pupils have a general understanding of British values, including democracy and individual liberty. Participation in school council elections helps to develop their understanding of democratic processes.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils take an active role in the school community. For example, school councillors are leading a campaign to improve road safety in the local area. Peer mentors and sports

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Needs attention

leaders support others by organising games and sporting activities that promote pupils’ physical health and wellbeing. Leaders ensure that a broad range of clubs is available to support pupils’ wider development. Through clubs such as cooking, art and choir, pupils build confidence, develop friendships and try new interests.

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Needs attention

Staff provide effective pastoral support. Pupils learn about how to look after their mental health and wellbeing. Leaders put in place targeted support for pupils who need it.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils have gaps in their foundational knowledge, including in writing and mathematics, that are not being addressed as quickly as they should. At times, pupils do not have aspects of the basic knowledge they need to complete more complex tasks. Outcomes in the multiplication times table check in Year 4 are not as high as they should be. Some pupils' writing lacks grammatical and spelling accuracy. As such, some pupils are not as prepared as they need to be for the next stages of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders have taken swift action to begin to improve pupils' achievement. For example, leaders' actions have led to greater consistency in the quality of pupils' handwriting. Where the curriculum has been improved, such as in history, pupils' knowledge is generally secure. Outcomes in the phonics screening check in Year 1 are broadly in the line with the national average. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make secure progress through the curriculum, relative to their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have improved the curriculum effectively in some subjects. For example, in history, leaders have identified clearly the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils should learn in the context of mixed-age classes. In other subjects, there are some inconsistencies, as the curriculum does not set out clearly enough what pupils should learn, or how their learning should develop over time. As a result, teachers do not provide work that consistently matches pupils’ needs. Sometimes, activities are too easy. At other times, pupils are asked to complete work that is too difficult because they have not yet secured the basic knowledge they need.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Pupils are benefiting from improvements in reading, writing and mathematics. For example, the introduction of daily arithmetic lessons is improving pupils’ fluency with number. Staff teach phonics appropriately and pupils’ handwriting is becoming more accurate. Teachers use agreed strategies to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn alongside their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders recognise that further work is needed to improve the accuracy of pupils’ writing, including in spelling, punctuation and grammar, and to ensure that pupils write consistently well across different subjects. Although leaders provide additional support to help pupils catch up in reading, writing and mathematics, teachers do not routinely identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders know that teaching in the early years is inconsistent and have already begun to implement changes to address this. The quality of interactions between adults and children is variable. At times, adults do not do enough to support children’s language development and communication across areas of learning. As a result, some children do not make the progress they are capable of and are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they should be. Leaders have recently improved the curriculum. They have increased ambition, identified key vocabulary that children should learn and provided staff with appropriate training. However, these improvements are at an early stage of implementation.

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Early years Needs attention

The early years environment is engaging. Indoor and outdoor areas are carefully designed to support children’s learning and development. Phonics is taught appropriately. Children follow clear and consistent routines well. Relationships between adults and children are warm and nurturing. Children are happy and feel safe. It is an inclusive environment, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. Leaders adapt the environment and curriculum appropriately and ensure that children receive targeted support. As a result, children with SEND make suitable progress from their starting points.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders work closely with parents and carers. For example, regular ‘stay and play’ sessions and ongoing communication help parents understand their child’s progress and how to support learning at home.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have acted decisively to improve Broomhill Primary School. Respect, kindness, resilience and positivity underpin the school's work. Pupils enjoy warm, positive relationships with staff, which help them to feel safe and supported. Pupils show high levels of respect in lessons. They listen carefully to teachers and their peers, follow instructions well and demonstrate excellent manners. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is improving steadily.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils value the wide range of experiences the school provides. For example, educational visits to local castles, cultural sites and places of worship help pupils deepen their understanding of the curriculum. Pupils appreciate the recognition they receive in weekly 'achievement assemblies' for their effort and high-quality work. Some pupils take on leadership roles, such as head boy and head girl, peer mentors and sports leaders. Through these roles, pupils support others and develop a strong sense of responsibility. The recently developed early years environment promotes learning, physical development and exploration through well-planned indoor and outdoor experiences.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

In some subjects, the curriculum does not identify precisely enough the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in mixed-age classes. Although the quality of teaching is improving rapidly, it remains inconsistent, including in the early years. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders' recent curriculum improvements have strengthened pupils' handwriting and increased opportunities to practise arithmetic. However, some pupils continue to have gaps in their basic skills. Consequently, they are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they should be.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have established a positive culture of inclusion. Staff generally provide effective support for pupils who face barriers to learning, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to improve the curriculum, so that all subject curriculums are designed to promote ambitious levels of progress for all pupils, especially in the context of mixed-age classes. Leaders should improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently effective, identifies and addresses pupils’ knowledge gaps and misconceptions, including in reading and mathematics, and leads to pupils achieving well. Leaders should improve the quality of pupils’ writing, ensuring that it is accurate and consistently of a high standard across the curriculum. Leaders should support staff to develop the expertise they need to consistently develop children’s language and vocabulary through high-quality interactions across all areas of learning and activities in the early years provision. Leaders should strengthen their oversight of the pupil premium strategy so that it is monitored effectively and implemented consistently, including through ongoing high-

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About this inspection

The head of school in this school is Imogen Anderson.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Craig Priday.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher and head of school during the inspection. They also spoke to a representative from the local authority, members of staff and pupils.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The school also, under the same registration, runs a nursery provision.

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What does this mean?

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. The head of school was appointed in May 2024 and the interim executive headteacher was appointed in September 2024.

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What does this mean?

Executive Headteacher: Richard Bollands The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.9% 5.2% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 18.8% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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