Brooke House Day School

Brooke House Day School Independent school inspection report

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DCSF registration number 855/6023 Unique Reference Number (URN) 135185 Inspection number 342553 Inspection dates 17 March 2010 Reporting inspector Marian Harker HMI

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Published: 1 April 2010 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090071 Inspection report template – Light touch inspections

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 1 , as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005 2 , the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This was a light touch inspection which focused principally on the quality of education provided by the school; its provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and the improvements the school has made since its last inspection.

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Information about the school

Brooke House Day School is an independent, non-selective day school for boys and girls aged three to eleven years. It is located in Cosby, Leicestershire and is owned by Private Educare Ltd. The school was first registered in September 2006 and was last inspected in May 2007. There are currently 50 pupils on roll. Fourteen pupils are funded under the nursery voucher scheme. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs and no pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The school offers pupils access to a breakfast club and after school club. The school building was previously used as Cosby Primary School and it is now shared with Brooke House Day Nursery, also owned by Private Educare Ltd. The day school, nursery provision and before and after school care were inspected together as a single inspection event. The school aims to, ‘ ensure that all pupils are

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Information about the school

nurtured in our friendly, family environment, as school should be a place where children can feel safe, secure and happy whilst learning at the same time.’

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Evaluation of the school

Brooke House Nursery and Day School provides a good standard of education for its pupils. It is particularly successful in achieving its aim of developing a nurturing environment where children are happy. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils has improved since the last inspection and is outstanding. Behaviour is good and pupils make good progress as they move through the school. Safeguarding requirements are met and the welfare, health and safety of the pupils are good. The school now complies with all of the regulations, including those not met at the previous inspection. The overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good.

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Evaluation of the school

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Inspection report template – Light touch inspections

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Quality of education

The quality of the curriculum across the school and in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. It is broad and balanced, and takes account of National Curriculum expectations. Provision for modern foreign languages, including French and Spanish, is a strength and is taught by specialists. Pupils enjoy visiting Brooke House Eco Centre where they learn first hand about animal husbandry. For example, pupils have been given opportunities to hatch their own ducklings and then learn how to look after them. Regular swimming and physical education lessons contribute to the pupils’ good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. Curriculum planning gives appropriate emphasis to the teaching of basic skills, although the quality of work in pupils’ books does not always reflect their good progress. The school’s provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is good and pupils have secure skills. Pupils use laptop computers regularly to participate in an online

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Quality of education

programme to improve mental maths skills. The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good and ensures that pupils have a secure understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Pupils enjoy and benefit from a wide range of interesting visits and activities that enrich the curriculum, including gardening, visits to the theatre, castles and a sculpture park.

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Quality of education

The quality of teaching and assessment, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and, as a result, pupils make good progress. Classrooms are well resourced; they vary in size, but are suitable for the small class numbers. A wide variety of pupils’ work is displayed around the school, creating a welcoming and attractive learning environment. Lessons are well structured and planning follows a common format. On occasion, opportunities are missed to plan sufficiently challenging activities for different ability groups. However, teachers know their pupils very well and generally use questioning to assess and challenge during whole class sessions. Pupils enjoy their learning, particularly practical activities. For example, during the inspection, pupils were investigating a scene of crime and were learning about the different techniques used by forensic scientists to catch the culprit. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and understand the individual learning

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Quality of education

needs of each child. Pupils identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress due to the diligent care and attention they receive from staff. The school has a good assessment framework in place which is linked to National Curriculum levels. Targets are set for individual pupils in each subject and progress is regularly tracked. This information is shared with parents throughout the year and in the end of year reports. Marking is regular and includes positive comments. However, work seen in pupils’ books does not always reflect the progress they have made. The school is aware that they now need to focus on improving the quality of marking so pupils know how to improve their work. Inspection report template – Light touch inspections

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. From an early age pupils are keen to learn and they enjoy all aspects of school life. Their behaviour is good, as seen in the respect they have for themselves and others. Pupils are polite, courteous and get on well together. The school has improved the provision for cultural development since the last inspection. One parent commented, ‘I think the cultural awareness agenda is done well, in particular the sessions on Sikhism and Chinese New Year.’ Pupils visit places of worship and have a good understanding of the concept of fair trade. They appreciate cultural diversity and are able to respond sensitively to culturally significant stories. Pupils are developing a strong sense of empathy, for example in looking after each other on the playground and taking care of animals from the Brooke House Eco Centre. All the pupils who

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils

responded to the questionnaire reported that they enjoy coming to school and, as a result, attendance is high. Pupils are developing a sense of responsibility as they undertake jobs such as setting the tables for lunch or sitting on the school council. Older pupils help and play with the younger ones, contributing to their self-esteem and sense of school community. The good progress made by pupils in literacy, numeracy and ICT ensures they are well prepared for the next stage in their education. The strong PSHE curriculum contributes positively to pupils’ knowledge of democracy and being a good citizen.

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Safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety

Provision for the safeguarding of all pupils and their welfare, health and safety is good. The school provides a calm and nurturing environment on a day-to-day basis. Procedures to ensure pupils’ safety are robust and all the required policies are in place. Staff supervise the pupils vigilantly during lessons and when playing outside. There is a suitable fire risk policy and fire evacuations are carried out regularly. Good procedures for first aid are in place and all staff have undergone training. The designated person for child protection has undertaken training to the required standard and staff have recently updated their training. All parents who completed the questionnaire reported that the school keeps their child safe. Pupils are very positive about their school and each other. They report that the teachers are very easy to talk to and they are confident any concerns they have will be sorted out

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Safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety

quickly. The school encourages pupils to stay healthy, particularly through the physical education curriculum and healthy food provided by the school throughout the day. Although pupils know how to keep themselves safe their awareness of internet safety is less secure. The school meets its requirements in respect of the Disability Discrimination Act and all of the regulations in respect of the checks it makes on prospective employees with regard to their identity and suitability to work with children. Inspection report template – Light touch inspections

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Provision and outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. One parent commented, ‘When my child started school she was very sensitive and now she is confident and happy.’ Children who attend Brooke House Day Nursery settle well into school life. They have a suitably resourced classroom called the Cherry Tree room, and a separate small outdoor play area. Transition arrangements to the Reception class are smooth. The accommodation in Reception is a little more generous in size with a large, bright and cheerfully decorated classroom and separate outdoor area. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage provision with skill levels that are broadly in line with national expectations for this age. By the time they leave the Reception class attainment is above average, representing good progress from their starting points. Children get on well with each other and with adults. They play happily on their own and are interested in the many different

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Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

activities provided by the school. For example, during the inspection a small group of Reception children chose to construct their own road works and traffic lights in the playground. They were readily making their own decisions about the location of the equipment and discussing basic safety measures. This is typical of the creative approach to learning taken by the staff. Activities are well planned and are based on regular observations and assessments. Each child has a Learning Journey assessment file which is shared with parents and provides a comprehensive record of progress made against each of the key areas of learning. Leadership and management are good and the welfare of the children is monitored closely. Required risk assessments are in place and all policies for the children’s welfare and safety are implemented effectively. Staff have been checked for their suitability to work with children.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets all of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended January 2005.

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What the school could do to improve further

While not required by the regulations, the school might wish to consider the following points for development:

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What the school could do to improve further

 Through thorough marking ensure that pupils know how well they are dong and what they need to do to improve their work.  Ensure that activities in lessons are carefully planned to meet the different needs of the pupils. Inspection report template – Light touch inspections Inspection judgement recording form outstanding good satisfactory inadequate The quality of education

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What the school could do to improve further

How well the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of pupils 

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What the school could do to improve further

How effective teaching and assessment are in meeting the full range of pupils’ needs 

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What the school could do to improve further

How well pupils make progress in their learning 

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What the school could do to improve further

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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What the school could do to improve further

Quality of provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 

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What the school could do to improve further

The overall welfare, health and safety of pupils 

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What the school could do to improve further

The quality of the Early Years Foundation Stage provision

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What the school could do to improve further

How good are the outcomes for children in the EYFS? 

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What the school could do to improve further

What is the quality of provision in the EYFS? 

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What the school could do to improve further

How effectively is the EYFS led and managed? 

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What the school could do to improve further

Overall effectiveness: how well does the school meet the needs of children in the EYFS?  Inspection report template – Light touch inspections

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School details

Name of school Brooke House Day School DCSF number 855/6023 Unique Reference Number (URN) 135185 (Brooke House Day School) Unique Reference Number (URN) 301143 (Brooke House Day Nursery) Type of school Independent Day School Status Independent Date school opened 22 February 2007 Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 23 Girls: 17 Total: 40 Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: 5 Girls: 5 Total: 10 Number of pupils with a statement of special educational need Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

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School details

Annual fees £5804.48 Address of school Croft Road Cosby Leicester LE9 1SE Telephone number 01162 867372 Email address brookehousedayschool@tiscali.co.uk Headteacher Joy Parker Proprietor Joy Parker Reporting inspector Marian Harker HMI Dates of inspection 17 March 2010

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