Broomhill First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Broomhill First School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending Broomhill First School.

They know that adults care about them. Pupils say there is always someone to share their worries with. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Pupils respond well to adults' high expectations. Adults are effective role models. They ensure pupils are well behaved at all times.

This includes those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils care for each other. For example, older pupils act as play leaders to younger pupils.

Pupils listen to each other's views. They say bullying does not happen.... They understand what bullying is.

They are confident that staff would deal with bullying if it did happen. Pupils know that adults help them to resolve problems if they fall out with their friends.

Pupils enjoy their learning.

This is because teachers plan interesting activities. Pupils enjoy listening to, and sharing, stories.

Behaviour is good in lessons and at breaktimes.

Pupils enjoy the educational visits and the opportunities to take responsibility in school. Many pupils enjoy attending a range of after-school activities to develop their interests. These include clubs for sports, science, cookery and music.

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

The school has been through a lot of changes over the last two years. The pandemic has caused much disruption. New staff have joined.

This includes the appointment of a new headteacher. This year, leaders have made changes to the curriculum. Leaders have also remodelled the leadership structure.

They make sure pupils receive a good-quality education. This includes those pupils with SEND. However, because curriculum approaches are new, not all subject leaders have the knowledge and experience to support teachers well.

They do not know if subjects other than English, mathematics and science are being taught well. As a result, leaders do not know if some foundation subjects are helping pupils to know more and remember more. In some foundation subjects, staff do not know well enough what pupils have remembered.

This means learning is not consistently matched to pupils' starting points.

The curriculum reflects leaders' ambitions for pupils. For example, in art and design, older pupils gave a critique of one of the pieces of work of Henri Rousseau.

Pupils identified the colours in a small sample of Rousseau's work. They highlighted which shades of green Rousseau used. They learned how to make many shades of colour from a paint mixing exercise.

Leaders have thought about what pupils need to know and be able to do over time.

Leaders prioritise reading. They make sure all pupils learn to read.

Staff have received the training they need to deliver leaders' chosen phonics programme. Reading is well taught. From the start in Nursery, children learn songs and rhymes.

Staff focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Adults read books to children as soon as they join the early years. Leaders chose the books for the new scheme for teaching reading.

They match the letters, sounds and words pupils must learn. The books help pupils to practise the sounds they have learned to become fluent readers. Pupils read every day.

They enjoy story time. In Reception, pupils gain confidence to recognise sounds and common words. Skilled adults support pupils to practise and improve their reading.

Teachers use assessments well to identify the sounds that pupils do not know. Leaders provide extra help for pupils when they struggle.

Teachers teach mathematics well.

Leaders have ensured that the mathematics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Teachers provide revision activities for each stage of learning. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned before.

Children develop an understanding of number from the early years. Pupils with SEND prepare for lessons before the lesson starts. This gives pupils with SEND confidence to lead a group, showing other pupils what to do.

Teachers have high ambition for all pupils in mathematics. They ensure pupils read time with accuracy. Pupils struggled with this topic during periods of remote learning.

The school's curriculum extends beyond the academic subjects. The work to develop responsible, respectful and active citizens is strong. There are opportunities for educational visits.

Pupils learn to play musical instruments such as the ocarina. Outdoor learning in the woodland area helps pupils to improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. Adults support pupils' mental health and well-being.

Pupils talk to teachers about their worries and concerns. They say that staff are good at helping them resolve friendship problems. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships.

They know how to stay healthy. Pupils do not have strong knowledge of faiths, cultures and family structures that are different to their own. This is because the school's work to enhance pupils' cultural development has been hindered by COVID-19.

Staff appreciate the training provided by leaders. Governors check on the effectiveness of leaders' actions. Governors understand the school's priorities well.

They ably challenge and support leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' safety is at the centre of the school's culture.

Safeguarding leaders have detailed policies and thorough practices in place. Leaders' record-keeping is comprehensive and well organised. Staff receive regular training and safeguarding news updates.

They know how to report concerns about children. Leaders work well with external agencies. The staff team know pupils and their families well.

As a result, pupils and families get the help they need.

Leaders carry out essential recruitment checks for adults who work in school.

Pupils learn about risks and where to get help if they need it.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders are further ahead in their leadership roles than others. New approaches to some areas of the curriculum are still developing. Not all subject leaders have the necessary knowledge to lead their subjects confidently.

This means that some subject leaders are not able to develop staff's expertise and make checks on how the curriculum is being delivered. Leaders need to continue to train and support subject leaders, so they develop the knowledge and confidence required to ensure the curriculum is implemented well. ? Assessment of the foundation subjects does not enable teachers to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they need for what comes next in the curriculum.

As a result, teaching is not always informed by what pupils already know and can do. Information from assessments should be used to inform teachers of the next steps in learning so that pupils remember long term the content they have been taught and can use this knowledge to build on their learning. ? Pupils do not know enough about the different cultures and family structures they have been introduced to.

This is because the school's work to enhance pupils' cultural development has been interrupted by COVID-19. Leaders should ensure that the approach to teaching this aspect of the curriculum provides pupils with knowledge and experience of the many different cultures, ethnicities and family structures in modern Britain.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2011.