Brockley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Brockley Primary School is a welcoming community. Staff know the pupils very well. They care for them and keep them safe.

Pupils enjoy pancakes at breakfast club and the chance to colour and chat with their friends. This gets them off to a great start each day. Lunchtimes are well organised and lively.

There is a 'buzz' on the playground.

Everyone at the school wants pupils to be well prepared for their future. Changes have been made so that children in the early years settle quickly into school and start learning straight away.

Expectations have risen and the curriculum is improving. In some subjects, pupils recall their learning well. In others, th...ere is more to do to make sure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), become fluent readers and writers.

Pupils understand the school's motto of, 'only my best is good enough'. The majority listen carefully in class and enjoy coming to school. However, there are some pupils who do not attend as often as they should.

They miss out on important learning. Families appreciate the support that they get from the school. Many parents and carers commented that the headteacher and staff 'go the extra mile'.

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

The school knows what it needs to improve to ensure that all pupils are ready for their next steps. All staff are involved in developing children's love of reading. This starts as soon as they start school.

Children in the nursery enjoy familiar stories. Staff skilfully use this time to help children learn new words and build their knowledge of the world around them. All children quickly become engrossed in the discussion.

There is a new approach to teaching phonics. Children in Reception get lots of chances to practise the new sounds that they are learning. This helps increasing numbers of pupils to decode the well-chosen books that they read.

There is more to do to ensure that pupils consistently use their phonic knowledge to read unfamiliar words and become fluent readers, particularly those who need to catch up. Recent changes have been made to how pupils learn to write. Pupils choose interesting words to use.

However, pupils who are at the early stages of learning to write do not get enough chances to practise what they are learning. Sometimes they are asked to complete complex tasks before they have mastered fundamental knowledge.

Many changes to the curriculum are implemented well.

Staff help children in the early years to think carefully about numbers. Children explain that they know that six is 'five and one more'. They understand that a spider has more legs than them.

Pupils are proud of their work in art and explain the joining techniques that they learned when working with clay. The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. However, the curriculum is not always designed well enough for pupils with SEND.

Sometimes the work that they are asked to do in class does not match what they need to learn next.

Pupils understand 'The Brockley Way'. They say that there is 'a golden rule – treat others how you want to be treated, hashtag kindness!' Pupils recognise that some of their peers find it hard to manage their behaviour.

The school systematically and deliberately teaches pupils to manage their feelings and become resilient. Pupils patiently queue as they wait for their turn to go on the bikes and scooters at lunchtime. The 'Kindness Crew' helps pupils to resolve disputes and share their worries.

Many pupils are invigorated by running on the playground between lessons. They learn about active and healthy lifestyles. The school council works with leaders to broaden the range of healthy foods available at lunchtime.

The youngest children choose colours to describe how they are feeling. Older pupils reflect on their wellbeing during 'check-ins'. Pupils develop tolerant and respectful attitudes towards those who are different to them.

Their knowledge of a range of faiths and cultures is developing as the school prioritises building pupils' knowledge of diverse modern Britain.

The school strongly promotes good attendance. Staff work closely with families to ensure that barriers are overcome wherever possible.

They check the reasons for pupils' absence and challenge families when they do not send their children to school. Despite this, some pupils do not attend regularly enough. This remains a priority for the school.

Leaders have put a lot of training in place as new curriculums have been introduced. Well-judged professional development is ongoing for those at the beginning of their teaching careers. More is planned to develop staff knowledge further.

Governors check that staff workloads are manageable. They scrutinise decisions to ensure that school resources are used wisely.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This means that they miss the chance to build on previous learning. The school should continue to work with tenacity to ensure that all parents understand the importance of regular attendance so that pupils attend school more regularly.

• Some pupils do not read with a fluency appropriate to their age. For example, they do not always use their phonics to read unfamiliar words. This hinders their understanding of the texts that they are reading.

The school should continue to develop teachers' pedagogical knowledge about the teaching of reading to ensure that pupils are supported consistently well and become fluent readers. ? The curriculum in some subjects is not adapted well enough to support pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND cannot complete work independently and successfully because they do not have the knowledge and skills needed to tackle it.

The school should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum is further developed so that the tasks that pupils with SEND undertake match the next stages of their learning. ? The school is at an early stage of implementing curricular thinking about writing. Pupils who are learning to write do not always get the systematic practise of letter formation or the graphemes that they are learning.

This prevents them from writing with fluency and accuracy. The schools should ensure that the curriculum for writing clearly identifies exactly what pupils need to know and when. It should check that pupils are acquiring this important knowledge and these skills.