Briscoe Lane Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 February 2024

Pupils are happy at school. They become keen readers who access a rich range of books from across different cultures and by different authors. This helps pupils to 'see' themselves in the books that they read. Older pupils are prepared well for the challenges of key stage 3. Pupils are confident and articulate. They spoke with great maturity about what matters to them, such as fairness. Pupils show high levels of respect towards others who may be different to themselves. Pupils explained to inspectors how everyone is welcome at their school. They enjoy supporting and taking care of each other. Pupils' positive conduct helps to create a purposeful atmosphere throughout the school. The school has high expectations of all pupils. It is focused on raising pupils' aspirations. The school expects pupils, irrespective of their starting points, to succeed. Pupils value their education. They work hard and listen attentively to their teachers and to each other. Pupils achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), whose academic and personal needs are carefully considered. Pupils benefit from a wealth of experiences to develop their character and resilience. They develop strong relationships with staff. Pupils know that the adults in school look after them well to keep them emotionally healthy and physically safe.

What the school should improve

• The school's work to refine a small number of subject curriculums is relatively recent. This means that some pupils have not built their learning in these subjects as securely as in others. The school should ensure that staff are provided with the support that they need to deliver their revised class curriculums effectively. This is so that pupils build a secure body of knowledge across the curriculum.
• The school's approaches to checking on what pupils know and remember are less well developed in a small number of subjects. This makes it more difficult for teachers to identify where pupils have potential gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that, in these few remaining subjects, teachers are suitably equipped to check what pupils know and can do before introducing new learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)