Brook Infant School and Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 June 2024

The school's ethos of 'Learning with Love and Laughter' filters through everything at 'The Brook'. Staff are ambitious for pupils, with high expectations set for both academic development and personal growth. This inspires pupils to have a positive attitude towards their learning and to achieve well. Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery and Reception years, where they are nurtured in a carefully designed setting that allows them to flourish. The school works closely with parents and carers, particularly in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who require extra support and who shared their views during the inspection were full of praise for the school. The atmosphere in school is calm and purposeful. Most pupils behave well. Pupils insist that there is no bullying. They know that adults will help them if they have any concerns. The school is notably committed to promoting pupils' social and emotional development. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in the life of the school. As one parent described; 'All of the staff get to know the children as individuals and support them to be the best versions of themselves'.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not check what pupils know as carefully as they could. This means teachers do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or address them precisely enough through future learning. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used consistently well across the curriculum to inform future teaching, so that it routinely builds on what pupils already know.
• A small number of pupils struggle to meet the high standards of behaviour that the school expects of them. As a result, learning is occasionally disrupted. The school should continue its work to ensure that all pupils and staff clearly understand expectations and consequences and that they are applied consistently.
• The school's wider offer beyond the taught curriculum, is limited. This means pupils do not currently benefit from a wide selection of opportunities to develop talents and interests. The school must ensure that the personal development opportunities, beyond the academic and technical curriculum, are broad, and accessible to all, so that pupils have the opportunity to develop a range of talents and interests.

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