James Brindley School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 June 2022

Pupils, staff and parents agree that James Brindley is one very special school. Pupils are valued, staff are proud and parents are positive. One parent told inspectors that James Brindley helped their child succeed when they could easily have failed. Another said that the positive difference to their child has radiated to the whole family. These views were representative of many. Leaders and staff are driven to get the best outcomes in whatever site or service pupils attend. Pupils attend teaching centres to help meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), while others attend specialist centres to get mental health support. Wherever they go, the level of academic and vocational ambition is high. In the hospitals, staff work at hospital bedsides to ensure pupils' education does not suffer. Pupils inspectors spoke to said that respecting each other is so important and is what happens at James Brindley every day. Most pupils told us that bullying does not occur, or if it does, the staff are good at dealing with it. Leaders acknowledge that pupils' understanding of bullying varies, but all incidents are investigated if the word 'bullying' is used. Behaviour across all sites is generally calm and purposeful. Inspectors saw very few cases of unwanted behaviour, but it was dealt with sensitively and quickly when it did occur.

What the school should improve

• When planning sequences of learning, there are times when teachers do not prioritise the most essential content for pupils to learn. This means that pupils may miss learning knowledge that underpins key concepts. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify the core concepts and their components in the curriculum that they want pupils to learn.

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