Brentwood School

Overview

Brentwood School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection, which judged it outstanding for overall effectiveness. The report confirms that pupils love attending the school, where they are supported by staff who understand their varied needs exceptionally well.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a caring environment, developing "close bond[s] with staff" and treating each other with "understanding and kindness."
• The curriculum is "carefully designed to meet the wide range of pupils’ SEND," helping pupils lay "firm foundations" for future skills.
• "Preparation for adulthood is meticulously incorporated into every aspect of school life," including independent living skills and community volunteering.
• Staff know pupils "exceptionally well," using education, health and care plans to set individual targets and adapt teaching effectively.
• Skilled support for communication enables pupils to "have a voice," while well-established routines help pupils behave "calmly and positively."

Areas to improve

• Some staff do not always make effective use of assessment information when designing learning, meaning activities do not fully account for what pupils already know.
• This occasionally slows progress for a minority of pupils towards their EHC plan objectives; the school should ensure lesson sequences firmly consider prior knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.