Brisley Church of England Primary Academy

Overview

Brisley Church of England Primary Academy is a small primary school where pupils are described as ‘happy’ and ‘flourish in an environment where their education and wider development are valued equally’. The report highlights a strong sense of community, with older pupils supporting younger ones and bullying being ‘rare’. Leaders have established high expectations, resulting in pupils who are ‘polite and confident’ and typically show ‘good levels of concentration in class’.

Strengths

• The curriculum is ‘well-planned’ and ambitious, with teachers using ‘effective strategies to check how much pupils learn’ and addressing knowledge gaps.
• Phonics teaching begins in Reception with ‘systematic’ progression, and leaders promote a ‘love of reading’ through daily opportunities.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ‘achieve well’ due to careful monitoring and tailored support.
• Personal development is promoted effectively, with pupils taking pride in roles such as ‘charity fundraising’ and leading ‘whole-school worship’.
• Staff workload and well-being are considered by leaders, and there is a united commitment to achieving ‘the very best for pupils’.

Areas to improve

• In ‘a few subjects’, the curriculum requires further refinement to ensure pupils ‘know and remember more’ and that learning builds effectively year on year.
• The new phonics approach needs better classroom organisation to ‘engage all pupils fully’, with additional professional development required for staff.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that staff receive regular training and work closely with outside agencies to keep pupils safe.