Brownsover Community School

Overview

Brownsover Community Infant School continues to be a good school, where leaders and staff work hard in the best interests of pupils. Despite challenges from a recent decrease in pupil numbers, the school has successfully supported learners to thrive and prepare for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• Parents and pupils appreciate the dedication of staff, noting that children feel happy and are encouraged to be independent ‘life-long learners’.
• The curriculum has been adapted to consider experiences beyond key stage 1, with pupils gaining necessary knowledge in mathematics, reading, and writing.
• Pupils enjoy reading and the newly designed fiction and non-fiction libraries, which have helped many experience books they would not otherwise have read.
• Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, with individual plans reflecting the input of external agencies.
• The school offers enriching extra-curricular activities, including visits from authors and theatre trips, fostering a strong sense of community.

Areas to improve

• A small number of pupils with the most complex special educational needs are not receiving timely enough support due to prolonged assessment processes.
• Some vulnerable readers in key stage 1 are not always reading books matched precisely to the sounds they know, which limits their ability to read fluently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.