Salmons Brook School

Overview

Pupils describe the school as their "safe place" where staff strive to support their best interests. The school delivers an "ambitious curriculum" that effectively prepares pupils for the next stages of their education, underpinned by "kind and considerate" relationships and outstanding behaviour.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from an "appropriately aspirational curriculum" with a strong focus on personal development and life in modern British society.
• Behaviour is outstanding, with "very positive relationships" between all community members and a collaborative ethos that helps re-engage pupils previously excluded from other settings.
• Teaching is effective, with activities well-matched to content and gaps in knowledge "speedily addressed," resulting in pupils gaining "secure knowledge."
• The sixth-form provision is "well suited" to students’ diverse needs, with appropriate adjustments ensuring they benefit from a programme aligned with their future goals.
• Leaders provide strong support for staff well-being and professional development, while trustees offer "appropriate support and challenge."

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure pupils’ "love of reading" and ability to apply mathematical skills are developed consistently, as these are not yet securely embedded across the curriculum.
• Opportunities for pupils to use numeracy skills are "less precisely sequenced," reducing how well pupils are supported to deepen their knowledge.
• A culture where pupils want to read widely and for pleasure is not yet fully established, requiring adaptations to inspire reading outside of lessons.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."