Southbrook School

Overview

Southbrook School provides a "calm and orderly environment" where pupils enjoy school and feel safe. While behaviour, personal development, and leadership are rated Good, the quality of education requires improvement due to inconsistencies in how the curriculum is taught and assessed.

Strengths

• Pupils behave well and value staff support for their personal development, learning to make "positive choices and respectful relationships."
• Attendance has improved significantly following "careful monitoring and support," and staff appreciate reduced workload pressures.
• Reading is a priority; disadvantaged pupils achieve particularly well in phonics due to "effective individual support."
• Bespoke personal development programmes help pupils build independence in areas such as budgeting, cooking, and travel.
• Positive working relationships exist between pupils, staff, and parents, with children placed "at the heart of the school’s work."

Areas to improve

• Staff lack secure knowledge of the revised curriculum, leading to learning activities that are not well matched to intended outcomes.
• Assessment information is not routinely used to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs or EHC plan targets, resulting in insufficient progress.

Safeguarding

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