Leighton Buzzard middle school ‘proud' after receiving 'good’ Ofsted rating

A school in Leighton Buzzard has said it is “proud” after Ofsted inspectors rated it ‘good’.

Following a two-day visit in early July, Brooklands Middle School was rated ‘good’ in all areas of assessment. Pupils at school on Brooklands Drive were “happy”, according to the report released today (September 22).

It states: “Pupils are polite, respectful and engaging. They celebrate difference. They are clear that it does not matter if something makes you different. You are still welcomed and included.

"As a result, bullying is rare. On the unusual occasion where bullying does happen, pupils fully trust adults to sort it out.”

Most teachers “deliver the planned curriculum well” which allows pupils to “learn well”. An area of improvement for the school was for leaders to ensure that teachers “understand how to effectively check how well pupils understand what they have been taught”.

The report stated: “In some subjects, questioning is not as helpful as in most. It focuses on how to structure an answer, but not on checking and developing pupils’ understanding. This means pupils sometimes do not know how to improve their work, and teachers’ understanding of what pupils know is not always accurate.”

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) progress well at the school and access the same curriculum as their peers. Inspectors said: “Leaders have equally high expectations for pupils with SEND. Leaders understand the needs of individual pupils. They share strategies with teachers to help them overcome pupils’ specific barriers to learning.”

Safeguarding arrangements were described as effective. Inspectors said: “Leaders have put in place robust systems to record and track concerns. Training for staff helps them identify and support pupils who may be at risk. When staff have a concern, they are quick to report it.”

Leaders were praised for proactively engaging with local agencies. The report stated: “They are relentless in helping pupils and their families access the help they need. Leaders understand the local context. They use this information to adapt the curriculum so that pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and in the real world.”

Brooklands was told to improve its teaching training for it to achieve ‘outstanding’ status. Inspectors explained: “The training that teachers receive is often generic and not directly related to the subject knowledge they are teaching pupils. As a result, some pupils progress more slowly than they should.

"Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are able to adapt whole-school training to make it subject-specific and focused on the best pedagogical approaches for their subjects.”

Headteacher Julie Hodgson said: “The staff and governors are delighted to receive a Good rating from Ofsted across all areas of the school. This is a testament to staff, pupils, parents and governors for their hard work, effort and belief in Brooklands.

"We are so pleased that the inspection captured the feel of Brooklands School and how pupils feel happy, safe and secure. The visit itself was thorough and highlighted our strong curriculum, passionate subject leads and that our pupils are well prepared for their next phase of their education.

"We are proud of everything that the school has achieved and will continue to work hard to ensure that Brooklands School continues to move forward. Go Team Brooklands. Well done to everyone.”