Students who have previously struggled in school can reengage with their education, build strong relationships with staff and take confident steps into adulthood thanks to Brook Academy in Gloucestershire – a school Ofsted has praised as ‘Good’ in all areas.
Brook earned the glowing report after welcoming a team of inspectors to its Brockworth site for the first time since it opened in 2022.
The Ofsted team spent two days meeting leaders from the school and its parent trust the Cabot Learning Federation, speaking with parents and pupils, and observing lessons and student work.
Afterwards, they praised Brook in a number of areas, while recording formal ratings of ‘Good’ in all four inspection areas; personal development, leadership, behaviour and attitudes, and the quality of education it provides.
Inspectors highlighted the calm and positive culture staff create to help students re-engage with their education after finding lessons difficult in other schools.
In her report, lead inspector Marie Thomas said: “Before joining Brook Academy, pupils may have experienced long or repeated absences from education.
“The school’s curriculum is designed to help pupils overcome barriers to engagement. It aims to build their confidence, resilience, and positive learning behaviours. This involves working with pupils to create various opportunities to achieve and celebrate their personal and academic successes.
“Pupils are at the centre of the school’s decision-making. Over time, positive working relationships based on trust and respect are built between staff and pupils. This helps create a calm school environment where most pupils feel safe.”
The report went on to praise Brook in a number of key areas.
On curriculum, Ofsted said: “The school and trust share the ambition that Brook Academy’s pupils achieve well, both personally and academically.
“The curriculum intent is clear and provides pupils with regular opportunities to revisit and build on what they have learned before. The curriculum’s focus on building pupils’ confidence, resilience and positive learning behaviours means they are taught the steps they need to succeed.
On student outcomes, it said: “A well-developed careers programme helps pupils to make informed choices about their post-16 education, employment and training options. Before they move on, pupils attain nationally recognised qualifications and essential life skills such as cooking.”
On personal development, the report said: “Pupils look forward to spending time with their friends at school. They value and enjoy the school’s enrichment experiences, such as boxing, music and residential trips. These opportunities help pupils to explore and develop new talents and interests. The school’s focus on developing pupils’ mental and physical health and improving their self-esteem prepares them well for adulthood.”
And on helping students to re-engage with school life, inspectors said: “The school adapts its work to encourage and support regular attendance, including work with appropriate external agencies. For most pupils, this work is effective. With support, most pupils successfully transition into full-time education after their previously disjointed education experience.”
Ofsted additionally praised Brook’s ‘effective’ safeguarding and ‘positive’ behaviour management approach, as well as the support offered for reading, speech and language development, and effectiveness of lessons in personal, social, health and economic education.
Ofsted’s findings have been welcomed by leaders within both Brook Academy and the Cabot Learning Federation, as well at Gloucestershire County Council.
Kay Sarpong, Principal of Brook Academy, said:
“We welcome these hugely positive findings from Ofsted as confirmation of our journey towards finding a successful plan and school outcome for every child at Brook Academy.
“It is also testament to all stakeholders within our school community for the trust they put in us when the CLF took over the school in 2023, and all the work put in by staff and students to create a school for us all to be proud of.
“We have definitely landed as a school and as a community, but this is not the end of our ambitions, as we recognise the best is yet to come.”
Sally Apps, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Cabot Learning Federation, said:
“We are delighted for the Brook Academy community that the inspectorate were able to recognise their excellent work.
“In a school where children are able to build friendships and receive the kind of support that helps them to achieve their ambitions, it is reassuring to know that the work undertaken by their teachers, support colleagues, families and partner organisations has been validated by external experts.
“It is an exciting place to go to school and I am looking forward to learning of even more success on behalf of this special community over time.”
And in a letter congratulating Brook Academy on its Ofsted outcome, Ann James, Director of Children’s Services at Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“It was a pleasure to read how the school’s curriculum design is supporting pupils to overcome barriers to engagement.
“Its ambition to build pupils’ confidence, resilience, and positive learning behaviours is clearly making a positive difference to pupils’ lives, creating a range of opportunities to achieve and celebrate pupils’ personal and academic successes.”
