Brookmead School

Brookmead School is a primary school in Ivinghoe that was inspected in May 2025, its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The school was previously judged good and, under current arrangements, received no overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors found the quality of education and leadership and management to be good, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision were outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school, behave impeccably, feel safe and benefit from a calm, orderly environment with high expectations. The school has an ambitious curriculum from early years, strong phonics and reading provision, and consistently strong outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, including through external specialists. Personal development is a particular strength, with exceptional extra-curricular provision, music for every pupil, and an exemplary focus on character and British values. Governors support the school well and staff feel their workload and well-being are managed considerately. The main areas for improvement are assessment and independent application. In some subjects, staff do not identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge as well as they could, and in some wider curriculum subjects pupils have too few opportunities to practise and apply learning independently. As a result, the work pupils produce does not consistently reflect the depth of their understanding. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud of their school and demonstrate very positive attitudes to learning.
• Behaviour is impeccable and the school is a calm, orderly environment.
• Pupils are incredibly polite, respectful and supportive of one another.
• Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, including online.
• The school offers a wide range of trips, experiences and visiting speakers.
• Pupils thrive in roles and responsibilities such as house captains, buddies and play leaders.
• The curriculum is ambitious from the start of early years.
• Children make a strong start in Reception and develop independence and readiness for learning.
• Pupils achieve consistently strong published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Staff have strong subject knowledge and sequence lessons logically.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and receive effective support, including from external specialists.
• Reading is prioritised and the phonics programme is delivered effectively.
• Books are matched closely to pupils' phonics knowledge and catch-up support is provided.
• Extra-curricular provision is exceptional and helps pupils develop resilience.
• Music is a strength of the curriculum and every pupil learns an instrument.
• Personal development provision is highly focused and develops pupils' character in an exemplary way.
• Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs respectfully and understand British values.
• Governors have clear insight into the school's strengths and areas for development.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and value considerate management of workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, staff do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or address them as well as they could.
• Assessment systems are still being developed and are not used consistently well across all subjects.
• In some wider curriculum subjects, pupils have limited opportunities to write and respond independently.
• In some subjects, pupils' work does not consistently reflect the depth of their knowledge and skills.
• Limited independent practice in some subjects may slow pupils' progress through the curriculum.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Brookmead School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.7% of pupils at Brookmead School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Brookmead School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 18.4% of pupils at Brookmead School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Brookmead School received £6,244 and spent £6,297 for each of its 299 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £15,000 (-£51 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Leighton Buzzard · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Brookmead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brookmead School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Brookmead School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brookmead School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Brookmead School have?

Brookmead School has 299 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brookmead School cover?

Brookmead School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Brookmead School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brookmead School?

Brookmead School is at High Street, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9EX.