Brannel School

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are identified and managed.
• Attendance has improved to close to the national average after swift, effective action by leaders.
• Persistent absence has fallen, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Behaviour is managed effectively, creating a calm and harmonious learning environment.
• Suspensions, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, have reduced significantly.
• Leadership changes have galvanised improvement and created a positive ethos of respect.
• Leaders have a clear, shared vision and have taken decisive, research-informed action.
• Staff are highly positive about training, support, workload and wellbeing.
• Trust leaders provide effective challenge and support aligned to school improvement priorities.
• The personal development programme is rich and broad, with high take-up by disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Pupils are highly inclusive, respectful and knowledgeable about equality and British citizenship.
• Careers advice and local employer, university and college links help more pupils reach intended destinations.
• Pastoral care is a priority, with quiet spaces and trusted adults supporting pupils' social and emotional needs.

Areas for Improvement

• GCSE attainment in mathematics, science and humanities is significantly below national benchmarks.
• Teaching quality remains inconsistent across subjects.
• Teachers do not routinely check that pupils have secure understanding before moving to more complex concepts.
• Support for pupils who struggle with reading, writing and numeracy is not consistently provided.
• Some pupils have gaps in foundational knowledge, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teachers do not consistently use assessment information to adapt teaching to pupils' needs.
• Support for pupils with SEND is not always precisely matched, leading some to underachieve.
• Inclusion is not fully embedded, so some pupils cannot access lessons confidently and successfully.
• Communication with parents and carers remains an area for development, with some parents dissatisfied.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools