Brook Academy

Brook Academy is a special free school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and speech, language and communication needs, all of whom have education, health and care plans. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, and inspectors found the school performing well across the four key judgements, with effective safeguarding arrangements. The school has undergone significant change since joining Cabot Learning Federation, and leaders and the trust share a clear ambition for pupils to achieve well personally and academically. Pupils benefit from a curriculum designed to overcome barriers to engagement and to build confidence, resilience and positive learning behaviours. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive, the school environment is calm, and most pupils feel safe. Early reading and speech and language support, careers education, enrichment opportunities, and support for attendance and transition are notable strengths. Staff use education, health and care plans to create Personal Learning Plans that address pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs as well as academic gaps. However, in some subjects staff knowledge of the curriculum and how to adapt work to meet pupils' needs is underdeveloped. Academic Personal Learning Plan targets sometimes lack precision and are not well woven through the essential concepts in the curriculum, and work towards these targets can be done in isolation. Pupils do not consistently have opportunities to recall, practise and apply prior learning, which limits how securely they build new knowledge. The trust has been asked to develop staff curriculum knowledge and ensure the curriculum is implemented as intended so pupils revisit and apply learning over time.

Strengths

• Clear curriculum intent that builds on prior learning and focuses on confidence, resilience and positive learning behaviours.
• Strong support for early reading, speech and language development, including phonics and vocabulary pre-teaching.
• Effective use of education, health and care plans to create Personal Learning Plans for social, emotional and mental health needs.
• A well-developed careers programme that prepares pupils for post-16 education, employment and training.
• A broad enrichment offer, including boxing, music and residential trips, that develops talents and interests.
• A calm, safe environment with positive staff-pupil relationships based on trust and respect.
• Effective attendance support and successful transition into full-time education for most pupils.
• Positive impact from the behaviour management approach, with pupils typically listening well.
• Pupils learn about healthy relationships, consent, online safety, equality and differences.
• Strong staff professional development and trust support, with accurate checks informing school development.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff curriculum knowledge is underdeveloped in some subjects, limiting precise adaptation of teaching.
• Academic Personal Learning Plan targets sometimes lack precision and are not woven through curriculum concepts.
• Work towards some Personal Learning Plan targets is sometimes done in isolation.
• Pupils do not routinely get opportunities to recall, practise and apply prior learning in some subjects.
• The curriculum is not implemented as intended in some subjects, so pupils do not secure new knowledge consistently.
• Inappropriate language is not yet effectively addressed across all staff.

In 2024–25 pupils at Brook Academy attended 67.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 67.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 42.2% of pupils at Brook Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Brook Academy had 6.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Brook Academy had 73 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Brook Academy received £33,611 and spent £30,577 for each of its 64 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £37,000 (£584 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Cabot Learning Federation, income was £8,647 and spending £8,763 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Gloucester · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Brook Academy is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which runs 34 schools. The nearest others:

• Queen Margaret Primary Academy Tewkesbury
• Tewkesbury Academy Tewkesbury
• Frome Vale Academy Bristol
• Wallscourt Farm Academy Bristol
• Begbrook Primary Academy Bristol
• Minerva Primary Academy Bristol
• King's Oak Academy Bristol
• Bristol Metropolitan Academy Bristol
• Digitech Studio School Bristol
• Bristol Brunel Academy Bristol

What is Brook Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brook Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Brook Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Brook Academy was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Brook Academy have?

Brook Academy has 73 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brook Academy cover?

Brook Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Where is Brook Academy?

Brook Academy is at Mill Lane, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4ZN.