The Brent Primary School, Dartford

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils have many opportunities to explore their talents and interests. Experiences such as swimming, access to climbing walls and extensive lunch time play activities enrich the curriculum. This creates an exciting school community where pupils say there is something for everyone and it is easy to make friends.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They concentrate in lessons and do not give up when learning is difficult. They play co-operatively together at social times, treating each other as they want to be treated themselves. Lunch time is a whirl of excitement, with a wealth of opportunities for constructive play. Pupils enjoy creating obstacle courses, exercising in the outdoor gym, playing games with the giant parachute, navigating the trim trail, and making pies in the mud kitchen. The willow shelters offer a calm space to chill out with friends or read a book. As a result, pupils become well rounded, kind individuals. They develop an understanding of how to take responsibility and they achieve well.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is ambitious that pupils will enjoy learning and make it a habit for the rest of their lives. Pupils develop highly positive attitudes to their education. This is because leaders have created a 'can do' ethos for learning, where both pupils and adults feel psychologically safe, and mistakes are viewed as opportunities to grow and improve. Pupils understand that they can get better at anything if they keep trying hard. These attitudes are deliberately taught through the Brent values which run throughout the school.

Children get off to an excellent start in Reception. Adults teach them to be independent and so children find their confidence quickly. They are eager to learn and they relish challenges. Because of this, they achieve highly. Children are engrossed in activities and sustain their concentration well. For example, when making models of minibeasts, they develop the small muscles in their fingers by carefully rolling tiny pieces of clay for insects' legs and then consider how best to make them stick to the clay insects' bodies. As pupils get older, the mature attitudes that they develop mean there are no barriers to their learning. In Year 3, for example, they share kitchen utensils safely and considerately to chop and peel fruit and vegetables when learning how to prepare food in design and technology.

Behaviour & attitudes, Early years.

Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management.

Bus Stops