“The best thing in life is to have a friendly face smile at you throughout the day. This is Branfil.”
“The best part about Branfil is OPAL! It’s cratetacular! You can’t get tired of it!”
“When I think about Branfil it reminds me of one big, happy family.”
“Branfil makes me feel warm and welcome!”
“What I love about Branfil is how everyone supports each other no matter how different they are.”
“What I love about Branfil is everyone is happy, friendly and amazing!”
“At Branfil we are one big team, Branfil makes me feel safe and happy no matter what!”
“Here at Branfil, I love learning, life and all my friends!”
“I think this school is amazing as they always hire staff who are eager to help children learn more and more!”
“Here at Branfil we love ourselves, each other and the environment!”
“Branfil is a beautiful place where everyone gets along.”
“At Branfil everyone works together.”
“I consider myself very fortunate to be a member of a community that consistently inspires and challenges us all, teachers and pupils alike. The curriculum offered at Branfil Primary School contributes to a nurturing and stimulating environment for our pupils. The inclusive atmosphere truly makes our school a great place to be. It’s like being part of a big family, and being a part of it is truly wonderful!”
“Branfil is a fantastic school to work at where everyone is invested in your personal development. We truly do learn together, both adults and children, with the aim of reaching our potential by setting goals and supporting each other until we get there!”
“The school has a strong ethos of family values, with the acceptance of diverse cultures embedded into Branfil’s learning opportunities. I have exceptionally friendly, supportive and hardworking colleagues. The best thing about Branfil is the outdoor play! With the opportunities provided on the playground, the children are consumed with vibrant enthusiasm, enabling constant learning opportunities to embrace and extend their play.”
“I love that Branfil is a school where everybody is accepted for who they are. We are a big family that support each other and encourage each other to thrive, enabling us to be the best versions of ourselves. We are encouraged to try new things and are constantly developing ourselves as professionals.”
“Branfil is a community. Everyone works together to support and challenge each other to achieve their best. The children care about each other as well as our school and it creates a real school family atmosphere.”
“Branfil is not just a school, but a family. We work together, play together and learn together.”
“For as long as I’ve taught at Branfil Primary, I’ve loved the unwavering commitment to a positive, inclusive learning environment where respect is at the heart of everything we do. Each day, both children and staff get to walk into a school where a love for learning – including learning from mistakes – is nurtured. Everyone is dedicated to supporting each other to thrive, both academically and personally.”
“One of the best things about Branfil is that it is a really positive, happy place. I love working here because all staff from the cleaning team to the Senior Leaders are so caring towards our children and everyone works really, really hard to get the best out of each and every one of them. I feel proud to be part of team Branfil.”
“I’m proud to work at a school where children and adults learn, laugh and grow together.”
“As a past pupil of Branfil I am immensely proud that my children walk the same halls as I did when I was young and I know how integral the primary experience is to developing young people. I am pleased with the way this year has gone and I look forward to their positive experience of the Branfil family continuing.”
– Reception and Year 3 parent at the end of the school year
“Just wanted to THANK YOU for today at Stubbers. Please thank your amazing team, [child] loved it. Thank you all for the love and care you give our children. We, the [name] family love you all. You’re a beautiful school.”
– Year 5 parent following a day trip to Stubbers
“Just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and all the Gilwell team for taking [child] on a fantastic adventure, an experience she will never forget!! She hasn’t stopped talking about it since I got her.”
– Year 6 parent following the residential tip to Gilwell Park
“Thank you for the opportunity for us to come and see the Opal session, it was lovely to attend. I would like to say that I was so impressed with the pupils at Branfil. I was watching my year 1 son join in an activity going down a ramp in a crate and the support, encouragement and patience that the older boys helping gave him when the could have been off playing themselves was an absolute credit to yourselves and the school. Not once while I was playing with my son did I hear any of the other pupils arguing or see anyone not included – it was really so nice and refreshing to witness. Once again it reinforced to me that Branfil is exactly where I want my son to be!”
– Year 1 parent after OPAL session
“I am writing to thank the school choir for the lovely concert they performed for us at the Christmas Star Festival. It was a very joyous occasion, and the choir sang beautifully. Hearing the children’s voices brought great pleasure to the audience.”
– Christmas Tree Festival organisers
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all and any other members of staff that took the children to the O2 yesterday for Young Voices. A big thank you from myself and [child] for taking, arranging and for your time and effort for rehearsals for the O2. [child] had the best day and night and it was an amazing experience for her.”
– Year 4 parent after Young Voices concert
“[Child] has blossomed during her time at Branfil, she loves school and is doing so well despite the challenges she faces. All of her teachers have been so supportive and as we approach her final year at Branfil in September (which I am devastated about), I know you will be preparing her ready for the new adventures when she starts secondary. I wish she could stay at Branfil forever.”
– Year 5 parent at the end of the school year
“We just wanted to drop you a quick message to let you know that we saw a group of year 6 children doing their Bikeability lesson today while we were out on our morning walk. They were representing the school beautifully. They all said hello and were very polite and respectful when passing us and the buggy on a narrow path. It was lovely to see them enjoying themselves.”
– Childminders who care for some of the Branfil children
- Modern, good use of space, natural light, nice environment, excellent facilities
- Impressed with different rooms/resources that can be accessed
- Friendly, organised, warm environment – non threatening feeling
- Children well behaved and seem happy, engaged, confident and positive
- Love the outdoor space and free flow play for Reception
- I got a really good feeling and find it a bright, clean school
- So well equipped with lovely, impressive students
- Polite and friendly staff
- The Branfil Ambassadors were amazing!
- Children seem to be encouraged to be children
- Nice, friendly atmosphere
- Amazing – friendly, resourceful and spacious
- What stands out most is how the children are involved in presenting the school and how the staff interact
- Really like the range of activities on offer in the playground; the Forest School sounds fantastic also
- Impressed with the continuous improvement in all aspects of the school
- Very impressed with the confidence and skills of the ambassadors – not only during their talks but during the tour
- Every child should have the Branfil School experience
- Facilities are fantastic and the library looks varied and diverse
- I don’t have a bad word to say!
- Great use of technology
- So many learning opportunities for the children
- Impressed with the focus on fun and play
- Forward thinking
- Lovely polite children
- The children participating seem very proud of the school and everything you have to offer
- The music and ICT rooms are great facilities
The provision for pupils’ emotional well-being is a strength. Staff are well trained in mental health issues and are quick to identify pupils who need extra help. Through the school’s ‘mental health hub’, these pupils receive personalised programmes of support which successfully increase their ability to manage emotions and cope with adversity.
Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about the pastoral care they receive and how ‘staff always think of ways to boost our confidence’. One pupil, summing up the views of many, said: ‘This school encourages us to talk about what we feel and why. This helps me to feel better and safe.’
Pupils are proud of their school and behave well. They told inspectors that the school is a ‘very friendly place to be’, and that teachers motivate them to ‘work hard’ and ‘try new challenges’, including in art, sport and music. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to contribute to school life, as peer mentors, house captains and through the school council. Pupils appreciate these opportunities and are keen to take on responsibility. For example, they have recently organised an anti-bullying march with schools from the local area.
Leaders and staff place high priority on pupils’ welfare and safety. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught how to stay safe. For example, pupils attend workshops run by external agencies so that they know about personal safety and ‘stranger danger’. Pupils understand that the internet can be both ‘safe and unsafe’. They spoke knowledgeably about how to avoid risks online, such as not ‘giving out personal details to someone, even if they pretend to be your friend’. Pupils are confident that there is always a member of staff available to help them if they are worried or feel unsafe. They said that bullying is ‘not a problem at our school’, but staff would manage any incidents effectively.