Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in writing by ensuring that teachers consistently:
  • insist that pupils form their letters correctly and present their work neatly
  • help pupils to identify and correct repeated errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • raise expectations and the level of challenge for the most able pupils.
• Further improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:
  • use assessment systems to check more closely on the progress of different groups of pupils
  • plan the curriculum so that work builds securely and progressively on pupils’ previous learning in all subjects
  • check that the support that pupils with SEND receive in class is effective.
• Improve the provision in the early years by ensuring that staff challenge the most able children sufficiently.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher provides very strong leadership. She has a drive and determination that is shared by all staff to ensure that all pupils receive a high-quality education. After her appointment, she swiftly identified important weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning that had emerged following the last inspection. She developed exceptionally effective improvement plans to tackle these weaknesses. These have led to significant improvements in a short period of time and stemmed any further decline in the school’s performance.
• The headteacher has implemented a professional development programme of an exceptionally high quality. It enables staff to be fully involved with, and control, their own professional development. Staff value and appreciate the support they receive and show a true desire to develop and improve their teaching skills. For example, through research groups they seek ways to enhance their own skills. Leaders and support staff also receive bespoke support to enhance their skills. This work has led to some rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and leadership. The headteacher has a precise understanding of the remaining areas of concern and plans are in place to address them.
• The English and mathematics leaders have successfully implemented new approaches to the teaching of reading and mathematics. They support staff to enhance and improve their teaching skills in these subjects. This has ensured that there is a now a consistent approach to teaching and staff’s subject knowledge has improved. The leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and provide further tailored support where needed. This effective leadership has led to improved outcomes in reading and mathematics.
• The leadership of special educational needs is strong. Leaders ensure that staff provide pupils with complex needs with support to enable them to be fully included in the life of the school. They tailor small-group work carefully to meet their academic and pastoral needs. Leaders work closely with parents, who appreciate the support that they receive. They also work with external agencies to ensure that pupils receive additional specialist support where needed. However, leaders have a detailed understanding of the need to provide more effective support for pupils with SEND when they are working within classes. Plans are already in place to address this, but they have only recently been implemented so the impact is yet to be seen.
• The physical education and sport premium is used well to improve pupils’ health and well-being. For example, through a staff survey, leaders identified staff’s professional development needs. Leaders then provided staff with training to strengthen their teaching skills. Initiatives such as ‘catch up’ swimming lessons help pupils to achieve the required standard to help keep them safe around water. Pupils have access to a wide range of sporting opportunities. This effective work has led to successes in competitions in activities such as gymnastics.
• Pupils’ SMSC development is a real strength of the school. Leaders have developed a comprehensive programme to provide pupils with a rich diet of learning that is planned progressively across the school.
• This curriculum enables pupils to be highly reflective of their own and others’ beliefs. Trips and visits add a wide range of learning opportunities to support the SMSC curriculum. There is a strong ethos across the school to encourage pupils to ‘be the best they can be’. All staff go to great lengths to raise pupils’ aspirations and to inspire them to aim high. Leaders use strong role models from the community to enhance this work further. For example, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham visited the school during Black History Month. As a result of this rich and engaging SMSC curriculum, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and the wider world.
• Leaders have developed a curriculum which is closely matched to pupils’ interests. Pupils enjoy the variety of topics they learn about and engage enthusiastically in the learning. Leaders’ work to develop this area has been effective. They have detailed plans in place to ensure that pupils’ learning is developed progressively over time. However, these plans are yet to be fully embedded and so the impact is yet to be seen.
• The school’s assessment systems are underdeveloped. Currently, leaders do not have a clear overview of how well pupils are achieving across the school. On an individual level, leaders and teachers check pupils’ progress and attainment carefully. They meet to discuss individual pupils’ needs and what further support they require to improve their progress. However, leaders do not use this information well enough to check how well different groups of pupils are achieving. As a result, leaders do not provide support quickly enough when some groups are falling behind.
• Leaders use the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils both academically and pastorally. They ensure that all teachers know which of their pupils are disadvantaged, and what their needs are. A team of staff work together to provide these pupils with the support that they need to overcome any barriers to learning. The pastoral team provide particularly effective support to both pupils and families. This enables disadvantaged pupils to become more confident. This, in turn, supports their academic development.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a detailed and realistic understanding of the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ outcomes across the school. They check that what leaders report accurately reflects the school’s performance. Governors make regular visits to the school to review examples of the strengths and areas for improvement that leaders identify. New governors go to great lengths to ensure that they receive the necessary training to develop their skills. Governors use their training, skills and experience to hold leaders to account well.
• Governors understand their statutory responsibilities, especially those relating to safeguarding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that all relevant checks are made to ensure that adults pose no risk to pupils. Records are held securely and are maintained in detail.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. The pastoral and safeguarding leaders strive to ensure that pupils receive the right support to help keep them safe. Leaders follow up any concerns quickly and challenge external agencies if they feel the right support is not in place. Leaders have developed very close working relationships with families. They provide families with guidance to help them understand how to keep their children safe.
• Leaders and staff have an incisive understanding of the potential dangers that could face pupils within the local community. In response to this, leaders have developed the curriculum to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, both inside and outside school.
• Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to learn how to protect themselves from dangers such as becoming involved with gangs. Leaders also ensure that pupils understand the dangers of extremist behaviour and becoming radicalised. They provide pupils with opportunities to learn about how to protect themselves. E-safety is also taught well. Pupils are taught how to use the internet safely, and staff also educate parents about the importance of monitoring their child’s use of the internet at home.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The school has a consistent approach to the teaching of reading and phonics. Teachers and teaching assistants model letter sounds correctly and ensure that pupils have opportunities to apply their understanding of phonics in reading and writing activities. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to read widely, including in a range of different subjects. The school also involves parents in reading, providing them with opportunities to learn alongside their children. As a result, pupils’ progress and attainment in reading has improved.
• Over the last year, there has been a considerable improvement in the quality of the teaching of mathematics. Teachers’ consistent approach to mathematics teaching enables pupils to build their skills progressively over time. They encourage pupils to discuss and explain their thinking and provide further support and challenge in response to this. Teachers also provide pupils with opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in problem-solving and reasoning activities, which further supports the strong progress that they make.
• The majority of teachers have high expectations of pupils in writing. They have strong subject knowledge and ensure that pupils receive work that is closely matched to their ability. However, some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low, especially for the most able. They do not help pupils to address basic mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling, which leads to the repetition of these mistakes. In addition to this, some teachers do not insist that pupils present their work neatly or form their letters accurately. Consequently, some pupils, especially the most able, do not make sufficient progress in writing.
• Pupils with SEND receive high-quality support from specialist teachers and support assistants in small-group work. Staff have a deep understanding of the pupils’ complex needs and ensure that they plan teaching carefully to meet them fully. This helps these pupils to make strong progress from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. However, some teachers do not plan work which is matched well enough to the needs of pupils with SEND when they are working within the main class setting. In these cases, pupils struggle to complete work which is too difficult. This limits the progress they make considerably.
• Teachers consider carefully the range of topics pupils learn about and plan them to meet pupils’ interests. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and show a keen interest in the topics taught. However, the curriculum is not planned carefully enough to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills progressively from one year to the next. As a result, some teachers do not help pupils to build upon their prior learning in subjects other than English and mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• There are exceptionally positive relationships between pupils and all staff. Pupils trust staff and know that if they need help or support there is always someone they can turn to. Pupils say, ‘Teachers listen to us properly,’ and speak very highly of the support they receive.
• Parents also value the support that staff provide for their children. The school has an ‘open door’ policy and parents say that their opinions are heard and responded to. Parents appreciate the encouraging feedback they receive about their children through the parental engagement tool. This positive communication contributes to the caring ethos across the school.
• Pupils are incredibly kind to one another. They show a high level of respect to everyone within the school and greet visitors with a genuine warmth. They are very proud of their school and are keen to share their learning. Pupils say that they welcome everyone as, ‘We are all equal, even if you look different or have a different religion.’ As a result, bullying is very rare. However, if issues do arise, pupils are confident that it will be dealt with.
• Leaders work with pupils through groups such as the ‘Architects of Change’ (AOC) and the ‘Junior Leadership Group’ to reflect on how the school could be improved. Their peers elect pupils to these groups and the groups help leaders to develop new improvement initiatives. For example, the AOC pupil group is helping to develop the school’s feedback policy.
• The ‘Junior Leadership Group’ is working with senior leaders on areas such as safeguarding, curriculum development and fundraising activities. Pupils also take the initiative to challenge parents, such as writing to them about unsafe parking outside school. Pupils, rightly, take their roles and responsibilities very seriously and lead with a purpose to improve outcomes for their peers across the school.
• The breakfast and after-school clubs are run extremely well. Pupils participate in a range of activities and socialise well with one another. Staff also provide pupils with a range of healthy snacks and breakfast. This ensures that pupils have positive experiences at the start and end of the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders have a thorough understanding of pupils’ attendance and ensure that they follow up all absences to check that pupils are safe when not in school. Leaders use the school’s detailed attendance monitoring systems effectively to track pupils’ attendance. Where concerns about a pupil arise, the attendance team provide support to families to help improve their child’s attendance. However, where attendance issues persist, leaders challenge families further to ensure that the issues are overcome. Leaders’ strong focus on improving attendance has led to attendance figures being consistently above the national average. Incidences of persistent absence are low compared to the national average.
• Pupils have a strong understanding of right and wrong. They understand the school’s behaviour policy, which staff apply consistently. Pupils appreciate the positive rewards that they receive for good behaviour but are also clear of the consequences when they do not behave appropriately. When incidents of poor behaviour occur, leaders ensure that they find out the reasons for the behaviour. Through reflection time with the pupil and their family, leaders identify and provide the necessary support to help them overcome the difficulties. This work means that the school is a calm, orderly environment where pupils and staff work cooperatively together.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Currently, pupils are making strong progress in reading and mathematics. Over time, they develop their skills and knowledge in these subjects well. The consistent approach to the teaching of reading and mathematics has improved pupils’ progress over the last two years.
• However, work in pupils’ books shows that some pupils are not making strong progress in writing. This is especially so for pupils with SEND and the most able pupils. This is because teachers do not match work to their learning needs well enough.
• The proportion of pupils that achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been consistently in line with, or above, the national average for the last four years.
• At the end of 2018, the proportion of pupils in Year 2 who attained the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. The proportion of pupils attaining a greater depth of learning in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment was above the national figure for all pupils.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2018, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in reading and mathematics was in line with the national average. The proportion attaining a higher standard was above the national average in both subjects. Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment was in line with the national average in reading and mathematics at the expected and higher standards. Pupils’ progress in reading in 2018 was in line with the national average, and well above the national average in mathematics.
• In writing, the proportion of key stage 2 pupils who attained the expected standard was in line with the national average, but the proportion of pupils attaining a greater depth was below the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils attaining the expected standard and a greater depth was below the national average. Pupils’ progress in writing in 2018 was well below the national average.

Early years provision Good

• The Nursery class is a vibrant learning environment that provides children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their learning. Staff have a detailed understanding of children’s learning needs and plan activities that are closely matched to their needs and also their interests. As a result, children maintain a high level of sustained engagement in their learning which helps them to make exceptional progress.
• Teaching in the Reception class is effective. Staff plan themes, such as ‘space’ to engage children in learning and children eagerly participate in the exciting activities provided. Consequently, children continue to make progress across the Reception Year. However, on occasion, staff do not challenge the most able children sufficiently, which does not enable some children to reach the standards of which they are capable.
• Across the early years, staff place a high focus on developing children’s language and communication. Staff have high expectations and take every opportunity to model language and encourage children to speak in full sentences. Staff also place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ reading and writing. The development of children’s communication, language and literacy skills is a key strength of the early years.
• There are very positive relationships between all children and staff. Children listen carefully to staff and behave well. This caring and nurturing environment helps children to become confident and independent learners.
• Children enter school with skills and abilities below those typical for their age. All children, including children with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress. By the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development has been in line with, or above, the national average for the last three years. Children are well prepared for the start of Year 1.
• The early years leaders have a detailed understanding of the strengths in the early years, but also know where further improvements could be made. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching closely and provide effective training and support to help staff develop their practice where needed. This has been particularly successful in the Nursery class.
• Leaders have developed effective transition arrangements to help children settle into the Nursery and Reception classes. ‘One-page profiles’ clearly identify the individual needs of children. Parents are invited into school to find out how their children will learn, and children attend ‘stay and play’ sessions prior to starting school. In addition to this, staff carry out home visits, which enable them to establish strong bonds with families and children. This work helps children to start school with confidence.
• Leaders have formed strong links with a range of external agencies such as speech and language therapists and the child development centre. They work with these agencies to provide support to families and children. Families value this support, which ensures that children are fully included in the life of the school, especially children with a high level of complex needs.
• Safeguarding is effective and all early years welfare requirements met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103227 Birmingham 10052846 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 466 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr David Tucker Mrs Avnish Dhesi 0121 523 7321 www.lozells.bham.sch.uk enquiry@lozells.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 March 2015

Information about this school

• Since the last inspection a new headteacher has been appointed.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is similar to the national average.
• The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. Some of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors met with pupils, heard a selection of pupils read and observed pupils in the breakfast and after-school clubs, and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND and the pupil premium, the safeguarding leader, the early years leader and senior leaders with subject responsibilities. The lead inspector met with two members of the governing body.
• A range of pupils’ books from all year groups and a range of subjects were scrutinised.
• Several documents were considered, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan. Inspectors also considered information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety.
• At the time of the inspection there were insufficient responses on Parent View for inspectors to take them into account. Inspectors spoke to parents before school. No online pupil or staff questionnaires were issued.

Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Kirsty Foulkes Diana Pearce

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector