Nonsuch Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that teachers consistently:
  • plan work to meet pupils’ learning needs, especially those of the most able and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, to enable them to make rapid progress
  • address low-level disruption in lessons more effectively
  • correct basic misconceptions in spelling, grammar and punctuation in pupils’ work and check that pupils do not continue to make the same mistakes
  • apply the presentation and handwriting policies more consistently and insist that pupils produce work to the best of their ability
  • provide pupils with effective help and support to develop their mathematical learning.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • implementing further the effective strategies already in place to improve the rates of attendance so no pupils are disadvantaged by missing too much school
  • ensuring that all teachers apply the behaviour policy to reduce the incidents of disruptive behaviour in lessons.
• Further improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • supporting leaders new to their roles to develop and extend their responsibilities so they have a greater impact on school improvement
  • providing training to develop teachers’ understanding of how to plan to meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities in lessons.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher has an uncompromising determination to ensure that the school provides its pupils with the best quality of education possible. She has taken decisive action to drive significant improvements across the school. The appointment of the acting head of school has further enhanced the strength of the leadership team. Together, they have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths, but also where further developments are needed. Their work over the last term has successfully eradicated the remaining inadequate issues within the school.
• The recently formed new leadership team has quickly got to grips with the key areas of improvement the school needs to make. Their work is already leading to some rapid improvements across the school. However, almost all of the leadership team are new to their posts and so the full impact of their actions is yet to be seen.
• The leadership of special educational needs is highly effective. Leaders assess the specific needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities carefully, and then work hard to ensure that the right support is in place to help these pupils, including working with specialist agencies when needed. They use additional funding well to make sure the provision in place is sustainable. However, leaders identified that some teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to plan for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities when they are in class. They have provided teachers with some initial training to help them improve specific teaching skills, but this training and support is at an early stage of development.
• Leaders hold teachers to account rigorously for pupils’ outcomes. They monitor the quality of teaching very closely, noting key strengths and areas for development for all teachers. They use this information to provide teachers with bespoke training and coaching to improve their skills. Teachers appreciate the support they receive and actively seek out further guidance to help them to improve their practice. Leaders have a precise understanding of the current quality of teaching and learning and are taking effective action to address any remaining weaknesses. Their actions have led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching and learning since Easter 2018.
• Over the last year, leaders have developed the curriculum significantly and it is now both broad and balanced. They have designed the curriculum carefully so pupils can build on their knowledge and skills from one year to the next in a range of different subjects. Art, science and religious education are developed particularly well across the school. Leaders check the learning environments and pupils’ work in all subjects to make sure that pupils have rich and varied learning experiences. This learning is further enhanced by wider learning opportunities such as visits to the school, for example by archaeologists and artists.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is developed well through the curriculum. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum has a strong focus on helping pupils become positive role models, including helping pupils to learn right from wrong and about the importance of telling the truth. Visits from charities such as the Macmillan Cancer charity further help pupils to understand the importance of helping others. This work helps prepare pupils to become considerate citizens in modern Britain.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding well to support disadvantaged pupils, both academically and pastorally. Leaders identify the barriers to pupils’ learning and then seek out ways to help these pupils overcome their barriers to enable them to make progress in their learning. In addition to this, disadvantaged pupils benefit from wider social experiences such as visits to musical concerts. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils are beginning to make more rapid progress to help them catch up with the standards expected for their ages.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used to great effect. Leaders target the funding carefully to engage as many pupils as possible in physical activity. They have been particularly creative at using the funding to encourage pupils who do not like sports to become more active. In addition to this, leaders have provided staff with training to help develop their skills when teaching PE. As a result, pupils’ participation in physical activity has risen, as has the number of competitive sporting events the school takes part in.
• Leaders utilise the expertise from across the multi-academy trust to improve and develop the school, especially in developing the quality of teaching. This support has proved to be highly effective and is continuing to help the school to improve.

Governance of the school

• Governors take their roles and responsibilities, including their responsibility to safeguard pupils, very seriously. They are a small team of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly with school leaders to ensure that the school improvement journey continues. They have developed their skills and expertise very well over the last year. Governors have a realistic view of the school’s current position and recognise where further improvements still need to be made quickly to move the school further forward.
• Governors do not shy away from holding leaders to account for the school’s performance. They scrutinise the information leaders provide, including reviewing pupils’ outcomes, and check carefully that it provides an accurate picture of the current performance. Where concerns arise, they challenge leaders and check that further actions leaders take lead to improvements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have instilled a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. The new leader for safeguarding has rapidly developed her skills and has checked that all staff within the school know, understand and use the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures. When new staff join the school, the leader makes sure that they receive full safeguarding training before starting so they know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. The leader follows up all concerns raised by staff quickly and seeks additional help and guidance from specialist agencies when needed to ensure that pupils are kept as safe as possible.
• Leaders undertake all necessary safeguarding checks on staff and visitors to the school and follow statutory safeguarding procedures carefully. Risk assessments, including for individual pupils, are detailed. They identify any potential risks to pupils and how the risks are to be mitigated. This further helps to keep pupils safe in school and when out on trips.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is variable across the school. Some teachers do not plan well enough to meet pupils’ learning needs. Too often they provide all pupils with the same work, which is either too hard for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities or too easy for the most able pupils. This limits pupils’ progress.
• Some teachers do not address inappropriate behaviour in classes well enough. They are slow to recognise when pupils disengage from their learning and do not provide support swiftly to prevent pupils becoming disruptive. On occasion, this leads to pupils disturbing the learning of others.
• In writing, some teachers do not address basic mistakes in pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation. They do not ensure that pupils understand how to correct the mistakes and also do not check if pupils repeat their mistakes. Additionally, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ presentation are too often too low. They do not insist that pupils use correct letter formation in their handwriting. This means pupils do not make as much progress as they should in writing.
• While the quality of teaching in mathematics has improved through a recently introduced mathematics scheme, a number of teachers do not understand fully the new teaching methods. They do not provide pupils with sufficient support to help them understand the mathematics topics being taught. Consequently, pupils do not make enough progress in their learning.
• Where teaching is stronger, teachers use high-quality questioning to help pupils think more deeply. Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly to make sure that the work they provide builds on their previous learning. They provide pupils with effective feedback to help them learn from their mistakes. This enables pupils to make strong progress.
• Some teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and ensure that the right support is in place to enable pupils to make strong progress. They are particularly skilled at spotting where pupils have gaps in their learning and plan activities carefully to help pupils catch up quickly.
• Teachers generally have secure subject knowledge in a range of subjects. Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers are now making sure that pupils’ skills and knowledge are developed in all subjects. For example, pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are built on from one year to the next because teachers provide them with more challenging experiments to attempt. Teachers provide pupils with a range of opportunities to develop their writing skills in other subjects, such as writing a reflection about a piece of art work they have completed.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• All staff have pupils’ welfare as a high priority. Staff know and understand pupils’ needs in detail and a range of support is available to provide pupils with additional help where needed. For example, provision in the nurture room helps pupils to understand how to manage their own emotions and feelings. Staff effectively help pupils to become confident and self-assured. Many pupils welcomed the inspectors to their school with pride.
• The PSHE curriculum helps pupils to learn about how to keep themselves safe. For example, during the internet safety week, Year 6 pupils designed ‘apps’ to explain how to keep safe online. Pupils are taught what bullying is and how to deal with it should it occur. Pupils say that bullying has reduced dramatically and they are now confident that if it should happen, teachers will deal with it quickly.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. A recent ‘pupil voice’ survey shows that the number of pupils who say they feel safe has significantly increased since the last survey, with only a small minority of pupils expressing any concerns.
• Staff encourage pupils to be respectful of one another and to celebrate their differences. Pupils’ understanding of, and respect for, other faiths is particularly well developed. By the end of Year 6, pupils have learned about the main world religions and visited the places of worship linked to the religions. This helps pupils to develop respect and tolerance towards different cultures.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Some teachers do not use the school’s behaviour policy consistently. They are slow to respond to inappropriate behaviour. On occasion, this leads to the behaviour escalating and preventing some pupils from learning. A few pupils report that their classes are too noisy. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable across the school. Where teaching is stronger, pupils try hard and are very positive about their learning. However, in some classes, pupils do not apply themselves as well as they should and teachers do not manage these poor attitudes well enough. This means pupils do not make as much progress as they should.
• However, behaviour around the school and at breaktimes is calm and orderly. Pupils socialise well together and play happily and cooperatively. Pupils show respect for one another and for adults. Leaders ensure that pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour receive support to help them have positive experiences in school. Leaders’ work to improve the behaviour during breaktimes has been highly effective. As a result, behaviour incidents, including exclusions, have reduced considerably over time. Parents and carers report that behaviour has improved, and no parents spoken to during the inspection expressed any concerns about behaviour.
• Leaders’ work to improve pupils’ attendance, including the attendance of pupils who frequently miss school, has been effective. Where pupils have very significant issues with attending school, leaders go to great lengths to help them attend as much as possible. Leaders monitor attendance in great detail. Where additional support is needed, leaders ensure that this is provided quickly, including utilising support from family support workers and other outside agencies. While overall attendance has shown some improvements and persistent absence has reduced, leaders recognise that there is still more work to do to ensure that no pupil is disadvantaged by missing too much school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• At the end of key stage 1 in 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics was well below the national average. Only a small minority of pupils achieved the higher levels of learning in reading, and no pupils achieved this level in writing or mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 in 2018 has risen, especially in writing. In addition to this, a few pupils achieved the higher levels of learning in reading, writing and mathematics. However, while improving, standards at the end of key stage 1 still remain low.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, pupils’ progress in reading was below the national average, and progress in writing and mathematics was significantly below. Pupils’ attainment in all of these subjects was below the national average.
• Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 in 2018 has risen in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in writing has increased considerably. At this time, there are no progress measures available for Year 6 pupils. However, leaders’ analysis of pupils’ progress from the start to the end of Year 6 shows that pupils have made strong progress over the year. This is confirmed by work in pupils’ books.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2017 was below the national average. The same proportion achieved the expected standard in 2018.
• Leaders monitor pupils’ progress in great detail. Current outcomes indicate that pupils are now making better progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school. However, due to previous inadequate teaching, some pupils still have significant gaps in their learning and are not achieving as highly as they should. Leaders recognise this and are providing pupils with targeted support to help them close the gaps in their learning. Work in pupils’ books confirms that current pupils are making adequate progress, and in some year groups, good progress.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not make as much progress as they should in class. This is because teachers do not match work carefully enough to their learning needs. Leaders are taking action to address this, but the impact of their actions is yet to be seen.
• Disadvantaged pupils currently are making the same rates of progress as their peers, and in some cases better progress. They receive a range of additional support to help them make further strong progress. However, many are still not achieving highly enough.
• In 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels of learning in reading, writing and mathematics rose at the end of key stages 1 and 2. However, this proportion remains low. While teachers now provide more challenge for the most able pupils, they are still not helping these pupils to make sufficient progress in their learning to enable them to achieve as well as they should.
• Leaders check how well pupils are achieving in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics. Since February 2018, work in pupils’ books demonstrates that pupils are making progress in all areas of the curriculum, with notable strengths observed in science and art.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leaders work across the multi-academy trust. The leaders ensure that assessments of children’s achievements are accurate. The effective support from leaders has helped to drive considerable improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and, therefore, children’s achievements.
• Staff in the early years now assess children’s skills and abilities well and plan learning activities that are matched carefully to children’s needs and interests. Consequently, children show a high level of engagement in the activities provided for them and focus for sustained periods of time on their learning. This helps pupils make good progress. While teaching and learning in the early years have improved significantly, leaders recognise where further developments need to be made to enable children to make even better progress in all aspects of their learning.
• Children begin school with skills and abilities below those typical for their age. At the end of 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved a good level of development was below the national average but showed a rise on previous years. At the end of 2018, the proportion achieving a good level of development has risen further, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Children in the early years are confident and self-assured learners. Staff encourage children to ‘have a go’ before intervening to help them. However, when children begin to struggle, staff then step in to help and guide children’s learning so they continue to make progress. Children’s strong independence and eagerness to learn means they are well prepared for the challenges of Year 1.
• Leaders make sure that children who have SEN and/or disabilities receive the right support to enable them to fully engage in their learning. Staff and leaders identify their needs and adapt the learning activities to meet these needs. As a result, these children make strong progress in the early years.
• Staff work closely with parents and ensure that they are as involved as much as possible with their children’s learning. For example, staff run reading and phonics workshops to help parents understand how they can support their children’s reading at home. Children attend ‘stay and play’ sessions before starting school to help prepare them for school. As a result of the positive relationships between children, parents and staff, children settle quickly into school.
• The learning environment in the early years is exceptionally calm. Children interact very positively together; they listen carefully when their friends are speaking, help one another when needed and happily share the resources they are using. Behaviour is excellent, which helps to develop a very purposeful learning environment.
• Children in the early years are well cared for. Staff understand all safeguarding procedures and policies and keep children as safe as possible. All safeguarding and welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number 142358 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10045279 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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 197 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Margaret Andrew Executive headteacher Samantha Cosgrove Telephone number 01214 642 064 Website www.nonsuch.bham.sch.uk/ Email address enquiry@nonsuch.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28–29 June 2016

Information about this school

• The school became part of the Barchelai multi-academy trust in January 2016.
• Nonsuch Primary School is an average-sized school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. Some of the observations were carried out jointly with the head of school.
• Inspectors met with pupils formally and informally and observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the leader of provision for special educational needs, the early years teacher and senior leaders with subject responsibilities. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the academy trust.
• A sample of pupils’ books from all year groups and a range of subjects was looked at.
• A number of documents were considered including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. Inspectors also considered information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety.
• There were four responses on the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors spoke to parents before school. No pupil or staff questionnaires were completed.

Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Lindsay Nash Ofsted Inspector Louise Minter Ofsted Inspector