Pedmore CE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Pedmore CE Primary School Hagley Road, Pedmore, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY9 0RH

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Outcome

Pedmore CE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pedmore CE Primary is a happy school where pupils flourish. There is a strong sense of ‘family’ and of belonging. The school values – respect, trust, happiness and compassion – are at the heart of everything. Pupils say that these values give them ‘guidance about how to live life’. The majority of parents are very positive about the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Governors, leaders and staff have high ambitions for pupils. Pupils enjoy being challenged. They work hard. By the time they leave, most pupils reach very high standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also do well in other subjects, such as science and music. Everyone has chance to learn a musical instrument, play in a concert, work in the outdoor classroom and forest school. These activities help pupils to grow in confidence and to love learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to be responsible citizens. Pupils take this seriously. They behave well. They carry out important roles for certain aspects of school life, such as worship and reflection and caring for the world’s environment. They have a mature sense of justice and know that behaviour such as bullying is unacceptable and would be addressed. They are proud of their school and feel safe and secure.

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

This school is well led by knowledgeable leaders. Everyone works together with a clear sense of purpose. Subject leaders say that they value the support and challenge provided by link governors. Staff see governors as ‘critical friends’. This helps the school to continually improve.

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

The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils frequently discuss sophisticated moral questions involving beliefs and life choices. They listen to each other and respect other viewpoints. Pupils say that they love school clubs and trips to places such as the Enginuity Centre at Ironbridge. 10–11 December 2019

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included fully in all aspects of the curriculum. Well-trained teaching assistants support individuals to help them overcome the challenges that they face so that these pupils can achieve well. One pupil summed this up: ‘Even though we are all different, we are all part of the team and everyone has a chance to have a go.’

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Most subject leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to have mastered and by when. This helps teachers to check that pupils have a secure understanding so that they can tackle more challenging subject content. For example, Year 6 pupils spoke about their work on the circulatory system. They explained how previous learning about the digestive system helped them to understand this. Well- planned science investigations ignite pupils’ love of science. This strengthens their understanding of scientific methods. Leaders are continuing to develop other subjects, such as art.

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Mathematics is exceptionally well led. Staff learn from each other, from other schools and from international research. As a result, the teaching of mathematics is of a high quality and pupils make strong progress. Pupils enjoy tackling challenging mathematical problems and they can confidently explain their reasoning. This is seen across the school, including in the early years. For example, during the inspection, Reception children were confidently using mathematical language and choosing equipment to secure their understanding of number work.

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The writing leaders have introduced logical sequences of work across the school, including in the early years. This makes sure that new subject content is balanced well with opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their writing skills. Teachers set creative writing tasks linked to high-quality children’s literature. As a result, pupils enjoy writing for different purposes and audiences.

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Leaders ensure that early reading is a high priority. Teachers are clear about the sounds, words and books that children should be able to read by the end of each term. Children’s reading books match the sounds that they are taught. This is helping pupils to read accurately, with confidence and fluency. Almost all pupils learn to read fluently and independently by the end of Year 2 and many reach high standards.

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In Years 3 to 6, teachers are not clear about the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to develop in reading comprehension. Some teachers read aloud daily to their class. However, this varies across the school. Leaders do not check to make sure that pupils hear and discuss a wide range of different authors and text types. As a result, in key stage 2, some pupils do not make as much progress in reading comprehension as they could. Leaders are addressing these issues.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. When any concerns arise, all staff follow the proper procedures. They make sure that the right people are involved. Leaders’ records and day-to-day notes show this. They are 10–11 December 2019

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A close eye is kept on staff training and records are easily accessible and frequently checked. Pupils say that they feel safe everywhere in and around school. They talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet. The safeguarding posters and prompts on display in classrooms and corridors are a daily reminder for pupils and staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders need to continue their work to develop the school’s curriculum. They already have good models in place in some subjects, such as mathematics. They now need to make sure that all subjects are equally well-planned and that all leaders have a clear oversight of their subjects. This will enable leaders and teachers to be even more effective in checking that pupils can build their knowledge and understanding across subjects and are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.  The early reading curriculum is planned and taught well. However, leaders do not have a precise enough understanding of how pupils continue to develop reading comprehension skills as they move across Years 3 to 6. Expectations for this are not clear to staff. Leaders also know that they need to make modifications to the way reading sessions are timetabled and organised in key stage 2 so that all pupils hear and discuss a wide range of authors. This should enable pupils to make stronger progress

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 4–5 June 2015.

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find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10–11 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10088563 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 June 2015

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Information about this school

 This school is designated as having a religious character. It received its section 48 inspection in June 2017 when this aspect of the school’s work was judged as outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 I held meetings with the headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders and teaching staff. I met with the chair of the governing body and four further governors.  I looked in depth at early reading and the wider reading curriculum, writing and science. I also looked at mathematics. In each subject, inspection activities included discussions with the subject leader, visits to lessons, discussions with teachers, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils.  I listened to three groups of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime. I spoke formally with two groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  I met with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. I reviewed policies and 10–11 December 2019

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records relating the safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. I spoke to pupils and staff about how safe pupils are at school.  I reviewed the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of the governing body meetings and information on the school’s website. I took account of the six written responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  I took into consideration the 88 responses to Parent View, including the 89 free-text responses and two letters from parents, delivered during the inspection. I spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day. I telephoned two parents, at their request.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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