Lift Four Dwellings Primary

Inspection of Four Dwellings Primary Academy Quinton Road West, Quinton, Birmingham, West Midlands B32 1PJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Inadequate 15–16 June 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Four Dwellings Primary is a calm, happy and safe place for pupils to learn. Pupils enjoy school and play happily at breaktimes with their friends. Leaders are determined to build on the improvements they have made to make the school even better. Changes made have led to a better quality of education and experience for pupils. Leaders know that there is still work to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Most behave well and get the support they need if they are struggling to manage their behaviour. Occasionally, pupils can lose focus in lessons and do not work as hard as they could. They sit quietly but do not answer teachers’ questions or take an active part in lessons. Pupils’ attendance has been affected by the pandemic. It is getting better, but there is still more to do to make sure that everyone attends school regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is not an issue but that they know who to talk to if there is a problem. Pupils actively seek out the pastoral leader if they have any problems or personal issues that they want to discuss.

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better?

Leaders have worked hard to improve the quality of education that pupils receive, including during lockdown periods. The new executive headteacher has made a positive impact on the school in a short period of time. Governors and trust members have ensured that leaders focus on the right priorities for the school. Actions taken are closely tracked. Probing questions and checks ensure that staff and leaders are held fully to account for their work.

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better?

The trust has provided good support in helping leaders shape and refine the curriculum. It is much improved as a result. Staff appreciate the training they have received to help them deliver English and mathematics. They also benefit from observing secondary colleagues teach French and music to pupils in their classes. Teachers adapt their lessons well to suit pupils’ special educational needs. These pupils receive well-targeted support to ensure that they achieve well.

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better?

Overall, the curriculum is well planned. It includes a broad range of subjects and activities. A greater focus is now placed on developing pupils’ knowledge in all areas. However, much of the planning in place is recent. As a result, pupils have some gaps in their knowledge and teachers have not had an opportunity to implement newly developed plans across all subjects.

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better?

The early years curriculum is organised and sequenced well. However, there is a mismatch between what is planned and what is taught. Sometimes, activities lack challenge for children. They do not build on what children already know and can do. 15–16 June 2021

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Reading and phonics are planned and delivered effectively. Pupils use their phonics skills confidently to decode words. Lower-ability pupils read to an adult every day. This helps them to catch up quickly. A love of reading is strongly promoted. A book vending machine, well-stocked library and regular story time all encourage pupils to read and enjoy books.

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Leaders’ actions to improve behaviour have led to a calmer atmosphere around school and pupils feeling safe. Clear routines and high expectations are in place. Behaviour incidents and fixed-term exclusions continue to reduce. While there is very little disruptive behaviour in classrooms, a good proportion of pupils drift off task and do not engage fully in lessons. This limits the progress they make.

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Leaders are working extremely hard to improve attendance and combat persistent absence. Effective reward systems are in place and leaders rigorously follow up all absences. Improved relationships with parents are helping improve overall attendance. However, the number of pupils who are persistently absent remains too high.

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Personal development has rightly been a priority area this year. Lessons and activities ensure that pupils understand and embrace equality and diversity. Additional events help pupils to develop their team-building skills and develop resilience. A wide range of clubs and completion of ‘passport’ activities contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school and help extend their experiences and interests.

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Staff appreciate the ongoing support they get from leaders and the trust for their training, workload, and well-being. They say that it is safe to raise concerns and that these will be listened to.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have developed strong relationships with pupils and their families. As a result, they are alert to any sudden changes in a pupil’s behaviour or welfare. Leaders are proactive and work hard to keep pupils safe. They act quickly and are persistent in ensuring that pupils at risk of harm get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular and appropriate training. They know and follow the agreed reporting procedures when they have any safeguarding concerns. Leaders record incidents promptly and systematically. Pupils say they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. 15–16 June 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have recently reviewed and updated curriculum planning in the foundation subjects to ensure that pupils acquire the range and depth of knowledge needed to meet the requirements of the national curriculum. However, the implementation and impact of these plans are at a very early stage. Pupils have limited understanding and knowledge in some areas, for example locational knowledge in geography. Leaders should provide training for staff to develop the subject expertise needed to ensure that pupils can do more and remember more in all subject areas.  Teaching in Reception is not building fully on the strong practice in the Nursery. Leaders do not ensure that the provision is of the same high quality or that curriculum planning is implemented in daily practice. Activities do not cover the learning objectives identified in areas such as ‘understanding the world’. Consequently, children do not gain the basic skills and knowledge they need in

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

some areas of learning. Too many activities are child-initiated and lack challenge. As a result, children are not sufficiently prepared for Year 1. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum planning is followed carefully and that activities build on what children already know and can do.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not as positive as they could be. They are compliant, rather than engrossed in lessons. They do not readily respond to questions or complete as much work as they could. Leaders should ensure that teaching motivates and enthuses pupils and equips them with the independent skills needed to contribute to the progress they make.  Leaders have worked tirelessly to improve attendance, with a good degree of success. However, there are still a significant number who are persistently absent or who arrive late. Leaders should continue to develop the emerging strong partnerships with parents to ensure that they understand the importance of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

sending their children to school regularly and on time.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 15–16 June 2021

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school here .

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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. 15–16 June 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10184725 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Stuart Shelton (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website www.fourdwellingsprimaryacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9–10 July 2019 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the previous headteacher has left the school. Following a period of interim leadership, the executive headteacher was appointed for both Four Dwellings secondary and primary schools in September 2020. Both schools are on the same site and are part of the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET).  Staffing has remained stable and there have been very few staff changes since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. Inspectors deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 15–16 June 2021

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In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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 The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and staff in the early years. Meetings were held with the director of education services for AET, the system leader for the trust and the chair of governors.  The inspectors considered reading, writing, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages as part of the inspection. This entailed visiting lessons; talking to subject leaders, teachers and pupils; and looking at planning and pupils’ work. Several pupils were observed reading to an adult or reading aloud in class. The lead inspector also spoke to leaders about the wider curriculum and how this is developing.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including those relating to attendance, behaviour, the school’s plans for improvement and curriculum planning. Governor and headteacher reports were examined together with

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information on the school’s website and published information about the school.  The inspectors considered the school’s approach to safeguarding and looked at a range of safeguarding records, including the single central register and individual cases. The inspectors looked at the school’s recording of behaviour incidents and exclusions.  The inspectors also observed pupils at play at breaktime and lunchtime and talked to groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspectors met with groups of staff. They considered the 22 responses to the staff survey.  There were 21 responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online survey. All parent comments received on parent text were also reviewed.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Potter Ofsted Inspector 15–16 June 2021

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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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