Northfield Manor Primary Academy

Inspection of Northfield Manor Primary Academy Swarthmore Road, Selly Oak, Swarthmore Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B29 4JT

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They achieve well and talk confidently about their learning. One pupil said, ‘Every day I wake up smiling because the school is such a good place, and everyone is so nice’. Many pupils share this sentiment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say bullying sometimes happens although not very often. When it does, the adults in school deal with it effectively. Pupils said they used to hear racist language, but not anymore. This is because they have been taught why using it is wrong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in and out of the classroom. Senior leaders have worked hard to put in place a behaviour policy that is clear and consistent. As a result, pupils behave well in lessons. Teachers say they are now free to teach without having to worry about behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are proud to work at the school. Senior leaders have worked hard to improve the curriculum for pupils. Pupils rise to leaders’ high expectations. Teachers say that leaders consider staff workload and well-being. Teachers work hard, but leaders have thought about ways to reduce burdens on workload.

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better?

Leaders have improved the quality of teaching in reading since the previous inspection. An updated phonics scheme launched this September. This scheme builds on one the school had previously. All staff have completed refresher training. Consequently, the teaching of phonics is consistent across the school and most pupils read confidently, fluently and with understanding. Leaders have identified widening gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdowns. Leaders have prioritised addressing these gaps to ensure pupils catch up.

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better?

Staff consistently meet the needs of most of the pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the most able. However, staff do not use assessment as well as they could to identify what pupils, including the most able, know and remember from what they have been taught. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not receive work that is challenging enough or build on what they already know and can do.

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better?

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that class teachers are trained well in supporting pupils with SEND. Teachers adapt the delivery of the curriculum well when needed. In addition, staff deliver a programme that focuses on academic and social skills for those pupils who need additional support. Leaders use this provision successfully to help pupils get back into class and to be successful. 15–16 September 2021

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Subject leaders are passionate about and know their subjects well. They have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to know and remember. Pupils can confidently talk about how prior learning has helped them to improve. In a physical education (PE) lesson, for example, pupils talked confidently about how they learned the different skills of dodgeball, how to dodge the ball and how to throw the ball safely, before applying this to a match situation.

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Leaders have largely developed a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on pupils’ prior learning. However, in some subjects, curriculum planning is less developed. Leaders have not fully mapped out what pupils need to know and remember. This means that teachers are not always checking that pupils are remembering the right things.

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Children in early years have settled in well. Children know and understand the rules and routines. They work cooperatively with each other. Staff are good role models for speaking and listening. They encourage children to talk to them and other children. Staff teach children how to take risks safely, for example building a sturdy bridge to walk on.

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Pupils read widely and often. They talk passionately about the different books they read, including classic texts such as ‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’. They understand what they read and make comparisons between stories and real- life situations. Pupils show a sensitivity about issues around the world. In a discussion with pupils, one pupil talked about a book they were reading about a refugee moving to the United Kingdom. One child said, ‘If a refugee joined the school they would be welcomed, because even though we are different, we’re really just the same’. Pupils hold respectful views and embrace each other’s differences.

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Pupils appreciate the wide range of clubs. These include recorder lessons, forest school, computing, drama, tag rugby, debating and origami. Pupils love to sing. They were observed singing with enthusiasm and passion. One child said, ‘I really missed singing, it is so much fun’.

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Trustees know the school well. They monitor, support and challenge leaders effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team and staff work effectively to ensure pupils are safe. Record keeping is comprehensive. Leaders use these well to analyse and spot any concerning patterns. Leaders work closely with a wide range of professionals to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need. Leaders have ensured that appropriate checks are in place to make sure that the adults who work in the school are suitable to work with children and pupils. 15–16 September 2021

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Trustees are aware of their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They have ensured there is no attitude of complacency.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject plans are do not give teachers the detail of what the pupils need to know and remember so that they can learn new things. This means that teachers are not always checking pupils have remembered the important knowledge teachers want them to have. Leaders should make sure that it is clear what key knowledge the pupils need to know so that they can succeed in these subjects.  Teachers have used assessment to identify gaps in pupils’ learning. However, staff are not consistently identifying what pupils, including the most able, know, remember, and can do. This means that pupils, sometimes, do not have work that is challenging enough or builds on what they already know. Leaders need to make sure that teachers use assessment to check what all pupils know and remember so they receive work that is challenging, builds on what they already know and deepens their understanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 .

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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. 15–16 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10201053 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website https://northfieldmanoracademy.org.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Victoria Academies Trust.  The school has developed an internal provision that supports pupils with SEND. Currently six pupils attend for mornings only.  The school operates a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the SENCo and curriculum leaders. 15–16 September 2021

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 Meetings were held with the chief executive officer of the Victoria Academies Trust, the chair of the board of trustees and a representative of the school’s governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, and PE. This included visiting lessons, listening to pupils read, looking at pupils’ work, meeting with senior and subject leaders and discussions with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leads and checked documents relating to safeguarding, including the checks made on new staff. They also examined documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered the 41 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View and 40 free-text responses. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the day.  Inspectors considered the 37 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Potter Ofsted Inspector 15–16 September 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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