Nansen Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Nanaki Bajwa Headteacher Nansen Primary School Naseby Road Birmingham West Midlands B8 3HG

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Nansen Primary School

Following my visit with Matt Meckin, Ofsted Inspector (OI) to your school on 5 and 6 October 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Nansen Primary School

The inspection was the second monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in September 2019. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Nansen Primary School

This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. We discussed the ongoing impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in our evaluation.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Nansen Primary School

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

towards the removal of special measures.

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Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that the school may

I am copying this letter to the chair of the education advisory board, the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of Leigh Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection, an interim deputy headteacher, two assistant headteachers and a lead practitioner have joined the senior leadership team. A new early years leader and a teacher for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have also joined the school. Eight new teaching staff, including one early career teacher, have been appointed. Many subject leaders are new to their roles.

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Context

Leigh Trust has reviewed arrangements for school closure on Friday afternoons following discussions with the lead inspector at the last visit. In the wake of consultation with staff, parents and carers, the school is now open on Friday afternoons for all pupils.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The executive headteacher and headteacher have maintained the trajectory of improvement shown at the last monitoring inspection. They continue to demonstrate remarkable resolve and commitment to providing a high-quality education for all pupils. They have responded swiftly and appropriately to many of the areas identified in the last section 5 inspection report and from the last monitoring visit. They have ensured that expectations for staff remain high and that pupils behave well, work hard and are safe.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders know what needs to improve. They are focusing strongly on curriculum development. To this end, several new subject leaders have been appointed and planning in all subjects has been reviewed and revised. As a result, the curriculum in many subjects is now better sequenced. The knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn are set out clearly. This was evident in the music and computing planning checked during this visit. However, the implementation of the revised planning in all subjects is still at a very early stage and does not link closely enough with the early years curriculum. This aspect requires further work. Subject leaders also need to monitor the delivery and impact of these plans on pupils’ learning and long-term memory to determine their effectiveness.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Provision for reading and the school’s work to promote reading for pleasure have strengthened. Pupils have constant access to a wide range of books, including in the school dinner hall when they are eating lunch. Incentives, such as tokens for the book vending machine and other rewards, encourage and excite pupils to read regularly. Pupils with lower starting points are heard read daily to make sure that they catch up quickly. Leaders also ensure that phonics teaching extends into key stage 2 for pupils who remain at an early stage of reading. In contrast, leaders have been too slow to ensure that phonics teaching in the early years meets the needs of children with different abilities. At the time of this inspection, every child in Reception Year was learning the same letter and sound. This slows the progress of those who can move on faster.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Provision for pupils with SEND continues to improve. Pupils are identified early and receive additional adult support and intervention programmes to help them achieve well. However, historically, leaders have been too slow to obtain the support needed and gather the evidence required to refer pupils with the most complex needs to the local authority. As a result, some pupils do not yet have the education, health and care plans they should. This is now beginning to be addressed. The acting special educational needs coordinator is prioritising those with the greatest need and pupils who have recently joined the school to get the support they need as quickly as possible. A new specialist teacher and support staff have been appointed to work directly with pupils with high-level needs in a dedicated classroom.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders now use pupil premium funding more effectively. Pupils receive additional adult support and take home resources to ensure that they achieve as well as their peers. Leaders also use funding to ensure that pupils are treated equally and have the same access to school activities as other pupils. For example, school trips, swimming lessons and school uniform are all subsidised. Leaders hold support staff fully to account for the progress of these pupils by incorporating targets into their performance management reviews. The Education Advisory Board (EAB) also monitors the use of this funding carefully and tracks pupils’ achievement to determine impact.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders have continued to improve behaviour consistently and successfully. There is now a whole-school approach to managing pupils’ behaviour that staff and most pupils follow. As a result, there is a calm and orderly atmosphere in lessons and around school. The use of fixed-term exclusions and recorded incidents has reduced significantly. Lunchtime incidents have also reduced because supervisors receive training and support from leaders, and play equipment helps keep pupils active and entertained.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Attendance is improving but remains very low. Leaders monitor and track attendance and follow up pupils who are persistently absent. However, to date, this has not been effective. By the time of the inspection, approximately one in five children in Reception Year have already begun to miss school regularly. This means that they miss important lessons designed to teach them the essential basic skills needed to be successful at school and in life. Good habits are not established from the outset and this leads to ongoing attendance issues as pupils move through the school. Leaders are now considering firmer action to send a clear message about the importance of attending school regularly.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, leaders have reintroduced school clubs, visits and events. A wide range of sporting, musical and art opportunities are provided to encourage pupils to develop their interests and talents. Leaders have made positive progress towards enriching the curriculum and promoting pupils’ wider cultural experiences and knowledge.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Members of the EAB are knowledgeable and well informed about the improvements being made in relation to curriculum development and whole-school improvement. They are also very clear where further work is needed. Members use their professional skills to ask probing questions and hold leaders fully to account. They work closely with the trust and provide a good balance of support and challenge to leaders and staff. Staff feel well supported in terms of their professional development, workload and well- being. They receive training from subject leaders to ensure that they have the knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum well. They say that their workload is now more manageable because of changes made by the trust relating to preparation, planning and assessment time. They feel that leaders are approachable and care about them.

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Additional support

The trust provides a well-organised programme of support for the school. This includes extensive support, both formal and informal, for senior leaders. The headteacher values the support provided by the executive headteacher and trust members. Other school leaders also benefit from working closely with staff from other schools and sharing ideas and good practice. Being part of the trust has enabled some staff to move between schools and thus increase their expertise and leadership skills. This serves as effective professional development and offers promotion opportunities.

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Additional support

The trust is highly proactive and responsive to feedback. It acted swiftly to reinstate the opening of the school on Friday afternoons and shift the focus from judging teaching to evaluating learning following the last inspection visit. The trust commissions external reviews to maintain an objective view of areas such as early years, to aid its decision- making and maintain an accurate view of the school’s progress.

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Evidence

The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documents. They met with the executive headteacher and headteacher, other senior and subject leaders, the multi- academy trust board and representatives from the EAB. Inspectors spoke with pupils, staff and parents. The staff and parent surveys were also considered.

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