Bournville School

Inspection of Bournville School Hay Green Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands B30 1SH

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 November 2021

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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 Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 10 and 11 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an improving school. It is well led. Pupils are benefiting from an improving quality of education. They study an appropriate range of subjects. Learning is well planned so that pupils’ knowledge now builds from year to year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have an accurate view of the school. They have addressed previous low standards and expectations are now high. They also recognise that there are areas that are still not good enough and they are working hard to improve these. For example, the curriculum is not taught consistently well throughout the school. Some pupils do not have good attitudes to learning. Inappropriate behaviour impedes learning in too many lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils feel safe in school. They have confidence in staff to support them when problems, such as bullying, arise. Pupils appreciate recent improvements in behaviour and their learning. An increasing number of pupils are happy and enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is good. Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is effective. Pupils learn about rights and responsibilities, respect for others and how to keep themselves safe. High-quality careers education prepares pupils well for their next steps. Almost one third of pupils choose to learn a musical instrument.

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better?

Following the school’s previous inspection in 2017, standards declined. Attendance and behaviour deteriorated, and pupils’ learning suffered as a result. Many parents became unhappy with the school and the number of pupils on roll fell. Over the last two years, the head of academy and senior leaders have stemmed the decline. The school is now improving in all respects. They are supported well by staff from Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust (FMAT). A minority of parents still have a negative opinion of the school. At times, the way in which the school has communicated with parents has not served to build positive relationships.

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better?

Pupils in all years study a broad range of subjects. However, the curriculum does not currently contain design technology, but leaders have plans to address this issue. Leaders have put in place effective curriculum plans in all subjects in all years. This means that pupils’ knowledge should build logically over time.

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better?

How well the curriculum is taught varies considerably throughout the school. Strong practice is present. However, teachers do not consistently choose appropriate methods or resources to help pupils understand new concepts. They do not always check pupils’ understanding and address their misconceptions. So, pupils do not learn as well as they should. 10 and 11 November 2021

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Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. Attendance has improved and most pupils attend regularly. However, too many pupils are regularly late to school. The school’s efforts to address this issue has had only limited success to date.

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Behaviour has improved over recent months. However, there remains too much inappropriate behaviour in some lessons, especially in Years 7, 8 and 9. This inappropriate behaviour hinders teaching and means that pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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Leaders have rightly placed a high priority on reading in the school. Phonics are taught well, particularly in the early years. Pupils who find reading difficult are supported successfully to catch up.

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The school provides effective support for pupils whose special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been identified. This includes pupils with education, health and care plans, such as those pupils within the school’s resource base for pupils with a hearing impairment. However, staff do not always identify pupils with SEND quickly enough. When this is the case, pupils do not get the help they need. Their learning suffers as a result.

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The school’s early years provision does not share the shortcomings evident elsewhere in the school. In Reception, pupils make good progress because the curriculum is well planned and delivered. Children behave well as they learn to share and take turns. Parents are increasingly involved in their children’s education.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development well. Many activities that were previously not possible because of COVID-19 are now getting going once again. These include a wide range of sporting clubs and teams. Music is strong in the school, both in the curriculum and as an extra-curricular activity. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has recently restarted. Pupils value the school’s PSHE education programme. It is particularly successful in teaching pupils about diversity and respect for people with protected characteristics. Careers education helps to ensure that pupils move on to appropriate further study when they leave the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School and FMAT leaders have provided comprehensive training for staff. As a result, staff are alert to the signs that pupils might need extra help. Staff understand the school’s systems and they use these to pass concerns on to leaders. Leaders deal with concerns appropriately. They have good relationships with external agencies. Leaders ensure that pupils get the support they need in a timely manner. Records relating to child protection are detailed, well organised and stored securely. 10 and 11 November 2021

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A small number of parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, expressed concerns about pupils’ safety. Inspection evidence did not support these concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The implementation of the curriculum varies greatly in quality between subjects and within subjects. Although strong practice exists, there is weak practice also. Inconsistent areas include teachers’ choices of methods and resources when explaining concepts, and their use of assessment to identify and address misconceptions. Consequently, pupils are not learning as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well throughout the school.  Pupils’ special educational needs are not always identified quickly enough. When this is the case, teachers do not make necessary adaptions to their teaching. Pupils are not given the support they need, and their learning suffers. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ additional needs are identified accurately and speedily, and that appropriate support is put in place for them.  A minority of pupils do not have positive attitudes to learning. Too many pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

are regularly late for school. There is too much low-level disruption to learning, especially in key stage 3. Leaders should ensure that punctuality improves and that the prevalence of low-level disruption of lessons reduces considerably.  Some parents hold negative views about the school. Their experiences of communication with the school have not always been positive. Leaders should seek to build positive relationships with all parents, including those who are not happy with the school.

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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. 10 and 11 November 2021

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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 and 11 November 2021

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School details

Headteacher Moira Green (Head of academy)

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School details

Website www.bournvilleschool.org/ Date of previous inspection 31 October and 1 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The head of academy took up her post in January 2020.  All the school’s senior leaders have taken up their posts since the last inspection.  The school uses four registered providers of alternative provision. A small number of pupils attend one of these.  The school has specially resourced provision for 10 pupils with a hearing impairment. This is funded by the local authority.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 Inspectors met with the head of academy and other senior leaders. They also held a meeting with the chair of the trust board, the chief executive officer of FMAT and an academy associate.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, physical education, history, science and PSHE education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered safeguarding by meeting with the designated safeguarding lead and other members of the safeguarding team, scrutinising policies and records relating to child protection and examining the safeguarding checks made on staff before they join the school.  Inspectors considered responses from staff and pupils to their online inspection questionnaires.  Inspectors spoke informally with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime. They

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observed the school at these times. Inspectors visited an assembly and several form times.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including written responses. They spoke with parents as they brought pupils to school.

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Inspection team

Alun Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt Her Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 November 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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