Hanbury Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hanbury Primary School 2 Hanbury Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 9NT

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hanbury Primary School is a warm and caring school which pupils are proud to attend. Leaders have created spaces where pupils love to learn. Pupils enjoy their visits to the school library, which is well stocked. It has a range of books that pupils find exciting to read. Pupils enjoy taking these books home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a broad range of subjects. They enjoy lessons and actively engage in their learning. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they might. This is because, in these subjects, the curriculum is not yet well planned and sequenced.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities that extend their learning beyond the classroom. For example, leaders have recently introduced outdoor learning sessions. These sessions promote pupils’ character development and their resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They show respect to each other and to adults. Pupils behave well most of the time. Bullying is rare and pupils trust staff to deal with it quickly when it happens. Pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe. As one pupil said, ‘Teachers absolutely, really care for you.’ Parents agree.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils and are determined to provide them with a good quality of education. However, some wider curriculum subjects are not yet sufficiently well planned. Leaders are aware of this and have started to make the necessary improvements. They know that there is more work to do. 2 and 3 February 2022

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils enjoy reading and being read to. Leaders have ensured that the phonics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Most teachers are clear about which sounds to teach and when to teach them. However, not all staff have the confidence or expertise to deliver the phonics curriculum well. This means that children at an early stage of reading do not always learn to read new sounds quickly enough. The books that pupils take home match the sounds they are learning. Pupils are passionate about reading. They know it is an important part of their education and prepares them for their lives ahead.

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In some subjects, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. For example, in mathematics, the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils are expected to know and remember are set out very clearly. This means that teachers know exactly what to teach and when. However, in some other subjects, the curriculum content is not clearly set out. As a result, teachers are unclear about the important knowledge pupils need to learn. This means that some pupils do not know and remember key information.

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Leaders monitor the impact of their work. However, in some subjects they have not fully checked the difference that recent changes to the curriculum are making. This means that leaders do not know yet if the new changes to the curriculum are being delivered consistently and effectively.

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Leaders ensure that provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well matched to pupils’ needs. Some pupils with more complex needs spend some of their time learning in ‘Willows’. This provision offers some well-targeted support when pupils need it.

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Children in the early years are happy and curious. They are eager to play and learn. Staff provide them with a range of suitable tasks and activities that help build the foundation for their future learning. Staff ensure that children learn songs and rhymes. They sing songs they have previously learned and play handbells without any adult help.

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Pupils have opportunities to develop character and independence. In lessons such as personal, social and health education, they learn about the importance of tolerance and respect. Pupils respect their friends’ different cultural and religious beliefs.

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Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. They are ready to learn. The pandemic has prevented some trips from happening; however, leaders have brought the wider world to pupils. For example, at Christmas, reindeers visited the school. In outdoor sessions, pupils solve problems by working together. This helps to develop their character and resilience.

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Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school. They recognise that further work is required to improve the school’s curriculum. New governors are well supported by experienced governors. This helps to ensure that all governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. 2 and 3 February 2022

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Staff feel well supported by their leaders. They say that leaders listen to them and they appreciate the steps leaders have taken to look after their well-being.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that curriculum planning and staff training may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know the school community well. They understand the challenges that pupils face. Leaders make safeguarding and pupils’ welfare everyone’s business. They ensure that staff know how to identify pupils at potential risk of harm. This means that staff take the right action if they have concerns. Leaders respond swiftly. They work with other agencies to keep pupils as safe as possible. Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say teachers keep them safe when they go swimming and cross the road. They understand how to stay safe online.

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Safeguarding

Governors check that leaders carry out all appropriate checks on staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some subjects is not sufficiently well planned and sequenced. This means that in these subjects, teachers do not plan lessons that connect to prior learning. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects sets out the essential knowledge that pupils are expected to learn in each subject, and that staff teach the curriculum as intended.  Some teachers do not have the confidence or expertise to deliver some aspects of the curriculum well. This means that some pupils do not make the progress they should. Leaders should ensure that all staff are equally well trained in the subjects that they teach.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately. 2 and 3 February 2022

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 2 and 3 February 2022

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School details

Chair of governing body Jane Hickinbottom

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 One registered alternative provider is used by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector held a range of meetings with the headteacher. She met with three members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair, in person.  The lead inspector also met with a representative of Sandwell Education Authority.  Inspectors held meetings with the designated safeguarding leader, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator, assistant headteachers and other leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history.  For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 2 and 3 February 2022

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 Inspectors also looked at curriculum planning and spoke to leaders about some other subjects, including geography and art. They met with subject leaders and teachers to talk about the quality of education in these subjects.  Inspectors made visits to classrooms. Most of these visits were with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders.  Inspectors made visits to the early years part of the school. Most of these visits were with the early years leader.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning and experiences at school. They looked at pupils’ work to see how well staff implement the curriculum.  Safeguarding documents were checked, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors checked that staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school.

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 Inspectors talked to parents at the beginning and end of the day. The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plan, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, published information about pupils’ performance and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspectors looked at information published on the school’s website.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Moran, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2022

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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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