Nansen Primary School

Inspection of Nansen Primary School Naseby Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B8 3HG

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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 Inadequate 29 and 30 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, friendly and respectful. There is a strong community feeling within the school and pupils from all backgrounds and abilities are welcomed with open arms. Pupils told inspectors that they ‘love school’ and ‘do not want to go home at the end of the day’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school and are taught how to stay safe outside of school. They know about different types of bullying and how to deal with it. For example, if they receive an unkind text or message, they know to ‘zip it, report it, block it and delete it’. Leaders quickly deal with any incidents that occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well in lessons. They understand and follow the school’s behaviour policy. Relationships between staff and pupils, and between pupils themselves, are positive. Disruption in lessons is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the absolute best for all pupils. High expectations are the order of the day. All adults provide strong encouragement and support. In return, pupils try their best and work hard to make their teachers proud.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff and parents are adamant that the school has improved significantly. A typical staff comment was ‘This is the best it’s ever been.’

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better?

The school has been transformed under the headteacher’s effective leadership. School leaders and trust members have been relentless in their quest to get the school back on track. Their hard work and determination have paid off. They have a clear vision and high ambition for the school that staff share and understand.

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better?

Leaders have devised an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, including in the early years. They have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn and in what order. Pupils achieve particularly well in English, mathematics and science as these subjects are well established. Other subjects are clearly structured but need more time to become as well-embedded. Leaders and staff are reviewing where the curriculum needs adjustment to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They are also devising systems to assess pupils’ abilities in all subjects, but this is at an early stage of development.

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better?

Staff appreciate the training and guidance they receive. Support from trust and subject leaders has helped improve teachers’ knowledge and practice. The well- designed curriculum provides a firm foundation and structure for staff to follow. Staff have good subject knowledge and pay particular attention to improving pupils’ vocabulary. 29 and 30 March 2022

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The teaching of early reading is a strength of the school. Leaders have placed a strong focus on this and want pupils to enjoy reading. They make sure that pupils who struggle with their reading have the opportunity to read daily in school. These pupils are making remarkable progress due to the extra time and support they receive. However, a small number of pupils in key stage 2 are not making the progress they should. This is because staff have not identified the precise barriers, or what these pupils find difficult in reading, that are preventing them from becoming fluent and confident readers.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff build children’s early skills well, such as counting or finding out about how things grow. Staff place a key focus on improving children’s language skills and instilling a love of learning.

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Leaders make sure that extra funding is used appropriately. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in school life. Pupils with complex needs are particularly well catered for in the dedicated ‘hub.’ The curriculum is adapted carefully and pupils receive the tailored support they need to make progress step by step.

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Leaders have worked hard to improve attendance. They have had some success. However, there are still some pupils who do not attend school regularly. This limits pupils’ learning. Leaders are determined to continue to build relationships with parents and engage them in their child’s education.

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Pupils enjoy the vast range of extra-curricular opportunities the school offers them through clubs, trips and events. They visit different places of worship to learn about other cultures and beliefs. They have a strong understanding of fundamental British values as these align closely with the school’s values. Leaders ensure that the opportunities provided prepare pupils for the next stage of their education and life in modern Britain.

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Staff are in full support of the headteacher and trust leaders. They appreciate the reduction to their workload and attention to their well-being.

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The trust provides excellent levels of challenge and support. They keep a close focus on the school’s progress and provide the resources and help needed to realise the high ambition set.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is at the heart of the school’s work. Safer recruitment checks are carried out on all staff. Leaders provide regular training and updates so that staff can identify pupils at risk and take prompt action. Robust systems are in place to track and record any concerns raised. Leaders are tenacious in their work to get the support vulnerable pupils and their families need. 29 and 30 March 2022

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Safety is an integral part of the curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Leaders invite community police and nurses to work with pupils to raise their awareness of keeping safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers’ assessment of foundation subjects is still at an early stage of development. Staff are still identifying where gaps exist in pupils’ knowledge and where curriculum adaptations are needed. Leaders should continue to develop assessment criteria and curriculum checks to determine how well pupils are achieving in all subjects, and adapt the curriculum content to improve pupils’ outcomes further.  Some pupils in key stage 2 struggle to read fluently and with confidence. This is because leaders have not identified and addressed the barriers preventing pupils from making better progress in reading. Leaders should assess which areas of reading pupils need greater support with to ensure that they gain the skills needed to become fluent and confident readers.  Attendance is improving but it is still too low. This means that some pupils miss important lessons and learning. Leaders should continue to work with those

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

parents who do not yet recognise the importance of regular school attendance for their child to improve their attendance.

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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 .

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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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10210606 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in an acting capacity in October 2019 and then as permanent headteacher in February 2021.  The school joined Leigh Multi Academy Trust in April 2020.  Since September 2021, and following consultation with staff, parents and carers, the trust has reinstated Friday afternoon schooling for all pupils. The trust also extended the offer for nursery children from part-time to full-time provision from October 2021.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. They deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. 29 and 30 March 2022

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 This was the third 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.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. Meetings were also held with two members of the governing body, including the chair of governors and four members of the trust, including the chief executive officer and chief operations officer.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, English, mathematics, geography, science and religious education. Inspection activities in these subjects included: lesson visits, discussion with staff and pupils; meeting with subject leaders and work scrutiny. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documentation provided by the school. This

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included leaders’ own self-evaluation and school development plan, and minutes of governor and trust board meetings.  The inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements. The lead inspector met with the school and trust safeguarding leaders and looked at documentation provided by the school, including the single central record. Discussions with staff and pupils were held about the school’s approach to safeguarding.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying and welfare. Behaviour and attendance records were also checked.  Responses from staff questionnaires were considered together with the views of parents on Ofsted’s online Parent View.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Steer Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 March 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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