Springfield House Community Special School

Inspection of Springfield House Community Special School Kenilworth Road, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands B93 0AJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 28 and 29 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at Springfield House. Staff make sure that new subject content is interesting, engaging and relevant. At the same time, they are clear about what they want pupils to learn and remember. Staff have increasingly high expectations of what pupils should achieve. Pupils respond well and make good progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide excellent care for pupils. They understand pupils’ needs and know how best to support them. Pupils know where to go for help when they need it, trusting staff to deal with problems when they arise. The school deals appropriately with bullying and other inappropriate behaviours. Pupils are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a strong emphasis on helping pupils to talk about their feelings. This helps pupils to better understand their emotions and manage their own behaviour. The school is usually a calm place where pupils can learn. Incidents of challenging behaviour do occur, but staff manage these well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff form a dedicated and hard-working team. They appreciate the headteacher and senior leaders, and the many improvements they have brought about in recent times. Parents are increasingly positive in their views of the school, especially about the care and education it is now providing for their children.

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better?

The headteacher and senior leaders have transformed this school over the last two years. They have tackled weaknesses in measured way, making sure that changes are implemented carefully. As a result, the school has improved considerably in all respects. The interim executive board (IEB) has played a full part in this transformation, supporting and challenging leaders well.

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better?

One of the first changes put in place was to address weaknesses in pupils’ reading. This has proved highly successful. Phonics is taught well throughout the school. Most pupils have become proficient readers. Those who find reading more difficult are supported well and are making good progress. The mathematics curriculum is now also well planned and taught.

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better?

The school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is highly effective. Pupils are introduced to the week’s theme during an assembly. Sam, a character played by a member of staff, role plays the topic to be looked at. Pupils are enthralled. Staff follow up the theme in PSHE lessons. For example, pupils learn about how to maintain healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe online.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked hard this year to revise the curriculum in subjects beyond English, mathematics and PSHE. Curriculum content has been chosen carefully and planned well. However, because it is relatively new, leaders have not 28 and 29 June 2022

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yet had the chance to adapt some topics as they would like, to meet the needs of pupils. Although teachers skilfully deliver the curriculum, they are still finding out which elements of the revised curriculum are working well and which elements need adaptation. Leaders have clear plans in place to carry out this work over the coming months.

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The school uses assessment well. Staff carry out baseline assessments of pupils’ needs and abilities. These provide detailed information that leaders pass on to staff in the form of a learning support plan (LSP) and a behaviour support plan (BSP) for each pupil. LSPs help staff to adapt learning. BSPs support staff in managing behaviour. They provide helpful strategies to avoid incidents and to deal with any that do occur.

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The school is providing a growing enrichment programme for pupils. Gym club and chess club are popular. Some pupils learn a musical instrument. Pupils in Year 6 recently attended a residential visit when they took part in team-building activities such as raft building. However, pupils told inspectors they would like more opportunities to develop their interests beyond the classroom.

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The school is engaging well with families. Staff help parents and carers to access extra help when they need it. They provide good support for parents and carers of pupils who struggle to attend regularly. The school recently held a Jubilee garden party. Family members of almost all pupils attended.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. Pre-employment checks on staff are carried out thoroughly. All staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Because they have been trained well, they know the signs that pupils might need extra help. Staff pass on concerns to leaders, who deal with these appropriately.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed good relationships with external agencies. They are tenacious in trying to get the right help for pupils and their families. Leaders challenge agencies if they believe that pupils or families are not getting the help they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some subjects is not yet as well adapted to meet pupils’ needs as it could be. Consequently, pupils could be learning more effectively in these subjects. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders should complete the process of adapting the 28 and 29 June 2022

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curriculum in all subjects within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  The school’s curriculum does not extend beyond the classroom as well as it could. Consequently, pupils have limited opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Leaders should provide a wider range of opportunities for pupils to pursue their talents and interests.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10225661 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority Interim executive board

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 March 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes in the school since the last monitoring inspection.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We 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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the fourth 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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and two members of the IEB, including its chair. They spoke to a consultant commissioned by the local authority to provide support for the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited some lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also scrutinised the curriculum in other subjects, including science, design technology and English.  Inspectors considered safeguarding by meeting with the designated safeguarding lead and members of the safeguarding team. They scrutinised policies and records relating to child protection and examined the safeguarding checks made on staff before they join the school.  An inspector held a telephone conversation with an alternative provider.

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 Inspectors considered the responses from staff to their online inspection questionnaire. They met with two groups of staff.  Inspectors spoke informally with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime. They observed the school at these times. Inspectors met with members of the pupil parliament.  Inspectors considered the responses, including written responses, to Parent View, Ofsted’s online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alun Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Gail Brindley Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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