King David Primary School

Inspection of a good school: King David Primary School Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands B13 8EY

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

King David Primary is a diverse community where all pupils are valued and included. The ethos of the Jewish faith is central to the life of the school. It helps pupils to understand the importance of fundamental British values such as tolerance and respect. Staff take good care of pupils. As a result, pupils say they are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons and expect pupils to work hard. Most pupils live up to these expectations and listen attentively in lessons. Pupils show respect to staff and each other. Where this does not happen, staff put behaviour plans in place to address this. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen. Most pupils feel that when it does happen, staff deal with it. A small minority of parents do not feel that leaders take it seriously enough. Leaders can talk about the actions they take when bullying happens, but they do not make systematic written records of this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. Many pupils can read well for their age. However, several younger pupils cannot read well enough. Pupils know and remember what they have learned across a range of subjects.

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

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for all pupils to reach their full potential in all aspects of their development. This is reflected by the mission statement ‘Where Stars Shine’. Leaders have developed an inclusive environment and provide bespoke support for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work with a range of external agencies to support accurate identification of pupils with SEND. They also seek advice on how to meet these needs. Staff make adaptations in lessons that enable pupils with SEND to make good progress both socially and academically. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Leaders have prioritised the development of the curriculum. In all subjects, the curriculum outlines what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. Where subjects have been well developed, pupils know and remember what they have learned. So, in history, for example, pupils could explain the impact of class on passengers’ experiences on the Titanic. Younger pupils understand that toys made of plastic are modern toys.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority. It is a key focus from the time children start in Nursery. There is an emphasis on stories and rhymes. This is to develop children’s love of reading and their understanding of vocabulary. Phonics teaching also starts in Nursery and is built on daily throughout the early years. Staff in early years have the expertise they need to help children make a strong start. However, this is not built on as effectively as it could be through key stage 1. Although assessment strategies are used to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge, lessons do not always build on what pupils already know. At times, they repeat what they already know so that others in the group can catch up. The phonics programme is not followed consistently and not all staff have had the training they need. As a result, some pupils do not read fluently or confidently. In key stage 2, pupils have regular reading sessions that focus on developing a range of reading skills.

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This is helping more pupils to read fluently and with understanding by the end of key stage 2.

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Learning to count and having a deep understanding of number also starts in Nursery. So, for example, children learn to recognise not just the numeral ‘2’ but what it looks like and what it means. In Reception, the curriculum builds on this to secure children’s understanding of number. Through the curriculum, pupils continue to build on this knowledge and show a good understanding of what they have learned. Staff use assessment effectively to inform their teaching and to help pupils remember their learning.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and as they move around the school. Learning is not disrupted, though, on occasion, some pupils talk when they should be listening. Pupils are welcoming and polite to visitors.

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Through the wider curriculum, pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their character and make contributions to the school community. Pupils enjoy the sessions where they get to cook in the ‘Kosher kitchen’. Pupils are proud to be school councillors or when they achieve the active citizen award.

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Staff feel well supported by both leaders and governors. They say that leaders are considerate of staff’s well-being, and they are not asked to do work that is unnecessary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive a range of safeguarding training at least annually. Staff know how to recognise the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm. Staff know the procedures for reporting concerns. Leaders act on issues raised and refer to external agencies for both advice and support. Leaders make records of concerns, actions taken 15 and 16 November 2022

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and decisions reached. They discuss weekly the follow-up actions and record these discussions.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to stay safe online and in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all staff have the expertise they need to teach early reading effectively. Staff do not all follow the chosen phonics programme as it is intended. As a result, there are too many children still at the early stages of reading who cannot read fluently or confidently. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the necessary expertise to deliver the phonics programme as intended.  Leaders do not track pupils’ behaviour and incidents of bullying in a systematic way. Leaders are therefore not able to identify any repeat incidents or patterns of poor behaviour as well as they could. Leaders should sharpen their systems for tracking pupils’ behaviour and any bullying incidents to ensure that patterns can be identified and addressed more easily.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.

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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 King David Primary School is an Orthodox Jewish school.  The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2017.  Leaders do not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders and governors, including the chair of the governing body, and also spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the lead inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to 15 and 16 November 2022

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teachers, visited lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work from the previous year.  The inspector met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding lead. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. The single central record of the checks on staff’s suitability to work with children was scrutinised.  The inspector met with staff to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  The inspector spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school and how they learn to keep themselves safe.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the staff questionnaire.  There were no responses to the pupils survey.

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Inspection team

Helen Forrest, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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