Meadow Green Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Meadow Green Primary School Meadow Road, Wythall, Birmingham, West Midlands B47 6EQ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 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. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Meadow Green Primary School. They feel happy and safe. Pupils have warm and respectful relationships with staff. From the start of school, children learn to think about the feelings of others and share their own feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try to live by the school’s values: relationships, reflectiveness, resilience, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility. They generally behave well. They are polite to others and to school visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can recognise and explain what bullying is. They say that bullying does not happen often. Pupils say that staff are ‘kind and fair.’ Staff respond quickly and deal with any issues when they arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school grounds are a special feature of the school. Pupils love the fields and the ‘Walk a Mile a Day’ track. They love music, enjoy playing instruments and are proud of their singing. They enjoy singing with others in national events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made improvements to the teaching of reading. However, there is still room for improvement in this and in other aspects of the school’s work, including the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Not all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do. This means that some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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

Leaders have recently introduced a revised programme for teaching early reading. They continue to provide support to ensure that all staff have the expertise needed to deliver high-quality phonics teaching. In addition, leaders are reviewing the teaching of reading 22 and 23 November 2022

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in key stage 2. However, current plans are not ambitious enough. Pupils have too few opportunities to read and discuss a wide range of increasingly challenging texts. This limits pupils’ reading fluency and their knowledge about language.

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Children in Nursery and Reception enjoy listening to stories and rhymes. Adults model language well and encourage children to talk about stories, favourite characters and rhymes. This fosters a love of reading. However, in key stages 1 and 2, pupils do not consistently experience this. Many pupils do not show an interest in reading and do not read widely. Few pupils can name a favourite book or author.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning in some subjects, such as music and mathematics. This starts in the early years. Nursery and Reception children have fun listening to music and clapping simple beats. Teachers use resources well to help children to learn. They encourage children to talk about the sounds they hear. Children explore different instruments and rise to teachers’ high expectations.

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In mathematics, learning is sequenced towards clear, ambitious outcomes from early years to Year 6. Leaders ensure that resources are used well to support learning. They provide focused support to pupils where necessary. This ensures that they know and remember more over time. Pupils are very aware of this. They talk about using what they know and ‘getting better and better’.

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Teachers’ delivery of the curriculum is not consistent across the school and across all subjects. Some teachers have weak subject knowledge and do not use resources well to support pupils’ learning. Not all staff insist on the highest standards of work. As a result, some pupils lose interest in their learning and do not achieve as well as they should.

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Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as others. Teachers make sure that learning activities are adapted so that these pupils reach their potential. Several pupils with SEND receive additional support programmes, daily or weekly, beyond the classroom. However, leaders do not assess the impact of these different programmes. As a result, leaders do not have a clear picture of what is working well for these pupils and what could be improved.

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Leaders place great importance on pupils’ personal development. Fundamental British values, such as respect and tolerance, are part of the school’s values. Pupils know and understand why these are important in life. Work to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are taught to care for and respect themselves as well as others.

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Pupils enjoy and benefit from extra-curricular activities, including theatre trips, residential trips and visits to museums. They enjoy after-school clubs in sports and singing.

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Staff say that leaders support them with their well-being and are mindful of their workload. Leaders and governors know that some work is needed to improve communication with parents and carers. Leaders’ actions so far indicate that things are beginning to improve. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Everyone in school is clear about what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Staff find the school systems easy to use and efficient. Leaders follow up any concerns raised in a timely and effective manner. The designated safeguarding leaders work well together. They have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Communication between staff is strong. Online safety has been a key priority since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pupils are very aware of online risks, such as cyber-bullying. Governors bring additional experience and support to all aspects of safeguarding in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to read and discuss a wide range of texts. This limits pupils’ reading comprehension skills and wider knowledge about language. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for teaching reading, especially in key stage 2, is suitably ambitious so that the breadth and depth of pupils’ reading builds over time.  Leaders do not do enough to promote an interest in books across the school. They have not ensured that pupils frequently hear a wide range of stories, poems and non- fiction. Many pupils in key stages 1 and 2 do not show an interest in reading. Leaders should ensure that staff receive guidance and support to help foster and develop pupils’ love of reading.  Leaders have not ensured that all staff have the subject knowledge needed or the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. This leads to inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum. This makes it difficult for pupils to know and remember

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

what they have learned over time. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge they need, that they set high expectations, and that they use resources well to support pupils’ learning.  Leaders do not monitor how effective intervention programmes are in supporting pupils with SEND to achieve well. Therefore, leaders are not able to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Leaders should make sure that any additional provision being made for pupils with SEND is carefully checked to ensure that it is having a positive impact on their learning.

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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 22 and 23 November 2022

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 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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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240838 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Early years provision is part-time in Nursery and full-time in Reception.  The school has a before- and after-school club.  The school does not use any 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 met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, subject leaders, the leader of SEND and other staff members.  The inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative from Worcestershire local authority and met with the chair of the governing body and four other governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample 22 and 23 November 2022

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of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and listened to pupils read.  The inspector looked at school documents. These included information about leadership, behaviour, attendance and the school curriculum and improvement planning.  The inspector explored the school’s safeguarding arrangements through viewing safeguarding records and procedures, meeting with pupils and staff and talking to safeguarding leaders.  The inspector talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather information about school life. She considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, along with the additional free-text responses. She also considered responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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