Southfields Primary School

Inspection of Southfields Primary School East Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 5LS

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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 Good 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Southfields Primary School. They look forward to coming to school every day. Leaders have created a haven for pupils within a busy inner-city location. Staff know their pupils well. They provide a happy and welcoming school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the importance of showing the school’s four values. These are: ‘good learning, accepting, respect and kindness’. Leaders have created the ‘Tiger Team’, four animated characters. Pupils love the characters which help them understand the values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give pupils a wide range of responsibilities. Some pupils are peer mediators. They help their peers reflect on their actions and behaviours at playtime and lunchtime. Relationships between pupils are respectful as a result. Pupils also have opportunities to be playtime leaders, school councillors and young ambassadors. They represent their school in city-wide events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff deal with any incidences of bullying quickly. Pupils feel safe. Behaviour in classrooms is mostly calm. Lunchtimes are orderly and pupils have many activities to engage with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils. Many pupils join speaking English as an additional language. Staff provide opportunities for most pupils to practise speaking English and to develop their vocabulary. They are well supported.

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better?

The headteacher has acted quickly to improve the curriculum and the learning experiences of pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Governors have also appointed other new leaders and teachers. Leaders have identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to know, including in the early years. In most subjects, the curriculum is well sequenced from early years to Year 6. Pupils are beginning to know more of the curriculum as a result. The new leadership team is now checking the impact of the revised curriculum on pupils’ learning.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders have a sharp focus on regular training to support teachers. Staff highly value this training. The delivery of subject-specific knowledge has improved. Curriculum delivery is underpinned by the English language. There are quality verbal interactions between pupils and staff. This supports most pupils. Leaders do not yet provide the same opportunities for the youngest pupils in the school. Activities and resources are well matched to the learning expectations in most lessons, including in the early years. Pupils with SEND are included in the curriculum. They take part fully in school life. Some pupils with SEND do not have adapted quality resources they can access during their learning. This means they do not always get the help they need. Leaders have improved systems to identify pupils with SEND. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Phonics is taught from the start in early years. Teaching pupils how to read is a high priority. Staff teach phonics with accuracy most of the time. Leaders make regular checks on pupils’ phonic knowledge. Staff know individual pupils’ needs and target their support effectively in most cases. However, some pupils who have the lowest reading ability are not progressing quickly enough. Most pupils who need extra help read regularly to an adult. A few pupils who do not read regularly are less fluent. Leaders have selected a range of books and authors to enhance the curriculum. This includes in early years. Pupils across school have developed a love of reading and books.

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Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They learn well. Leaders support pupils to reflect on their behaviours and learn from their actions. Pupils who need extra help with their behaviour are supported well by staff and leaders. Pupils attend school regularly. Each week they are eager to earn the class trophy for the highest attendance.

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Leaders prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. They understand what it means to be a good citizen. Pupils accept and celebrate people who are different to them. They have a strong understanding of healthy relationships and of how to keep themselves safe. Leaders focus on teaching boys and girls about their feelings, identifying risks and dangers and explaining how to seek help.

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The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. Governors support the recent changes to curriculum planning and implementation. Staff are inspired to support new curriculum developments. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning in a short period of time. Leaders consider teachers’ well-being and workload when implementing changes.

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Parents are mostly positive about the school. Leaders have created innovative ways to gain the views of parents, for example electronic surveys which translate into their chosen language.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff have regular safeguarding training and updates. They understand the risks of abuse, exploitation and radicalisation. Staff and leaders know the needs of their pupils well. Leaders work closely with external agencies when supporting families. Processes for managing any allegations about staff are in place. Leaders complete all the necessary checks when recruiting new staff.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong focus on teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe. This includes online safety, outdoor dangers and protecting their bodies. Pupils can identify the dangers of potential exploitation as a result. They can name trusted adults to help them. 6 and 7 December 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some changes to the curriculum have only been implemented very recently. Leaders do not yet know the impact of these changes on pupils’ learning. Leaders need to continue their work on embedding the new curriculum and ensure that plans are having the desired impact on pupils’ subject-specific knowledge.  Some pupils do not read regularly enough and do not receive quality support. They are not catching up with their peers quickly and are falling behind in their reading. Leaders should provide the specific support pupils need to accelerate their reading.

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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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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Kirsty Woollaston

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there has been a new leadership team, including a new chair of governors. The headteacher joined the school in September 2021.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast club operating on the site. This provision is operated by the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 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.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. She met with five members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector also met a representative of the local authority. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders to discuss safeguarding, early years, provision for pupils with SEND, pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. Two separate groups of pupils accompanied inspectors on learning walks around the school.  Safeguarding documents were reviewed, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors examined how staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school.

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 Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed 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 priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing body.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Tibbits Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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