Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Andrew Dickinson Headteacher Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery Addenbrooke Road Smethwick West Midlands B67 6HT

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and Nursery

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection of your school that took place on 8 December 2022, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous graded (section 5) inspections.

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and Nursery

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other leaders, governors and the local authority, the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I examined the school’s single central record. I also reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plans and minutes of local governing body meetings. I talked to curriculum leaders, visited lessons and looked at curriculum documents alongside pupil’s books. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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and Nursery

Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery continues to require improvement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to become good.

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Main findings

You have high expectations for the school and the pupils. With support from school leaders, you have worked hard to make improvements to the curriculum and other areas of the school’s work. You have strengthened the leadership team with the appointment of an inclusion and pastoral lead and also with the appointment of a senior leader with responsibility for all non-core curriculum areas. You have also further increased capacity by appointing a second special educational needs coordinator. These changes are making a positive difference.

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Main findings

You and your senior leaders are taking the right action to improve the school. Your plans are ambitious and prioritise the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. You have developed the senior and middle leadership teams so that they provide you with effective support to shape and implement the school’s development plans. You ensure that staff benefit from opportunities for professional development, including time to work with external advisers. Senior leaders also benefit from external support from the local authority.

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Main findings

You have maintained a rigorous focus on improving the quality of education pupils receive since the last inspection. Leaders have an accurate view of the school. Your school’s improvement plans are specific about the actions that leaders are taking and the impact of these actions. Leaders have clear roles and responsibilities and communicate these effectively. Staff are committed to improving the quality of education.

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Main findings

Curriculum development has been at the centre of your work. Since the previous inspection, you and your leadership team have reviewed the curriculum for each subject. The appointment of a leader who has responsibility for oversight of all non-core subjects has been significant in this. Through this appointment, curriculum leaders are given a high level of support to ensure that subject leadership is consistent across the school.

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Main findings

Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn to progress. The curriculum is well sequenced and builds on prior learning. This starts from the early years. In lessons, there are opportunities for pupils to carry out knowledge retrieval tasks at the start of lessons to recall prior learning. Pupils’ books show that they are retaining this knowledge and can apply it in their work.

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Main findings

Subject leaders have developed a curriculum that aims to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For this academic year, you are continuing to work with staff to ensure that the curriculum is successfully adapted to meet the needs of all learners.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection, you and your leaders have carefully considered the use of the outdoor space in the early years. Careful thought has gone into the use of each space and how this ensures that meaningful and ambitious learning takes place in all areas of the early years environment.

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Main findings

Governors are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They have a good understanding of what is going well and what needs to get better. They contribute effectively to the school’s work and provide appropriate levels of challenge and support to you and your leadership team. You and your leaders provide a range of information to help governors to understand how the curriculum is improving. As a result, governors have an accurate view of the school.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the director of children’s services for Sandwell. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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