Stockland Green School

Inspection of a good school: Stockland Green School Slade Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 7JH

p.1

Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2023

p.1

Outcome

Stockland Green School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Stockland Green is a small school where leaders have created a ‘family’ approach. This ensures that all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are welcomed, valued and respected.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here, and say that they feel safe. This is because leaders care deeply about pupils’ well-being and they make sure that staff know pupils well. Pupils move around the school calmly. When bullying occurs, pupils say that teachers help resolve the issue quickly and make sure that it does not happen again.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that the school’s values of ‘aspire, believe and achieve’ are shared by all staff. This has created an environment where there are high expectations about how and what pupils will learn. Pupils live up to these expectations and achieve well. Classrooms are purposeful spaces that encourage and promote learning. In lessons, pupils listen carefully and join in when asked to do so by their teachers.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders actively promote pupils’ wider personal development. Well-being weeks linked to lessons provide a range of valuable experiences that help make learning real. Most pupils take part in extra-curricular clubs or activities. Pupils enjoy this part of school life.

p.1

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils study a wide and relevant range of subjects. Subject leaders have thought carefully about what pupil should know, do and understand in each subject. They have sequenced the curriculum to make sure that new knowledge builds on prior learning.

p.1

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge, and they know their pupils well. They create purposeful learning environments for all pupils, including those with SEND. Teachers also use a range of routines to help pupils learn. For example, ‘do now’ activities are used to help pupils remember what they have learned and ‘decode it now’ activities are used to 14 and 15 February 2023 help pupils understand difficult vocabulary. Occasionally, teachers do not adapt these activities well enough and some pupils find them too difficult or too hard.

p.1

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

Most teachers use assessment well to check that pupils have learned the things they have been taught. This allows teachers to identify when pupils have missed an important aspect of their learning. When this happens, most teachers are skilled at helping pupils catch up or understand difficult ideas in a different way. However, on some occasions, teachers do not identify these gaps in pupils’ knowledge as they arise, and this holds pupils back.

p.2

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

Leaders know the importance of supporting pupils who struggle with reading. They make sure that all teachers have useful information about pupils’ reading abilities. A range of programmes help pupils improve their reading fluency and comprehension. However, leaders know that their approach is yet to have the full impact they want to help pupils gain the full range of reading skills they need to quickly become confident and fluent readers.

p.2

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

Leaders have created a culture where positive behaviour is celebrated. Pupils value this, especially ‘Feel Good Fridays’, where teachers share good news with parents. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school site. Leaders’ work to encourage pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. All pupils are encouraged to take part in enrichment activities and leadership roles, and most do. These activities range from sports clubs through to a youth and social action project run in conjunction with a local university. ‘House team’ staff support pupils who need more encouragement to make the most of the opportunities available to them. Leaders ensure that pupils receive helpful advice and guidance about future careers from Year 7 through to Year 11.

p.2

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

Those responsible for governance understand their roles well. Trustees have multi-layered systems in place for checking the quality of education. This means that they know the school well and how it could improve further. Leaders, at all levels, work hard to promote staff well-being. Staff morale is high, and they are proud of the role they play in pupils’ education.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that safeguarding is of the highest priority for staff. They provide regular training and updates. Staff are vigilant, and quick to report any concerns they have. Leaders are tenacious, and they follow up all concerns raised. Leaders have an extensive network of agencies that they use when pupils need more specific support to stay as safe as possible.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders are acutely aware of the risks to pupils in the community. They use this knowledge well. They make sure that pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe from harm in a variety of situations, such as when online. 14 and 15 February 2023

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not always check to make sure pupils have learned the important things they have been taught in order to plan activities that are well suited to their needs. As a result, misconceptions or gaps in some pupils’ learning persist. Leaders should ensure that all teachers routinely use assessment precisely to check pupils’ understanding in lessons and adapt their teaching accordingly.  Some pupils who are at an early stage of reading do not get the full support they need to improve their reading quickly. This means that they do not always learn to read fluently in a timely manner. Leaders need to make sure that teachers use the information they have about pupils’ reading abilities to provide effective additional support to enable them to become fluent and confident readers.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 14 and 15 February 2023

p.3

School details

Inspection number 10256997 Type of school Secondary

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 This is one of nineteen schools that comprise The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership.  The school uses alternative provision for a small number of pupils at five registered providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.4

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 inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with a range of other staff.  The inspectors met with leaders from the multi-academy trust. Inspectors spoke to the chair and vice-chair of trustees. 14 and 15 February 2023  Inspectors carried out deep dived in these subjects: mathematics, English and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy. They spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding and looked at

p.4

Information about this inspection

how pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. The lead inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding leads about the reporting and recording of any safeguarding incidents.  The lead inspector spoke to the SEND coordinator and visited the SEND resource base on site.  Inspectors took account of the responses and comments on Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

p.5

Inspection team

Lois Kelly, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Steve Byatt Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 February 2023 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.

p.5

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6