Kings Heath Primary School

Inspection of Kings Heath Primary School Valentine Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 7AJ

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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 18 and 19 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Kings Heath Primary School. There is plenty on offer for everyone. Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

From knitting club to residential trips, there are opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and build character. Pupils also enjoy taking on leadership roles in school, such as peer mentors and anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils vote for school councillors. These opportunities help pupils to have a voice in school life. Pupils value making their own decisions about what they wear to school. They say this helps them to show their personalities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the adults in school keep them safe. There are strong, caring relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils say that there is always someone to talk to if they have a worry. Pupils are respectful of each other and understand difference, for example different types of families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. In less formal times of the day, they follow routines and listen carefully to instructions. Pupils are energetic at social times; there is plenty for pupils to do, and nobody is left out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents speak highly of the school, leaders and staff.

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better?

Leaders have brought about significant changes since the previous inspection. They have focused on the right things and managed changes well. Staff appreciate this. They are positive about their work and the team they are part of. Governors know the school well and share leaders’ vision.

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better?

Leaders want all pupils to succeed. Where pupils have additional needs, these are quickly identified. Support is put in place and leaders take advice from specialist services. Leaders include opportunities so that pupils who might not have these outside school are not left behind. As a result, all pupils learn and play happily together.

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better?

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum, especially in mathematics and phonics. Here, there are clear sequences of learning. Teachers use this information, and regular checks on what pupils can do, well. Pupils build knowledge and skills over time. For example, in early years, children develop their understanding of number through engaging activities based on teachers’ checks of what they have previously learned. Children are being well prepared for learning in the next stage of their education. 18 and 19 April 2023

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Leaders have prioritised phonics. This includes for children at the earliest stages of learning to read, pupils with SEND, and older pupils in school who find reading challenging. A new phonics scheme is in place. Staff have been trained to deliver it and leaders ensure that pupils are regularly assessed to check progress. Extra support helps any pupils who are falling behind. Consequently, all pupils, including pupils with SEND, learn to read fluently and with enjoyment. Once pupils can read fluently, reading and writing lessons develop their love of books. Pupils vote for class stories and thoroughly enjoy listening to adults reading them aloud.

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Some subjects are not yet as established as mathematics and phonics. However, new subject leaders are continuing to develop their areas of the curriculum. This includes ensuring that there are sequenced plans in place to identify the key things for pupils to learn. Subject leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND, to access the same learning as others. That said, in some subjects, leaders’ clear vision is not always realised in how teachers deliver the intended learning. Leaders know this, and plans are in place to check that teachers deliver and adapt the curriculum consistently well.

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Across school, there are high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This starts in early years, where children quickly learn routines. Respectful relationships are evident between pupils and staff. Pupils spoken to value the education they receive. However, small incidents of poor behaviour are not always recorded, leading to missed opportunities for leaders to spot and address any patterns.

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Leaders have made changes to how they are improving pupils’ attendance. They work with families to try and remove barriers to pupils being in school. Leaders know that there is more work to be done for some groups of pupils, and they are rightly focusing on this.

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Leaders have ensured that a range of opportunities are on offer beyond the curriculum. Trips link to what pupils are learning in class. Clubs enable pupils to find out about new activities or develop their talents or resilience, for example through visits from a national ballet company. Pupils take on responsibilities in school, including being on the school council. While these opportunities are open to all, leaders do not check that uptake is strong across different groups of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all adults in school are trained to spot any signs of pupils who are at risk or need support. Staff know how to report concerns and leaders follow these up carefully. Leaders engage appropriate external support for pupils and families, where needed.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. Pupils appreciate that rules and decisions made in school are for their safety and well-being. 18 and 19 April 2023

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Leaders and governors ensure that all the relevant checks on adults who work in school are carried out and recorded.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There have been many recent changes to the curriculum. Some subjects are more developed than others. Leaders should continue to embed changes and check that all staff fully understand curriculum expectations so that they can deliver and implement what leaders intend effectively across the curriculum.  Leaders do not analyse some of the information they collect about different aspects of their work with sufficient focus. As a result, they do not always identify patterns or trends, which they can then address. Leaders at all levels should ensure that there is a strategic, analytical use of information in order to evaluate proactively the impact of what they have done and identify what to do next, across all aspects of provision.

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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. 18 and 19 April 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 September 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  Before- and after-school care is provided on site by an independent provider.

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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 second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics, English, history, geography and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans where they were available, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also listened to pupils read to familiar adults. 18 and 19 April 2023

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 The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders, curriculum leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and pastoral leaders.  The lead inspector held meetings with the chair and representatives of the governing body and spoke to representatives from Birmingham Education Partnership.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspectors spoke to pupils about pupils’ behaviour.  To evaluate safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead, looked at the single central record of recruitment checks, looked at safeguarding records and talked to pupils and staff.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. The inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors talked to parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob Hackfath His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 April 2023

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