Colmers Farm Primary School

Inspection of Colmers Farm Primary School Leybrook Road, Rubery, Birmingham, West Midlands B45 9PB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 June 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at Colmers Farm Primary. Pupils receive a warm and friendly welcome each day from a staff team that know them well. Routines such as these help pupils settle into their school day. Pupils are respectful and welcoming to visitors.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils follow a broad curriculum and enjoy their lessons and time in school. They receive the support that they need to access all the school has to offer.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school’s rules of ‘ready, respectful and safe’. They link these to what they learn and how they are expected to behave in lessons and with their friends. Pupils understand what bullying is. If bullying happens, staff deal with incidents quickly. The caring relationships between staff and pupils help pupils to feel safe. They trust staff to look after them.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

All staff are determined to provide the very best for all pupils. They promote and celebrate diversity and make sure pupils feel valued. Pupils play a full part in school life. They can become head pupils or join the school council. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about these responsibilities.

p.2

better?

Leaders are passionate about what they want children to learn and experience in school. The curriculum reflects this. It is ambitious and well sequenced. Teachers implement the curriculum well to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access learning and work towards achieving the best outcomes.

p.2

better?

Leaders and staff understand the importance of reading. This is promoted and prioritised throughout the school. Pupils read regularly during the school day. They enjoy their reading books. There is a real buzz about reading, and pupils are excited to read to adults and talk about their books. A book vending machine in the school library is very popular.

p.2

better?

The teaching of early reading starts in Reception. A well-structured phonics programme is delivered with consistency across year groups. Staff receive regular training and demonstrate strong subject knowledge. Pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning. Staff regularly check on their knowledge to help them move on, or to offer extra support if needed.

p.2

better?

Teachers regularly check and assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This helps them to address any misunderstandings and plan future teaching. However, in early years, the children do not always get all the help they need when they are learning to form letters. Furthermore, staff do not consistently address the mistakes 14 and 15 June 2023

p.2

3

that children make. This means that some misconceptions continue, which affects children’s early progress in writing.

p.3

3

Children access a well-resourced and purposeful learning environment in the early years. This helps them to engage in learning. They display high levels of attention and curiosity when focusing on their chosen tasks. The early years curriculum is broad. However, leaders have not planned the specific knowledge and vocabulary that they want children to know. This means children do not build on their knowledge as well as they might.

p.3

3

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. In response, pupils show positive attitudes to learning in lessons and most behave well. However, during unstructured times of the day, some pupils find it difficult to meet the high expectations that staff have of them. Some parents comment negatively about behaviour. Leaders are working hard to address their concerns.

p.3

3

The school has a highly inclusive ethos. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. Leaders work with external professionals and agencies to coordinate the best possible support for pupils. Where appropriate, pupils with SEND follow bespoke strategies that support them to progress.

p.3

3

Pupils are able to access high-quality pastoral support. They can visit the ‘nest’, which is a place where pupils can go to regulate and relax or to talk to adults. This helps pupils to feel listened to and supported.

p.3

3

The provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It is at the heart of the school. Leaders provide an extensive range of opportunities and experiences beyond the curriculum. A personalised award programme offers all pupils the opportunity to build life skills throughout their time at school. For example, pupils can visit a theatre, complete first aid training and carry out helpful jobs in the community, such as litter picking. There are a wide range of extra-curricular clubs available. These are attended well by pupils.

p.3

3

Leaders at all levels have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas of development. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders with their professional development, workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a positive culture of safeguarding. Leaders prioritise training for staff and this is regularly updated. Staff identify and report any concerns about pupils. Leaders can demonstrate that they take appropriate action to gain the right support. They work well with families and external agencies to keep pupils safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders, supported by the trust, have robust procedures in place for recruitment and dealing with any allegations against adults. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.3

4

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in and outside of school. They learn important safety information through the well-designed personal development curriculum. This includes online safety.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, some pupils find it difficult to meet leaders’ high expectations of behaviour, especially during unstructured times. Leaders should continue to work alongside staff and pupils to embed a consistent culture of high expectations, including during social times and on the playground.  In the early years, leaders have not explicitly identified the specific knowledge and vocabulary that they want all children to know and understand. This means that some children do not learn as well as they might. Leaders should identify the most important knowledge and vocabulary that they want children to learn. They should do this so that all children get the best possible start.  Support for early handwriting is not as effective as it could be. Staff do not consistently address misconceptions or mistakes in writing. This means that some pupils do not form their letters correctly and do not establish the most effective

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

writing habits. Leaders should ensure that staff teach pupils to develop correct letter formation and effective writing habits.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 June 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10268121 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Website www.colmersfarm.excelsiormat.org

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, Colmers Farm Primary School has become and academy and joined Excelsior Multi Academy Trust. It joined the trust in 2019.  The headteacher was appointed in 2019.  The school provides childcare at a breakfast club.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

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.  During this inspection, inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the headteacher, other leaders, staff and members of the governing body and trust. They also spoke with pupils. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.5

6

 The lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. The inspectors checked the single central record of checks on staff and met with the school’s safeguarding leaders. Inspectors spoke to staff about their safeguarding knowledge and checked how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governing body meetings, school policies and information published on the school’s website.  The lead inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys.  Inspectors talked to parents at the school gate.  Inspectors evaluated safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour during breaktimes, lunchtimes and while in lessons.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject

p.6

6

leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also observed some pupils reading.

p.6

Inspection team

Gemma Mann, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

John Bates Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 2023

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7