Temple Meadow Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Temple Meadow Primary School Wrights Lane, Cradley Heath, West Midlands B64 6RH

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Outcome

Temple Meadow Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a rich and varied set of experiences at Temple Meadow. From dance and performance in a purpose-built studio to gardening projects and working with artists, there are plenty of memorable activities. This very distinctive feature of the school helps pupils to enjoy attending each day and be enthusiastic about learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils. They are supportive role models, who promote worthwhile values. Leaders and staff are kind, but firm, and teach pupils the importance of respectful and safe behaviour. Most pupils respond well to these high expectations, and bullying is uncommon. However, if it does occur then staff find out what has happened and deal with it effectively. There can be some challenging behaviour at times, but staff do not let it become a problem. Consequently, classrooms are calm. Pupils feel safe and secure at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In classrooms, the new approach to teaching reading is already making a difference. In some other subjects, the curriculum and assessment are not as well organised. Currently, leaders are working to strengthen these aspects, so that pupils are better prepared for learning at secondary school.

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

Together with other leaders and staff, the headteacher understands the needs of the community and works hard to provide pupils with enjoyable and memorable experiences.

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

Leaders and staff have recently changed the approach to teaching early reading. A structured phonics programme is in place and staff have completed training to deliver this. In addition, an increased focus to support everyone to keep up, with extra help for those who need to catch up, is helping pupils to achieve well. There is more work to do to firmly embed practice across the school, but everyone is on the right track. Furthermore, ‘mystery’ visiting story time readers, the school library, book corner competitions and author visits entice pupils to enjoy books and reading. 10 and 11 May 2023

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In some subjects, leaders have created a curriculum that helps to engage pupils in school life and builds community spirit. The curriculum in these subjects is broad and balanced and allows pupils to build their knowledge over time. There are many memorable events that are woven into the curriculum. In art and design, for example, pupils work with artists on different projects. This has resulted in some striking artwork with a recent mosaic project, inspired by the 2022 Commonwealth Games, being particularly impressive. This work in the arts also supports leaders’ work on diversity and valuing everyone.

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While the curriculum clearly has distinctive strengths, in some subjects, there is room for further improvement. For instance, in history, leaders have not considered carefully enough the essential learning that pupils should be taught and when this should be taught. Staff are sometimes unsure which content to focus on, revisit or emphasise, so that pupils remember it.

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In the early years, the curriculum and teaching are informed by children’s starting points. While the approach to early reading has recently strengthened, other areas of the curriculum do not have a similar structure. There is not always a clear expectation for what children need to know and remember in some areas of learning. This means that some children are not as well prepared for learning in key stage 1 as they could be.

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In some subjects, leaders are currently refining the way they assess pupils’ learning. Currently, staff tend to record what pupils have done, rather than what they know and can do. In part, this is due to a pause in staff training caused by COVID-19 disruptions. However, it is also because the curriculum design in some subjects does not always make it clear what all pupils need to know in order to succeed. This also means that teachers are not sure what to assess when they check on pupils’ learning.

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From the early years upwards, leaders and staff identify pupils’ particular needs well. Leaders provide support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Beyond everyday lessons, pupils carry out roles that require them to take on responsibility and support them to grow in confidence. The Pupil Parliament, for example, makes suggestions about how to improve the school. Pupil subject ambassadors produce reports about learning for school newsletters. Such opportunities help pupils to see the value of their ideas and contributions.

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Most staff say that leaders take supportive action to help them with their work and well- being. Governors understand their role and receive a lot of information about the school’s work. This helps them to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, for example, in relation to safeguarding pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Leaders have established efficient and rigorous safeguarding procedures and staff are well informed. The school team, for example, are very attentive to pupil absences and ensure that the correct policies are followed. Similarly, staff know how to spot and report concerns. When necessary, leaders share information with other professionals in order to support families and keep children safe.

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Regular school newsletters alert parents to local risks and provide helpful advice. In school, staff teach pupils how to stay safe and how they should behave around others.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not thought carefully enough about how some areas of learning in the early years link to the curriculum in key stage 1. This means that some children are not as well prepared for learning in key stage 1 as they could be. Leaders should ensure that the early years curriculum is reviewed, so that it takes more account of what children need to know to be well prepared for Year 1.  In some subjects, the curriculum does not identify the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when they should learn it. Staff sometimes rely on their experience and strong pedagogical knowledge rather than research-informed curriculum design. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should review the curriculum in these subjects to take more account of current curriculum thinking. They should do this, so that all pupils are supported to make the best possible progress.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, current systems for assessment do not precisely identify what pupils know and understand. This means that staff are not always clear whether pupils have learned the curriculum. When reviewing curriculum design in some subjects, leaders should strengthen assessment systems, so they provide a more useful check on what pupils know and can do.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2018. 10 and 11 May 2023

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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.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and art and design. In these subjects, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at the curriculum in other subjects and observed some pupils reading.  The inspector looked at published performance data about the school and a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities and school improvement planning. She checked the school’s website. 10 and 11 May 2023

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 The inspector asked school leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding arrangements and safety routines. She examined the record of employment checks on school staff and looked at other school records.  The inspector talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather general information about school life. She took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff and parents’ views.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and at other times during the day.  During the inspection, the inspector had formal meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, governors, school staff, pupils and a local authority adviser.

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Inspection team

Diane Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 2023

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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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