Setting

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

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Lindsey Thorne Headteacher Peterbrook Primary School High Street Solihull Lodge Shirley Solihull West Midlands B90 1HR

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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of Peterbrook Primary School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection of your school that took place on 18 July 2023, 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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Requires improvement monitoring inspection of Peterbrook Primary School

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior leaders, subject 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 also visited lessons, spoke to pupils, heard pupils read and looked at a range of documentation. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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made progress to improve the school, but more work is necessary for the

The school should take further action to:

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made progress to improve the school, but more work is necessary for the

 ensure that pupils who are still at the early stages of reading after Year 1 get the expert support they need to enable them to catch up quickly  ensure that the work given to pupils as they move through key stage 2 is well matched to the intended learning and supports a deepening of their knowledge and understanding.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection, there has been some turnover of staff and changes in leaders’ responsibilities. Your deputy headteacher is now also the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) coordinator (SENCo).

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Main findings

Reading is a high priority across the school. The introduction of a new phonics programme has established a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading. Staff have received a lot of training and support to develop their expertise in this area. As a result, more of the younger pupils are reading age-appropriate texts with confidence and fluency. There are still too many pupils in Year 2, however, who are at the early stages of reading. The support these pupils have received this year has not enabled them to catch up quickly, and they are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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Main findings

Work on developing other subjects of the curriculum has also been prioritised. Subject leaders have worked with a senior leader and had some external support to develop their role as subject leaders. Some have also accessed subject-specific training. All subjects have a clear sequence of learning planned. The knowledge and skills you want pupils to know and remember have been identified. This includes the curriculum in the early years. Staff know what to teach and when to teach it. The work pupils complete sometimes helps them to learn what is most important. There are occasions, however, when the work pupils are given does not deepen their understanding of important concepts.

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Main findings

The deputy headteacher, who is the SENCo, has reviewed provision for pupils with SEND. Specific timetabled interventions are delivered for pupils in addition to their daily lessons in class. Staff have received ongoing training and support to ensure that they can meet the needs of the pupils in their class effectively.

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Main findings

You have worked together with leaders, including governors, to address the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. There is a range of action plans, including the school improvement plan, which outline the key priorities. While the plan does contain success criteria, many of which can be measured, some are less specific and are therefore harder to measure.

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Main findings

You have brokered support from external sources to support the priorities in your improvement plans. This includes support for phonics, subject leadership and effective teaching. This, along with quality assurance work from the local authority, has supported all leaders, including governors, on the journey of improvement.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Solihull. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website. Yours sincerely

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