Perry Beeches Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Perry Beeches Nursery School 256 Beeches Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands B42 2PX

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious and want the best for all children at Perry Beeches Nursery School. They recognise each child’s unique potential. Staff meet and greet children as they arrive at school each day. However, leaders do not maintain robust and effective records of some important aspects of the school’s work. For example, leaders have not made sure that records of safeguarding concerns contain sufficient detail.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders create an effective learning environment with clear routines and boundaries. Children know what is expected of them and behave well. Adults respond effectively to children’s needs. They listen and respond to any worries children have. Children are happy and safe, as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a wide range of experiences and activities for children. They enjoy visits, including to the theatre and a local farm. Workshops led by a music specialist and a ceramic artist help children to deepen their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents and carers are very positive about the school. One parent’s comment reflects the views of many others, ‘Our child is well supported by the staff, which has helped her to grow in confidence.’

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum that is carefully sequenced. This helps staff to plan a range of exciting activities for children which bring learning to life. For example, children enjoy watching ducklings hatch and observing the life cycle of the butterfly. They develop their positional language and map-reading skills when learning about pirates. However, adults do not use some planned activities as well as they could to 4 July 2023

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develop and extend children’s learning. This means that children do not always deepen their learning by expanding their knowledge and vocabulary.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They make sure that staff are trained to teach early reading well. Children enjoy listening to and joining in with stories and rhymes during their nursery session. Leaders make sure that a wide range of books are available to children. Children explore and practise sounds in words. They learn about how books work and like to listen to stories from favourite authors. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Children in need of additional help and support are identified quickly. Leaders make sure they get the help and support they need. They work closely with a range of external professionals who provide specialist support, including speech and language support. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities get off to a good start in their education.

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Children learn that they are unique and different to each another. Opportunities to discuss and celebrate different family types help children to value and respect difference. Visitors to school, such as doctors, nurses and firefighters, help children to learn about people in the community who help others. Children are encouraged to eat healthily. At snack time, they eat fruit and vegetables that they have grown in the school garden. Leaders provide many opportunities for children to be active outdoors. Leaders are proud of the recent ‘healthy school award’. Children learn about the importance of dental hygiene. They enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities in school, such as being ‘outdoor officers’ or helping at snack time. This helps them to develop independence and confidence.

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The school is in the process of federating with another school. As a result, many governors are new to role and do not yet fully understand their duty in holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school. For example, they are not aware of the impact of the current school improvement plan.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders to manage their workload and well-being. Planning and recent changes to assessment have reduced staff’s workload. Staff describe the school as ‘a family where everyone supports each other’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff receive regular training to help them to identify any concerns about the welfare of a child. Staff identify and report any concerns to leaders swiftly. Leaders respond to these concerns. However, they do not always record their decisions effectively. As a result, there is not always a clear audit trail of their actions.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that the appropriate vetting checks on staff are undertaken before they start work at the school. However, there were some inaccuracies in the recording of these checks on the single central record. Leaders rectified these while inspectors were on site. 4 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not maintain effective records on some important aspects of the school’s work. As a result, there are gaps in records, including in safeguarding training and important decisions made by leaders. Leaders, including governors, should ensure that there are robust and effective records which fully record decisions made. Any gaps in records should be updated swiftly.  Many governors are new to role. They are not aware of the impact of the current school development plan. Governors need support to fully understand their role in holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school.  Staff do not use some planned curriculum activities as well as they could to enable children to learn well. This is because staff do not always engage children effectively in their learning or develop their vocabulary. Leaders should ensure that staff support children to learn the curriculum well.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2012.

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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. 4 July 2023

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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. 4 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body (acting) Sue Buntin

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 At the time of inspection, the school was federating with another nursery school. Both schools share the same headteacher.  The school does not 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading; knowledge and understanding of the world; and personal, social and emotional development. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of sessions, spoke to teachers, spoke to some children about their learning and looked at samples of children’s work.  Inspectors observed children being read to by a familiar adult. Inspectors reviewed reading resources.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation on the school’s website. 4 July 2023

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 Inspectors scrutinised the school’s safeguarding arrangements. This included examining the record of employment checks on school staff.  Inspectors observed children’s behaviour in lessons and at other times during the day.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, curriculum leaders, representatives of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View and to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates Ofsted Inspector 4 July 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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