Field View Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Field View Primary School Lonsdale Road, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 7AE

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Outcome

Field View Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Field View Primary School is a happy and caring school. Pupils are safe and enjoy going to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school’s vision, ‘We are all here to make a difference’, ensures there is a culture of constant improvement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to develop qualities, such honesty, respect and perseverance. Pupils are keen to talk about how they work hard with their reading in order to attain ‘brag tags’ for the amount of reading they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can explain what bullying is. They confirm that it is not tolerated at school. Pupils behave well in lessons and at other times of the day. They respond well to the clear routines and expectations that staff set for them. Leaders ensure that pupils who have specific needs receive extra pastoral support to help them to manage their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to take on roles of responsibility, such as being head boy or girl, prefect, school councillor, peer supports or digital ambassadors. They enjoy attending a range of after-school clubs organised to develop their talents and interests. They also learn a musical instrument and take part in musical performances.

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

The school is well led and managed. Leaders benefit from the support from the trust. Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum. It matches the expectations of the national curriculum. Leaders have thought about the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn and remember. They have considered the order in which pupils learn this knowledge, so that pupils can make sense of what comes next as they move through the school. Most of the curriculum has been in place for some time and in these subjects, pupils remember what they have learned. There are a few subjects 18 and 19 July 2023

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where the curriculum has been recently introduced and is not as secure. In these subjects, pupils do not gain the planned knowledge they need to achieve well.

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Children in the Reception class start on their early reading journey by learning phonics straight away. The school's systematic and targeted approach to phonics enables pupils to become fluent and confident readers. They acquire the essential skills and knowledge to decode words accurately and independently. Staff deliver the agreed phonics programme effectively. Books are closely matched to the sounds pupils know. Staff are attentive to the needs of individual pupils. They provide support when necessary to ensure that pupils who fall behind catch up quickly.

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Leaders promote a love for reading. This is evident throughout the school with the designated reading areas in each classroom. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to discuss books in reading lessons. This helps them to develop their vocabulary.

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Pupils with SEND have access to the same curriculum as their peers. Careful identification and regular review of pupils’ needs mean that learning is suitably adapted. Staff receive regular training to ensure that they have the skills needed to support pupils with SEND effectively. Leaders work well with external agencies and use relevant guidance to consider how to support pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding during lessons and ask them to talk about their learning. However, some pupils lack the specific vocabulary required to express their thoughts accurately in each subject. As a result, they find it difficult to explain their ideas clearly.

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The school offers a very impressive range of opportunities to support pupils’ broader development. Visits to the theatre, the botanical gardens and residential trips provide pupils with a wealth of experiences.

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Leaders manage pupils’ behaviour well. There is a calm and orderly environment throughout the school with very little disruption to pupils’ learning. Staff are fair and positive in their approach to managing behaviour. Children in the early years listen attentively and follow adults’ instructions.

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Governors and trustees share leaders’ high ambitions for pupils. They make effective checks on many different aspects of school life.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel that leaders care about their workload and well-being. Leaders provide high-quality professional development for staff. Consequently, staff develop strong subject knowledge. This enables them to teach the curriculum confidently.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 July 2023

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Leaders ensure that all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and how to spot whether a pupil might be at risk from harm. Staff receive relevant and up-to-date training. They know how to record and report concerns about children. Leaders act on concerns quickly. Leaders know pupils and their families very well. Staff know that their concerns are taken seriously.

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Pupils feel safe in school. They know who they can speak to if they have a concern or a worry. The curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of risk. They talk confidently about how to stay safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not have a wide understanding of subject-specific vocabulary. Therefore, they sometimes find it difficult to express their ideas confidently. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum helps all pupils to develop their depth and range of vocabulary.  The curriculum is not fully embedded in some foundation subjects. As a result, pupils do not gain the planned knowledge and skills they need to achieve well across these subjects. Leaders should continue with their plans to ensure the curriculum is delivered effectively in all subjects.

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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 March 2018.

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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. 18 and 19 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. 18 and 19 July 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 and 21 March 2018 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of St Martin’s multi-academy trust.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. n The inspector met with the head of school, other senior leaders and the SEND coordinator. The inspector also met with groups of staff and pupils.  To evaluate the school’s curriculum, deep dives were conducted in early reading, mathematics and music. The inspector spoke to curriculum leaders, visited lessons and reviewed pupils’ work with them.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to leaders about pupils’ behaviour and policies and procedures. She observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. 18 and 19 July 2023

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 The inspector spoke with pupils, including pupils with SEND, to hear their views of their education as well as about behaviour and safety.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector spoke with parents and pupils. She scrutinised documents that the school keeps and spoke with leaders and staff.  The inspector reviewed information about other areas of learning and the wider curriculum.  The inspector met with the chair of the trust and other governors. She also spoke with the executive leader for school improvement and the chief executive officer of the trust.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View were considered alongside Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Lynda Townsend, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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