Warren Farm Primary School

Inspection of Warren Farm Primary School Aylesbury Crescent, Kingstanding, Birmingham, West Midlands B44 0DT

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Mr Simon Taylor. This school is part of Warren Farm Primary School Trust, which means other people also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Judith Dovey. 12 and 13 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy school. They particularly like the wider opportunities the school organises. This includes spending time at a local allotment learning how to grow fruit and vegetables. Pupils enjoy the educational trips, and the visiting speakers that staff organise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that there are clear routines and structures in place to keep pupils safe. Pupils know that they can report any concerns to a trusted adult and that they will be listened to. As a result, pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto, ‘excellence in everything’, captures the high expectations set for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The new ‘bee’ logo reminds pupils about the importance of working hard, and together, to achieve their goals. Pupils’ good conduct and admirable attitudes to learning have resulted in improved outcomes across the school in English and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils care for one another. They understand the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. This includes those with different beliefs and from different backgrounds. All are warmly welcomed by pupils at Warren Farm Primary and included fully in school life.

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better?

There have been significant staffing changes at the school in the last year. The school has managed these changes well. Pupils, parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the improvements made since the previous inspection.

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better?

The school has undertaken a rigorous review of the curriculum, including the early years curriculum. Some subjects now operate on a two-year cycle. However, not all revisions to content have been fully completed. Staff do not yet know fully what pupils need to learn and when. Nevertheless, work completed shows that the sequence of learning in most subjects is carefully planned to help pupils build their learning over time. Pupils can successfully recall prior knowledge.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are quickly identified when they join the school. This is because the school highlights any concerns as soon as they arise. Work is adapted to ensure pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers. Additional adult help and specific equipment help pupils to access the tasks set. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well and thrive in school.

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better?

The school is determined that every pupil learns to read. It inspires children to develop a love of reading from the moment they start school. There is an abundance of interesting, stimulating books for pupils to enjoy in all classrooms. Children in 12 and 13 September 2023

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Nursery enjoy listening to rhymes and stories to whet their appetite for reading. In Reception Year, children are guided and supported in developing their spoken language and learning their letters and sounds. Effective support is provided for pupils who struggle with reading. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly. The school encourages parents to help with reading. Weekly ‘stay and read’ sessions allow parents to read with their child in school. The school’s dedicated focus on reading has led to significant improvements in outcomes across the school, particularly in phonics.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They take pride in their work and are enthusiastic learners. There are no disruptions in lessons. Pupils can concentrate and complete work set in a calm environment. Pupils play together happily at breaktimes. Most attend school regularly. However, some pupils’ attendance is quite low. As a result, they miss important lessons and fall behind in many subjects. Consequently, they do not achieve as well as they should.

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The school offers a range of opportunities to develop pupils’ interests and talents beyond the academic. The school creates a community of responsible, compassionate young citizens. Pupils readily take on additional responsibilities such as reading representatives or school council members. They have a good understanding of other faiths and cultures and a strong commitment to treating others equally. However, pupils’ have a limited knowledge about fundamental British values. They do not know what words like ‘democracy’ or ‘tolerance’ mean, as this learning is not embedded.

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Governors know the strengths and areas for development at the school. They receive extensive and detailed reports from the headteacher. Governors provide a suitable balance of challenge and support. They visit the school and ensure that the curriculum is effective and equips all pupils for the next stage of their education.

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Staff morale is high. This is because the school is supportive of staff’s well-being and their workload. Staff say that if they ask for support, it is given.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some foundation subjects, and areas of learning in the early years curriculum, are still being refined by the school. Consequently, the specific knowledge pupils need to know is not yet explicitly mapped out in some areas. The school should ensure that the revisions being made are completed as soon as possible so that pupils reach the expected end points for each key stage and achieve well in all subjects. 12 and 13 September 2023

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 Some pupils have low attendance and are persistently absent. This leads to gaps in their learning and lower achievement. The school should continue to work with parents to instil the importance of regular attendance to improve the life chances of those persistent absentees.  Pupils do not have a sufficient understanding of what fundamental British values mean. As such, they do not understand the importance of adhering to these values. The school should take action to ensure that pupils gain a deeper understanding of what fundamental British values are, and how these apply as they go through life.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 12 and 13 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant leadership and staff changes. The headteacher started in his role in September 2022. The deputy headteacher took up her post at the same time. The leadership team has been restructured. It now includes an assistant headteacher who was appointed in September 2023.  The governing body manages before- and after-school provision.  The school has some mixed-year groups and some single-year group classes.  The school does not use any unregistered provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 12 and 13 September 2023

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, science, history and physical education. Inspection activities in these subjects included: lesson visits, discussions with staff and pupils, meetings with subject leaders, and work scrutiny. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans. Records of governors’ meetings and headteacher reports were also scrutinised.  Inspectors looked at records of attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying, and welfare.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, examined school records

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and discussed safeguarding cases.  The inspectors talked to parents at the end of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also reviewed the responses to the staff and pupil surveys and gathered the views of staff and pupils through discussion.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Sims Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 September 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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