Lyndon Green Junior School

Inspection of Lyndon Green Junior School Wensley Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, West Midlands B26 1LU

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this nurturing and inclusive school. Kindness and respect for others are evident in all aspects of school life. Courtesy and good manners are commonplace. Pupils benefit from strong relationships with staff in school. They know staff will always help them with any worries or concerns they might have. The atmosphere is calm and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants all pupils to do well. For most pupils this ambition is realised. However, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not challenged enough, and the expectations of what they can achieve are too low.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well at all points of the day. They embody the simple rules of, ‘respect yourself, respect others, respect your school’. There are a variety of activities that pupils can enjoy during playtimes. Some pupils prefer a quieter playtime. These pupils can access the outdoor library, called ‘oasis’, to sit quietly and read their favourite books.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to be good citizens of the future. Exciting responsibilities, such as being junior police community support officers, eco-reps, rights reps, librarians and school councillors, support them to understand the difference they can make to the world. Pupils accept and respect differences, saying, ‘We don’t treat anybody differently here.’

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better?

The new phonics programme is having the desired impact to improve pupils’ reading. The school ensures that pupils at the early stage of reading quickly gain the knowledge they need to catch up with their peers. Phonics sessions are taught well, and teachers have a very clear understanding of any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have. Teachers address these swiftly. Books are perfectly matched to the pupils’ phonics knowledge. This enables pupils to improve how fluently they read. The reading curriculum is well considered, effective and supports pupils to be ready for the next stage of their education. There are many opportunities to develop pupils’ love of reading. Carefully chosen texts and a well-stocked library, which pupils use regularly, all support this. ‘Everybody reading in class’ sessions allow pupils to immerse themselves in their favourite book every day.

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better?

Some other areas of the curriculum are also taught well. This is particularly true of mathematics. Pupils revisit prior learning regularly to help them remember important facts and calculations. However, not all subjects allow pupils to learn as well as they might. In these subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember. Careful consideration has not been given to what pupils should learn and when. As a result, pupils cannot always deepen their learning based on what they have learned before. 11 and 12 October 2023

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On occasion, the school’s expectations of what some pupils with SEND can achieve are too low. Pupils are not given enough opportunity to develop independence and there is too much repetition of tasks they can already do. The precise learning needs of some pupils are not assessed regularly enough. This slows down their learning and they do not get enough opportunities to demonstrate what they can do.

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The vast majority of pupils engage very well with lessons. The school has robust systems in place to support pupils who find it more difficult to consistently behave well. Pupils’ behaviour is managed with kindness, compassion and consistency. Staff model the behaviour they expect from pupils very well. Most pupils rise to these expectations.

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Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe. This includes online. They take an active role in trying to improve their local community. Examples of this include discussing the traffic issues outside school and litter picking to keep their immediate area clean. Pupils’ deep understanding of different faiths, cultures, races and families is preparing them well for life in modern Britain. They know that it is never acceptable to treat people differently because of certain characteristics.

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The school is held in extremely high regard by parents and pupils. Parents appreciate the kindness shown to pupils, and the high-quality education, care and nurture that pupils receive. Parents typically say, ‘Our children feel like treasured members of the school.’ They feel that nothing is too much trouble for staff members if issues arise. Staff are very proud members of the Lyndon Green family. All work well together in the best interests of the pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out the precise content that pupils are expected to know and remember. This means that teachers are unable to check if pupils have retained the most important knowledge for future learning well enough. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out precisely what pupils should know, and when, in all subjects and ensure assessments reflect this.  The precise gaps in the knowledge of some pupils with SEND have not been identified carefully enough. Pupils are sometimes given work that is too easy or too repetitive. This means some pupils with SEND do not have the opportunity to learn as well as they might. The school should ensure that pupils with SEND have their learning needs identified precisely and that their targets are individualised to allow them to make the progress they are capable of. 11 and 12 October 2023

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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). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average junior school.  The school has a SEND resource base.  The school does not make use of any alternative 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher and subject leaders. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects, including writing, history, geography, computing, and art and design. Curriculum documents for physical education were analysed.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair, and with pupils and staff.  Inspectors spoke to parents on the school playground.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well

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as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  The lead inspector met with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. Inspectors reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding and attendance. Inspectors spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ safety.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans, and information on the school’s website.  The inspectors talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bev Petch Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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