Perton Primary Academy

Inspection of Perton Primary Academy Sandown Drive, Perton, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV6 7PS

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Victoria Jackson. This school is part of Staffordshire University Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, James Capper, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mary Walker.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Perton Primary Academy as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Perton Primary Academy is, as parents and carers say, a warm and welcoming school. Pupils and staff are proud of the Perton values that underpin school life in its entirety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind, courteous and considerate to each other and staff. They rightly say that there are very few occasions when behaviour does not meet expectations. Staff sort any disagreements between pupils quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ learning, as well as behaviour. Pupils achieve well and are equipped for what comes next in their education. Pupils concentrate in lessons and enjoy their studies. They talk about what they know with enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show a deep understanding of being ‘happy, healthy and safe’. They are developing into open-minded and nurturing individuals. They value the importance of being physically, but especially mentally healthy. They appreciate the many, varied opportunities that come their way. These include an extensive range of clubs, ‘no pen days’ when various visitors stretch and challenge their thinking, plus visits to places of interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

One pupil, expressing the views of many, said, ‘We are one big family. Not a birth family, but a family all the same. We care for each other.’ Parents and staff echo this sentiment.

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better?

One vision, one team and one family are immediately apparent within the school. Everyone is working effectively together to enable ‘successful futures for all.’ Many staff and parents are fulsome in their praise of how the school looks after them and the pupils. Inspectors heard many examples of this during the inspection. Each conversation shared the common strand of attention to detail and leaders taking the time to stop, listen and care.

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better?

The school has rightly refreshed its focus on the curriculum. This has proved successful. The curriculum builds from pre-school to Year 4. The school has helped staff to know what to teach and when across the curriculum. This is more developed in some subjects including science, history and geography. It is in development for others. Leaders are spot on in their knowledge of what is working well and what needs to happen next.

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better?

The school provides relevant and targeted staff training and coaching. This has been especially effective in phonics and reading. However, on occasion in some other subjects, staff do not choose the most appropriate resources or activity to support the intended learning. When this mismatch is evident, pupils are not always able to recall their learning well enough. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Pupils behave well in lessons. When the organisation of learning through a unit is clear and activities link to the learning, pupils talk with enthusiasm and depth about what they know. They can explain the causes and consequences of invasions in history. They describe complimentary and contrasting colours in art. However, sometimes teachers’ organisation of the intended curriculum lacks cohesion and this muddles the learning slightly.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. This is evident from pre-school upwards. The school quickly notices any emerging needs. They are swift to act to put targeted and effective support in place. They wrap a team around the pupil and the family. This allows everyone to work together in a way that provides the very best opportunities for pupils with SEND.

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Children in the early years develop a joy in books and stories that stays with them throughout their time at Perton. Right from the start, they learn to listen and appreciate sounds and stories. This builds through Nursery where they begin to know that letters make sounds. From Reception upwards, precise teaching of phonics is consistent and effective. Staff note any gaps as they occur and nip these in the bud. Pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy. Older pupils embrace reading as a way to gain new knowledge and improve their own writing.

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Children in the early years learn in a well-organised environment. Staff help children to grow and develop as independent, confident individuals. Children and staff enjoy a range of conversations. Watching the care with which children wash their own plates and cups or carefully cut leaves to design an image is a pleasure. Children make their own choices in play which adults then tap into to skilfully move the learning forward.

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The school provides many, varying opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the classroom. Pupils can be found singing in a supermarket, reading to residents in nearby accommodation or foraging in the forest. Pupils and parents cherish these wider occasions and experiences that are part and parcel of school life.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not ensured that some learning activities or resources used within lessons are sufficiently well linked to the intended curriculum. As a result, pupils are not always helped to build and deepen their learning well enough. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and 7 and 8 November 2023

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knowledge to select the most appropriate learning activities and resources and that these are used effectively to extend and challenge pupils’ learning.  The current sequences of learning in a few subjects do not always promote learning in the most effective way. Pupils are sometimes muddled or unclear because learning is not building precisely enough in the right order. The school should continue to review and further refine the current sequence of learning to ensure that the right things are taught in the most effective sequential manner.

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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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Staffordshire University Academy Trust in September 2016.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2022.

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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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke with four members of the local academy council, including the chairperson.  The lead inspector met with three representatives of the trust board, including the chairperson.  During the inspection, the inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and, art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects, including science, geography and personal, social and health education.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about behaviour.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the online staff survey.  An inspector talked to parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Foulkes, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeremy Bird Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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