Pitmaston Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Pitmaston Primary School Malvern Road, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 4ZF

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Outcome

Pitmaston Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an exceptional school that is at the heart of its community. Leaders are unwavering in their drive for excellence. The school has exceptionally high expectations for all pupils and staff. All want pupils to achieve their very best, and they consistently do. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The early years provision is excellent. It is the bedrock of the school. Children have an exceptional start to their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. They love school and enjoy attending regularly. They are a pleasure to speak to. Pupils are friendly, welcoming and proud of their school. Lessons are calm, orderly and free from disruption. The purposeful and positive relationships between staff and pupils are a joy to observe. Pupils are confident that their teachers will deal swiftly with any issues should they arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values and motto of ‘enjoy, aspire and achieve’ permeate every aspect of Pitmaston. Leaders pay serious attention to pupils’ well-being. The staff are nurturing and kind. The curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development is highly effective. As a result, pupils understand, appreciate and respect differences in the world and its people. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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

Senior leaders are highly ambitious and aspirational for every pupil. The main driver to realise these ambitions is the school’s well-designed curriculum. It clearly lays out the knowledge and skills pupils should learn in each subject over time, including in the early years. Learning builds in a logical order. This all helps pupils to achieve very well.

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

The reading curriculum is highly effective. Expert teaching of phonics ensures that pupils become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy reading, and they do so daily. Leaders ensure that all staff and pupils have a shared and common understanding of language development. For example, children in the early years speak confidently about phonemes and graphemes. 14 and 15 November 2023

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In addition, leaders have created a strong reading culture. Pupils love reading and relish daily story time.

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The use of assessment is extremely efficient in checking what pupils can do. Staff quickly spot if a pupil has fallen behind or is ready to learn new things. They adapt their teaching to address any gaps or move learning on. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, receive work that is extremely well matched to their needs. Consequently, pupils learn exceptionally well.

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Staff, including additional adults, have very strong subject knowledge. The school has ensured that all staff receive highly effective training to deliver the ambitious curriculum. Staff provide pupils with engaging learning tasks that deepen pupils’ learning. Pupils enjoy learning. They stick at things when they are difficult and do not give up easily.

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Pupils with SEND are extremely well supported. They receive targeted support at every level. This includes in their lessons and in individual intervention sessions. Staff are highly skilled at identifying pupils’ educational needs, and leaders ensure that pupils get the help they need quickly. All of this means that pupils with SEND overcome their learning barriers, flourish and achieve well.

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The early years provision is outstanding. It is the foundation of the school’s exemplary quality of education. Children settle quickly and begin learning as soon as they arrive. Strong care and nurture ensure that children swiftly learn the routines and expected behaviours of daily school life. The curriculum is highly effective in ensuring that children are extremely well prepared for Year 1. Adults work skilfully to further children’s personal development. In addition, staff have created a learning environment that deliberately supports children to blossom.

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The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. This work includes a plethora of clubs, trips, visits and after-school activities, which pupils keenly attend. Furthermore, there is a range of activities to promote pupils’ positive mental health and well-being. The school’s curriculum to develop pupils’ character is exemplary. For instance, pupils knowledgeably talk about values such as kindness and equality. Many pupils are ambassadors for subject areas; they support younger peers, take on leadership roles and support their teachers. As a result, pupils are exceptionally well prepared to be active citizens of British society.

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Senior leaders and governors have a meticulous understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. They work hard to continuously improve the school. Leaders have ensured that all staff receive innovative training on how to teach the curriculum. Staff speak highly of the support they receive, including for their well-being and workload. All staff are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in June 2017.

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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.

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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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The school runs a daily breakfast club for its pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector held a meeting with the governing body, including the chair, and a telephone meeting with the school’s external consultant. Meetings were held with curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum 14 and 15 November 2023

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with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors visited the early years for each of the deep dives.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at break and lunchtimes and spoke to many pupils during the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single 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.  Inspectors considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. The inspector also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. Inspectors also spoke to parents at

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the school gates to gather their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Bianka Zemke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Vautier-Thomas Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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