Boldmere Infant School and Nursery

Inspection of Boldmere Infant School and Nursery Cofield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 5SD

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. 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. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school with a family feel and community spirit. Pupils are happy and enthusiastic about learning. They confidently talk about how they love being here with their friends and teachers. They know that staff care about them and will sort out any worries. This means pupils feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils and pupils achieve well. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) exceptionally well. All children get off to a flying start in the outstanding early years classrooms.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of respect, kindness, cooperation, honesty, resilience and appreciation guide pupils in how to behave. Pupils are lively and welcoming to visitors. They generally focus on learning in the classrooms and play happily together at breaktime. Pupils understand that some of their peers may need extra support to manage their behaviour. They know that adults will manage this well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of educational experiences enhance the curriculum to make learning come to life for pupils. These include visits to the local area and beyond to a farm, zoo and museums. The school offers a range of clubs at lunchtimes to develop pupils’ interests including football, rugby and tennis.

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better?

The school has developed an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum. Leaders make creative use of the local area to make the curriculum meaningful to pupils. Staff receive effective training and support to deliver the curriculum effectively. They have good subject knowledge and present information clearly to pupils. Teachers use effective strategies to ensure that pupils retain knowledge. This is particularly noticeable in subjects such as mathematics and history. Pupils can recall important historical and mathematical information. They use this to build further knowledge. Activity choices are carefully considered and engage pupils’ interest such as the ‘History Mystery boxes’. These encourage pupils to ask questions about historical artefacts and sources. However, occasionally, the work pupils complete is not adapted effectively to deepen the learning of higher-attaining pupils.

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better?

The school uses assessment to inform teachers about what pupils have remembered. Staff use thoughtful questioning to elicit what pupils know. Pupils receive immediate feedback and support to address their errors and know how to improve. This means that pupils develop secure foundations on which to build new learning.

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better?

The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. The support these pupils receive is a strength of the school. The Boldmere Inclusion Base provides excellent provision for pupils with a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition. They benefit from expert adult support within the base, and when joining the rest of the school. Throughout the school, staff receive training to ensure that all pupils with SEND are included, happy 14 and 15 November 2023

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and make good progress. Parents of pupils with SEND appreciate that staff keep them informed and involved.

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The school successfully fosters a love of reading. Well-trained staff feel confident when teaching reading and phonics. This means they deliver the phonics scheme precisely. The books pupils read match the sounds they know. Pupils who need extra support with reading get timely help. As a result, pupils read fluently for their age.

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In the early years, children develop strong foundations for their future learning. There is a sharp focus on building children’s vocabulary. Adults encourage children to be inquisitive and to talk about their experiences. The expertly planned curriculum is implemented by skilled teaching staff. Staff make adaptations to the activities to capture pupils’ interests and encourage engagement. As a result, children show concentration and develop independence so they are very well prepared for Year 1.

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Behaviour is well managed. Pupils know that, at Boldmere, they all have the right to feel safe, to learn and to respect. The school uses a restorative approach to behaviour when adults encourage pupils to think about their actions. Support for pupils with significant behaviour needs is highly effective. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Attendance is high because pupils like being at school.

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The school weaves its personal development offer through all aspects of the curriculum. Pastoral support is effective. The school provides a range of activities that focus on pupils’ well-being. These help pupils to understand their emotions. Pupils contribute to the school community by taking on jobs such as librarians, Christmas postmen and playground buddies. Even in early years, children help around the classrooms when they are chosen to be star of the day. Pupils are listened to by staff, who collect their views and value their ideas.

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Pupils learn to be good citizens by undertaking activities in the community at local care homes, the food bank or by joining in art projects in nearby coffee shops. Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values and equality. They learn about these and discuss them in assemblies and at daily snack time. Pupils celebrate difference. However, the school has not ensured that all pupils have enough chances to experience a wide range of different cultures in a meaningful way.

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Leaders and governors are mindful of ensuring that the well-being of all staff is a priority. Staff feel valued and are proud to work here. Governors are skilled and committed. They understand their roles well and regularly visit the school to check the actions of leaders. Parents speak highly of the school.

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Safeguarding

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

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not always delivered in a way that meets the needs of all pupils. On occasion, some pupils are not provided with work that deepens their understanding well enough. The school should ensure that staff receive training and support to be able to deliver the curriculum in a way that meets the needs of all pupils.  The school has not ensured that pupils receive enough meaningful opportunities to engage with aspects of different cultures. As a result, some pupils do not have age-appropriate knowledge of different cultures in Britain and beyond. The school should ensure that the curriculum contains more opportunities for pupils to have greater experience of other cultures.

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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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Carl Glasgow (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2011

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Federation of Boldmere schools with Boldmere Junior School. The two schools share the same site and work collaboratively together to benefit the pupils.  The executive headteacher works across both schools in the federation. He is supported by a head of school for the Infant school and Nursery.  The federation includes Boldmere Inclusion Base, which provides additional provision for pupils with a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition.  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. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the

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assistant headteachers, the leader of the Boldmere Inclusion Base, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met representatives of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors met with the leaders responsible for the early years, disadvantaged pupils, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors took account of responses on Ofsted Parent View and the staff survey. The inspector spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with groups of pupils both formally and during less-structured parts of the day.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Snooks 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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