The Nethersole CofE Academy

Inspection of The Nethersole CofE Academy High Street, Polesworth, Tamworth B78 1DZ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Samantha Goode. This school is part of Birmingham Diocesan Multi-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, Dr Christopher Mansell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sarah Smith. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this warm and nurturing school. They feel safe and happy. During the inspection, older pupils explained how things have improved over time in the school. Pupils enjoy the opportunities available to them at lunch time and after school, especially the variety of sports on offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to be successful. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should, particularly in English and mathematics. This is because the school is still developing the curriculum and some subjects are not as well delivered as they need to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils know how to behave well. They show positive attitudes to their learning and, generally, try hard in lessons. However, some pupils do not follow classroom routines consistently. Pupils behave calmly around the school. They treat each other kindly and play harmoniously at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils who find school more of a challenge, receive individual care and support. The school gets to know and seeks to support them in several ways which helps them to engage in school. Staff and pupils share positive relationships. This contributes to the welcoming environment. Pupils are respectful towards their teachers and trust them to help resolve any problems.

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better?

The school has invested time and resources to plan an ambitious curriculum. It is carefully sequenced and key knowledge is clearly identified. Leaders are reflective about the curriculum. They have thought carefully about how it helps pupils understand their local context and the wider world. Much of the early years curriculum is also newly developed and provides children with the opportunity to learn about a variety of cultures.

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better?

However, while teachers understand the curriculum aims, there are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered, including in the early years. Teachers present the key information to pupils as planned. Recent work on how pupils learn has helped them to do so. Pupils understand why they are doing certain activities and how this helps build their knowledge. However, teachers’ subject knowledge in relation to the curriculum as a whole, is not fully developed. Checks on how well pupils understand ideas are not always effective. As a result, pupils have misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge which are not picked up and addressed well enough.

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better?

Reading is a key priority. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. In Nursery, there is an emphasis on sounds. As children move into the Reception class and key stage 1, they receive a structured daily phonics session. Through this, pupils learn how letters and sounds combine to make words. Reading books match 28 and 29 November 2023

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the sounds they learn. With practise and repetition, pupils develop their phonic knowledge effectively. The school ensures that teachers spend additional time on phonics to help pupils with their development when needed. This is working well and is helping pupils to develop into fluent readers.

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The school has worked to improve the provision for pupils with SEND. Most pupils are well supported with appropriate adaptations to the curriculum made to enable them to access the curriculum. However, some pupils who have fallen behind in their learning are not receiving the additional support they need. This is because systems to support these pupils are not fully developed and effective enough.

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The school has raised expectations of pupils’ behaviour. However, these are not fully realised, including in the early years. This is because staff do not consistently follow the behaviour management expectations. As a result, some pupils do not understand how to respond to what is expected of them or are not always re- engaged effectively by their teachers to help them focus on their learning.

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Pupils learn about healthy relationships and the importance of them. They know how to keep safe, especially online. Pupils enjoy the clubs at lunchtime and after school. Visitors are invited into school to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world and some educational visits are arranged to extend pupils’ learning. However, this is not coherently planned with the curriculum in mind. So, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to experience broader cultural experiences. Leaders are keen to develop these into meaningful opportunities for pupils beyond the classroom.

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Governors and trustees know the school and community well. They are aware of the challenges that the school has faced, and where areas for development remain. Trust leaders are proactive in their support of the school. The trust has provided critical support and valuable expertise. It has helped the school to develop its curriculum and secure improvements.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They have a strong shared sense of working for the pupils in their care. The school uses external agencies well to help enhance its work with pupils and families in the community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s planned curriculum is not implemented consistently enough from the early years to Year 6. As a result, outcomes for pupils are too low. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well to ensure that 28 and 29 November 2023

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all pupils achieve as well as they should and are ready for the next stage of their learning.  Teachers’ subject knowledge in foundation subjects is not sufficiently detailed. As a result, some pupils are left with misconceptions about what they are learning. The school should ensure that teachers are well supported to understand key subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum effectively in all subjects.  The identification of pupils with additional needs is not sufficiently robust. Consequently, some pupils do not receive the help they need to access the ambitious curriculum on offer. The school needs to ensure that clear plans for support and interventions are in place to enable pupils with SEND and additional needs to access the full curriculum well.  The high expectations set for behaviour are not implemented consistently across the school. Some pupils do not learn the routines and understand the

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expectations well enough and therefore struggle to engage with their learning and manage their behaviour. The school needs to ensure that routines are well understood and implemented consistently and effectively by all staff.  Opportunities beyond the classroom for pupils are not coherently planned. As a result, pupils do not experience a range of enrichment opportunities related to the curriculum they are learning. The school should ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of experiences, in line with their learning in school, that extends and enhances their personal development.

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How can I feed back my views?

You can use to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, 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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Website www.thenethersoleceacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 November and 1 December 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the of Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school is part of the Diocese of Birmingham. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2016. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, trustees and governors, trust staff, including the chief executive officer and the director of education, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to parents, pupils and staff to gather general information about school life.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and art. 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

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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 reviewed the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum plan, spoke with the curriculum leader and groups of pupils.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying and attendance.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and their self-evaluation of the school’s work.  Inspectors took account of responses to the pupil and staff surveys, as well as Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Tibbits Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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