Bushbury Lane Academy

Inspection of Bushbury Lane Academy Ripon Road, Bushbury Lane, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 9TR

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Lisa Smith. This school is part of Reach2 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 (CEO), Catherine Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Roberts. 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love being part of this inclusive and caring school. The school is committed to giving pupils the very best experiences. Staff have high expectations of pupils and pupils live up to these.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All children, including the most vulnerable, know what is expected of them and they rise to achieve it. There are high aspirations for pupils to do, to be and to achieve, the very best they can. The strength of relationships permeates all aspects of school life, helping pupils to overcome challenges and engage in all the school offers. As a result, pupils’ engagement and outcomes are exceptional.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well. There is an atmosphere of aspiration and care for what children at this school can achieve. Pupils feel proud of their school. They say that teachers want them to be ‘the best versions’ of themselves and that teachers ‘help us in every way’. They enjoy their learning and they take part in the many extra opportunities the school offers. The wider experiences, such as ‘11 b4 11’, help pupils to develop life skills and prepare them for life outside school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak with maturity and demonstrate exceptional kindness towards those with additional needs. They are keen to share their thoughts and to talk about their learning. Their faces light up when they remember previous experiences, trips and visits.

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better?

Leaders work exceptionally well together to provide an excellent education to pupils and to the community. The range of expertise and resources across the trust ensures a positive culture for school improvement, where there is a balance of challenge and support. Pupils speak highly of their school and the way in which staff help them to be the best they can be.

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better?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for providing all pupils with a high-quality education. Their shared values and practice are evident. There is a focus on improving teachers’ subject knowledge, pedagogy and use of assessment through regular monitoring and feedback. Leaders provide ongoing professional development to support and develop staff at all levels.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who are disadvantaged and those who join school later progress well. The provision for pupils with SEND is exceptional. There is a seamless approach to adapting lessons to ensure that all pupils access a curriculum that meets their individual needs.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Reading experiences, such as the ‘poetry basket’ and reading areas in early years, support the teaching of phonics. Pupils who struggle to read are given the bespoke support they need. As a result, these pupils are catching up 20 and 21 February 2024

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quickly. The reading café is a particular highlight of the school. It has a wide variety of high-quality texts to excite pupils’ interest and to extend their love of reading. Older pupils enjoy listening to the stories their teachers read to them. The library is regularly equipped with new books and books by new authors to stimulate pupils’ interests.

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In early years, children benefit from meaningful learning across the curriculum. Staff are knowledgeable about the areas of learning they teach. The curriculum has been adapted to meet the learning needs of children, including those with SEND. Children make excellent progress. Staff present information clearly to children, promoting and facilitating appropriate discussion about what they are teaching. They regularly check children’s understanding. Staff read to children in a way that excites and engages them, introducing new ideas, concepts and key vocabulary. They model language effectively well throughout the day and through a range of activities. This means that children in early years are well prepared for their next stage.

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The school works tirelessly and consistently to provide opportunities and experiences to enhance pupils’ personal development. There are opportunities for pupils to broaden their experiences beyond the academic curriculum. For example, they benefit from a wide range of clubs and activities that encourage and nurture their interests, such as a musical theatre club. These wider opportunities support them to become confident, resilient and independent. The vocabulary that pupils use is impressive as they demonstrate the depth of understanding and knowledge they have of the concepts taught. The planned rich experiences considerably strengthen the school’s offer to all pupils. For example, visits to the Royal Botanical Gardens and the battlefields in northern France are fully subsidised to allow all to attend.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 20 and 21 February 2024

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Bushbury Lane Academy is part of Reach2 Academy Trust, which has 61 primary schools.  The school is one-form-entry school.  The school has a nursery offering morning, afternoon and all-day provision for up to 16 children.  The school provides breakfast club and a wide range of after-school clubs.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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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. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the extended leadership team, including members of the trust board.  In addition, inspectors met with those with responsibility for early years, SEND, pastoral development and safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. 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 other subjects.  The inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences of school life

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and their learning in lessons.  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 carried out additional work scrutiny of all subjects across all years.  The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plans.

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Inspection team

Debra Newman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Dukes Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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