Busill Jones Primary School

Inspection of Busill Jones Primary School Ashley Road, Bloxwich, Walsall WS3 2QF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Nicola Bayliss. This school is part of Shine Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gemma Draycott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gary Gentle. 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a rapidly improving school. It is led well. The curriculum has been revamped to suit pupils’ needs. There is a significant focus on teaching phonics so that everyone, whatever their background or difficulties, learns to read. This is paying off and standards coming up through the school are rising. There is still more to do to develop teaching and learning in different subjects. However, leaders have established a shared vision and ambition for all to achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s rules are simple and fair. Pupils understand them and follow them. Lessons run smoothly and the school is an orderly, calm place. There are many rewards and recognition for being a positive ‘Busill Bee’. Pupils respond well to this and their pride in the school is increasingly evident. From smart school uniforms, with blazers in Year 6, to preventing bullying and showing good manners, the school’s raised expectations can be seen in many ways.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Importantly, the school is a safe place to be. Pupils and parents know that the school will help them with any problems, even if that means challenging them to take more responsibility. Whether it be addressing poor behaviour or unnecessary absence, parents can be confident the school has their children’s best interests at heart.

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better?

After a difficult past, this school is on the up. While outcomes are not yet where they should be, pupils are now making better progress. Importantly, the school supports pupils to develop the self-belief and resilience they need in order to succeed.

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better?

These improvements at the school are being driven by leadership that understands the local challenges. However, this leadership does not accept hardship as a barrier to achievement. Instead, the school teaches pupils that the route to a brighter future is education. To this end, the school is doing much to lift aspirations. As part of this work, the school has established clear and consistent routines for teaching reading. An informed focus on improving speaking and listening in the Nursery class paves the way for formal phonics teaching in Reception. The school’s chosen reading scheme is followed correctly, and key stage 1 pupils are now much better readers than they used to be. The school’s work to support weaker readers catch up is also bringing benefits. Nevertheless, a legacy of past underachievement can still be seen in key stage 2.

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better?

The curriculum in several other subjects has also been strengthened. In geography and design and technology, for example, the curriculum focuses on the right things. There is a clear progression of learning from early years to Year 6, so everyone knows what to aim for. That said, there is variation in the quality of learning and 12 and 13 March 2024

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assessment in several other subjects. The most significant area is mathematics. In this core subject, inconsistencies in the way the subject is taught and assessed slows pupils’ progress. Leaders are aware of this and are getting involved with national projects to improve the quality of teaching and learning in this subject.

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While there is more to do to strengthen the way in which some subjects are taught and assessed, attention to pupils’ personal development is strong. The school uses what it knows about pupils’ experiences and the locality to inform this work. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and how to make informed, responsible choices. Crucially, the school teaches pupils that achievement at school improves their well-being and life chances. This optimistic, aspirational culture supports the school’s successful work to improve attendance. Pupils want to come to school and families know they can count on the school to help them. In their comments to inspectors, many parents expressed gratitude for this. They also noted how higher expectations and consistency were helping their children to enjoy school and feel valued and successful.

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Any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately. In addition, the school carefully tailors early years provision to meet children’s developmental needs. For example, the curriculum provides extra opportunities to develop children’s physical, social and communication skills, which are often underdeveloped when they first start. On top of this, the school routinely provides additional services, such as speech and language support which happens daily.

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Staff are well supported by leaders. They say ambitious expectations are made clear and that leaders are equally attentive to their welfare.

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The headteacher and trust leaders have taken effective action to build sustainable leadership capacity. They draw on expertise from the trust’s central team and other schools to support improvements. Their plans for the future are informed and ambitious. After a bumpy past, energetic leadership has put this school on the right track.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While the mathematics curriculum has been strengthened, inconsistencies in the way the subject is taught and assessed restricts pupils’ progress and standards. It is the lower-attaining pupils and those pupils with SEND who are most affected by 12 and 13 March 2024

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this. The school should continue to improve everyday classroom practice in mathematics so that standards rise.  Curriculum design and the use of assessment are further ahead in some foundation subjects than in others. Consequently, there are variations in the quality of learning across different subjects. The school should continue to improve curriculum design and implementation in foundation subjects, so that pupils make the best possible progress across the whole curriculum.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 In 2019, the school became an academy with Shine Academies Trust. This is the school’s first inspection since reopening as an academy.  The school offers before and after-school childcare on site.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 The inspectors considered published performance data about the school. Inspectors also looked at a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, governance, school improvement planning and documents published on the school’s website.  During the inspection, the inspectors had formal meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, school staff, pupils, members of the interim governing board, trustees, the trust’s director of education and chief executive officer. The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with a local authority safeguarding officer.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and design and technology. In these subjects, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.

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They also considered the curriculum in other subjects to check how they were organised, taught and assessed. An inspector observed some pupils reading to staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather general information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff and parents’ views.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, at lunchtime, on the playground, at clubs and at other times during the day.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Dan Owen Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 March 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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