Great Bridge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Great Bridge Primary School Mount Street, Great Bridge, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 7DE

p.1

Outcome

Great Bridge Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Great Bridge Primary is a caring and inclusive school. Pupils are friendly and polite. They greet visitors with warmth and respect. Staff have strong relationships with pupils and want the best for them. The school’s values of ‘all valued, all achieving, all equal’ are evident through the care that staff give to pupils. Pupils thrive in this caring environment.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school operates a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Pupils who attend access specialist support for autism and communication and language difficulties. Staff understand their needs and provide effective academic and pastoral support.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well, concentrate on their learning in the classroom and listen attentively to their teachers and classmates. Starting in Nursery, teachers introduce effective routines to support behaviour and learning. As a result, pupils become increasingly independent and confident as they move through the school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

At playtimes, play buddies organise games in the playground. The atmosphere is lively and pupils play safely together. If bullying happens, adults address it quickly and effectively. As a result, pupils feel safe.

p.1

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

The school has recently designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND. In each subject, it is now clear what pupils will learn and how they will build their knowledge and skills over time.

p.1

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

The school uses a range of activities to help pupils remember and connect their learning. However, some teachers do not check pupils’ knowledge and understanding in lessons 8 and 9 May 2024

p.1

2

well enough. This means that teachers are not always able to identify when pupils are stuck and need extra help. This slows the learning of some pupils. Children in the early years benefit from a well-planned curriculum. There are clear routines that the children understand and follow. They become independent learners who can concentrate for extended periods. All staff are skilled in asking questions. This helps children learn and build their vocabulary.

p.2

2

Reading is a clear priority in the school. The approach to teaching early reading is paying dividends. Pupils start to learn to read as soon as they start school. The phonics programme sets out precisely what pupils need to know and by when. The school makes regular checks on the progress pupils make. Pupils who fall behind receive effective support to catch up. Staff deliver these sessions well, and, as a result, most pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to read fluently. In key stage 2, pupils have regular reading lessons. This helps them develop into confident readers.

p.2

2

Leaders make changes to the curriculum as necessary. For example, in mathematics, they have made changes to ensure that pupils can recall key facts to help them solve larger problems. Teachers make adjustments to ensure that pupils with SEND learn the curriculum well. Staff provide access to additional resources to help these pupils. In addition, adults support them well, sometimes with extra teaching to help them catch up and keep up.

p.2

2

Pupils have a good understanding of fundamental British values and equality. They know to be respectful to others who may be different to themselves. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils undertake a variety of leadership responsibilities in school, such as school councillors, reading ambassadors, play buddies and eco-councillors. There are also a small number of clubs on offer each term. These clubs are well attended by children, including those with SEND.

p.2

2

The school has taken action to raise the importance of attending school regularly. It works closely with families to help pupils attend more consistently. Staff identify concerns quickly and where appropriate work with external agencies to support pupils’ attendance. This is starting to have a positive impact on the attendance of some pupils. However, there are still too many pupils, including some who are disadvantaged or have SEND, who are regularly absent. This means that they miss too much of their learning.

p.2

2

Leaders and governors have a focus on staff well-being and ensuring that workload is manageable. Staff are positive about the school. They work closely together and support each other well. They feel that leaders and trustees make time for them and listen to their views.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 May 2024

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Rates of persistent absence for pupils, including the most disadvantaged and those with SEND, are high. This means pupils miss valuable learning and struggle to acquire knowledge and skills securely. The school should continue to work with parents to ensure their children attend school more regularly.  In some subjects, teachers do not check pupils’ knowledge and understanding in lessons well enough. This means that some pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in knowledge are not addressed as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure that all teachers consistently check pupils understand their learning so they can address misconceptions before moving on to new learning.

p.3

Background

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

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2014.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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, 8 and 9 May 2024

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 May 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 4 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in April 2021.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school has a specially resourced provision on site for children with communication and language difficulties and pupils with autism.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s 8 and 9 May 2024

p.5

6

website was also checked.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  The inspector held meetings with members of the local governing body, a representative from the local authority, the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. The inspector also talked informally to pupils, staff and parents to gather general information about school life.  The inspector considered responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Max Vlahakis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7