Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4AY

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The headteacher of this school is Deborah Enstone. This school is part of Our Lady and All Saints Multi Academy Company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the Catholic Senior Executive Leader (CSEL), Peter Davis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Bentley.

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Outcome

Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The word ‘community’ accurately sums up this happy, vibrant school. There is an impressive sense of belonging here. This is shared by everybody, from pupils and their parents and carers to the staff and governors. Pupils love coming to school, as shown in the abundance of smiles everywhere. Everyone here talks about how the school’s values underpin every aspect of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. The school is a calm, purposeful environment, where pupils get off to a flying start in their education. They are thoughtful, courteous and excited about being here. Both in class and around the school, pupils display mature, confident behaviours. In class, they show exemplary attitudes towards their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum and always give their best. Staff have high expectations of pupils, and pupils have high expectations of themselves. Adults are caring and want the best for all pupils. This helps create a culture where positive relationships pervade. Pupils feel safe and know that adults will help them if they have any worries.

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

Across the curriculum, there are high expectations for all pupils. In each subject, intended learning is set out to ensure that pupils’ previous learning is revisited and built upon. For example, at the start of mathematics lessons, teachers encourage pupils to apply their knowledge from earlier lessons to develop a secure understanding.

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

The school has selected carefully the most important curriculum content to prepare pupils for their next steps. In geography, the curriculum has been organised into how humans 8 and 9 May 2024

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impact the world and how the world impacts humans. These simple strands help pupils make sense of the content they learn.

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The school’s focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary has a positive impact. The school has set out, with precision, the words pupils should learn in each subject. Teachers model these words by using them regularly. In turn, pupils know, understand and can use these words confidently. This helps ensure that pupils gain a secure and deep understanding of the subjects they learn. For example, in geography, pupils can describe in detail complex processes, such as coastal erosion and mountain formation.

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There is expertise and knowledge about supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Overall, pupils with SEND are usually well supported and included. However, there are times when teachers provide too much information or do not provide enough time for pupils to process what they have heard. This results in pupils not remembering information or learning as well as they could.

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Most pupils rarely miss school. However, despite the approaches at school to reduce pupils’ absence, some disadvantaged pupils are absent or arrive late to school too often. This means they miss valuable experiences.

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The school’s determination that all pupils will become fluent readers who love literature is very evident. Pupils love listening to the carefully chosen books that teachers read to them. From the early years, the school provides daily phonics lessons. Staff are well trained to become expert at teaching phonics. Phonics lessons are engaging. Pupils respond well, quickly learning the sounds letters make and how to blend them. The school monitors closely how well pupils are doing; teachers and support staff give help the moment it is needed. Pupils rarely have to catch up because they are helped to keep up.

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Pupils are enthused by the wider opportunities beyond the classroom. They relish the rich personal development experiences they get. Whether it is being an eco-councillor, librarian or playleader, pupils make a very real contribution to the life of their school. They play their part in the local community by becoming ‘Mini Vinnies’. Their compassion and caring extend further, such as weekly collections for a foodbank or raising money to support the school’s link-school in India. The curriculum is also enriched through trips, residentials and a wide variety of sporting and musical experiences.

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Leaders at all levels, have been successful in building a collaborative and caring culture among staff. They offer regular professional development that staff appreciate. They consider the workload of teachers carefully and actively try to reduce it. Staff are very proud to work at Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School.

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Safeguarding

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

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, pupils with SEND are presented with information that is too challenging for them. This means they become overwhelmed or confused and do not learn the most important knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND so that they learn and remember more.  Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, are absent from school or arrive late too often. This means they miss the learning that teachers have carefully prepared for them. The school should strengthen its work to engage with parents of pupils who are regularly late or absent so that pupils attend well and take full advantage of the exciting learning on offer.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School, to be good in June 2013.

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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.

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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 8 and 9 May 2024

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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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school became an academy in April 2021, joining Our Lady and All Saints Multi Academy Company.  The headteacher took up post in September 2023.  The school does not make use any alternative provision.  As a Catholic faith school, the school is subject to inspections under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The predecessor school was inspected in July 2018 and judged to be outstanding.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of the local board of governors. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 The inspector spoke to the CSEL, the chair of trustees and the school’s school improvement partner.  The inspector spoke to a representative of the diocese.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, he 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 listened to pupils read to members of staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime. He spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and

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around school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. The inspector also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector reviewed information published on the school’s website and other documentation provided by the school, including minutes of governor meetings.

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 May 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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