St Clement's Church of England Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Clement’s Church of England Academy Butlin Street, Nechells, Birmingham, West Midlands B7 5NS

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Outcome

St Clement’s Church of England Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Devina Shryane. The school is part of the 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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Clement’s is a caring and inclusive school. There are high expectations for all pupils, and many pupils reach these expectations. Pupils are polite, and there are warm and respectful relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils enjoy their time in school. They behave well and feel safe. They say that bullying does sometimes happen, but they trust staff to sort things out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils, both academically and personally. Their wider development is a priority for the school. Pupils know how to stay safe. They learn about healthy relationships and understand why everyone should be treated equally, regardless of any differences. Pastoral support for pupils is strong. The school has planned well for pupils to experience a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests, and to gain in confidence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The many extra opportunities that are provided for pupils enable them to take on positions of leadership or responsibility, so they are prepared for everyday life and the next stage of their education effectively. Pupils enjoy the variety of roles available to them, including their work in the community. This includes organising a Christmas lunch for local residents, where pupils serve the meal and provide the entertainment.

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

The school’s high expectations begin in early years. Phonics is prioritised to enable them to develop effective reading skills. Staff are trained to deliver phonics to a high standard. The emphasis on small groups and rigorous assessment practices ensures that any gaps are quickly identified. Children receive extra sessions, if necessary, so that they are able to keep up. This additional support continues into key stage 2 for pupils who need it. 21 and 22 May 2024

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When children start to learn phonics, they also learn letter shapes and how to hold a pencil correctly. These are the first steps towards handwriting, and children in the early years make a good start in this. The work presented by many pupils in upper key stage 2 is appropriate for their age.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well within their classes. Work is suitably adapted so that they are able to work towards the same learning outcomes as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Mathematics is a well-established subject. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and effective assessment practices. Pupils say that they enjoy mathematics, and they achieve well. However, some subjects are not as well planned. In a few foundation subjects, the key knowledge pupils need to learn is not clearly defined . This makes it difficult for teachers to know precisely what information pupils need to learn and remember, and results in some less precise selection of activities, which do not focus on the key learning. Some subject leaders are new in post and have not received sufficient support to enable them to evaluate the learning in their subject areas and the developments needed to improve it. This prevents pupils in some subjects from achieving the same high standard as elsewhere in the curriculum.

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Although attendance is similar to other schools nationally, the school continues to work hard to keep improving it. They understand the importance of regular attendance if pupils are to achieve as well as they can. The school works effectively with parents to ensure that those who find it difficult to maintain regular attendance are supported to improve it.

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Behaviour across the school is good. There are clear expectations of behaviour, which pupils respond well to. They say that the rules, rewards and consequences are fair. Pupils take turns and engage with playground games with enthusiasm and consideration for others.

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There is a strong team ethos at St Clement’s. Staff speak highly of the support they receive, saying that leaders have an open-door policy and other staff are always ready to help. During a recent unsettled period, leaders rightly focused on the maintenance of standards and routines for the benefit of all pupils. Now that staffing is more stable, there is a renewed emphasis on curriculum development. Staff appreciate the additional opportunities, including professional development, that the trust provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, it is not clear what precise knowledge and skills pupils should know and remember. As a result, teachers do not consistently select activities which enable pupils to learn the key information they need. The school should prioritise 21 and 22 May 2024

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and make clear the important knowledge, skills and concepts they want pupils to learn over time, and how this relates to the selection of key activities.  The leadership of some subjects is at an earlier stage of development. This has limited the school’s work to embed the planned curriculum. The school should continue to develop subject leadership so that teachers are supported to gain the knowledge they need to deliver the intended curriculum consistently and securely in all subjects.

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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 school to be good in May 2014.

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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 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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection 18 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a Church of England school. It received its most recent section 48 inspection in November 2019.

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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 the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the inclusion manager, the CEO and the school improvement adviser for the trust and a governor.  The inspector held a conversation with a representative from the diocese. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. 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 also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector observed a selection of pupils reading to members of staff. Other pupils were heard reading during lessons.  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 met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and life in school. The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day. She took account of

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responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and the staff survey.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including plans for development. She looked at records of attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Anne Potter, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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