Allens Croft Primary School

Inspection of Allens Croft Primary School Allens Croft Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands B14 6RP

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Allens Croft Primary School welcomes everyone. Starting in the early years, the school has a broad and ambitious curriculum. Education in the arts is a particular strength, and the school holds the ‘Artsmark’ at platinum level. Staff adapt learning well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This year, new schemes have helped pupils to learn the foundation subjects in greater depth. They remember more, and across the school, pupils now learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults forge warm relationships with pupils. Pupils know that there is always someone to talk to if they have a concern. This all helps them to feel safe. In general, pupils are keen to learn and behave well in class and at social times. However, misbehaviour sometimes disrupts lessons. The rate of pupils’ attendance continues to be low.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to respect different cultures and traditions. Learning Makaton helps them to communicate with some of their peers and understand diversity. Pupils have the opportunity to take responsibility as members of school councils or as play leaders. Trips to places such as Hampton Court and local theatres contribute well to pupils’ learning. Pupils take good advantage of a wide range of after-school clubs and activities.

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better?

Pupils study all the subjects in the national curriculum. From January 2024, the school adopted new schemes in foundation subjects. Leaders have adapted these schemes well, for example identifying gaps in pupils’ previous knowledge and ensuring that work builds on what they already know. Learning moves smoothly from one key stage to the next. In English and mathematics, the school has addressed the weaknesses that led to low outcomes in 2023. As a result, in different subjects pupils are learning and remembering the detailed knowledge they need to progress successfully through the curriculum. Pupils understand, for example, the reasons for and consequences of historical events.

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better?

The school ensures that learning to read is a top priority. From the early years onwards, pupils follow a structured phonics programme. This programme ensures that pupils learn about letters and their sounds in a logical order. Staff use the programme’s resources in a consistent way. They assess regularly how pupils are learning. The school provides effective support for pupils, including those in key stage 2, who need to catch up. Books are well matched to pupils’ knowledge of phonics. Pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers. Older pupils enjoy a good range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Teachers pay due attention to different reading skills.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They break the learning down into small steps, and plan the day-to-day learning for pupils so that they meet the longer-term learning aims. Teachers identify the key vocabulary for pupils to learn. In the 12 and 13 June 2024

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classroom, teachers check on what pupils know and remember. They make good use of these checks to adjust their teaching. In mathematics, pupils use practical equipment well. They learn to calculate fluently, and apply their learning to different situations.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND, including for those in the resourced provision. They follow the full curriculum. Leaders accurately identify their learning needs. They provide guidance that ensures that these needs are met, and the pupils make good progress. Leaders have managed the expansion of the resourced provision well.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Generally, pupils behave well in lessons. The school is orderly. The large majority of staff follow the behaviour policy, but there are some inconsistencies in how it is applied. As a result, a few pupils sometimes disrupt the learning of others. Records of pupils’ behaviour are inaccurate, so that leaders’ plans to address this lack a firm foundation. There has been a lack of sustained action to address pupils’ low attendance, and it has shown only a slight improvement this academic year.

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Pupils follow a planned programme of personal development that teaches them how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They understand diversity, and show respect to others. Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities to take responsibility, for example as play leaders or school councillors.

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In general, staff work together well as a team. Staff believe that leaders are considerate of their workload. Leaders have tackled some priorities effectively, such as the development of the curriculum and the expansion of the resourced provision. However, staffing difficulties have compromised the rigour and consistency of the school’s approach to behaviour and attendance. The school works well with the local community. However, some parents and carers are yet to be convinced of the importance of regular attendance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils are persistently absent. As a result, they miss out on important continuity of learning and many personal and social development opportunities. The school should work intensively with parents to establish the importance of school attendance, and thereby ensure that pupils come to school regularly.  The school’s records of behaviour incidents are not accurate. This means that actions to improve behaviour are not as well informed as they should be, and some pupils continue to experience disruption to their learning. The school should 12 and 13 June 2024

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ensure that staff are trained to record behaviour incidents accurately, and that a reliable picture of behaviour is used as the basis for future plans and procedures.  Senior leaders do not have the full capacity to manage their workload. Pupils have not benefited from the consistent application of school policies for behaviour and attendance. The school should ensure that the capacity exists for leaders to manage all aspects of their work consistently and strategically.

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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 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 January 2019

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils in all three key stages with significant additional needs. Many have autism. In September 2023, the local authority raised the number of places in the provision from 12 to 36.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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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 June 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and with curriculum leaders. They also spoke with staff about their experience of the school.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and five other governors. A school improvement adviser met with the lead inspector.  The inspectors spoke with pupils at social times and with groups of pupils more formally.  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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents. These included the school’s self- evaluation, information about pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and the school’s curriculum.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text

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comments. Two inspectors met with parents at the start of the second day of the inspection. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art, history and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and scrutinised their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to a number of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Harjit Chahal Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 June 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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