Coton Green Primary School

Inspection of Coton Green Primary School Kipling Rise, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 8LX

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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

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

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The headteacher of this school is Richard Osborne. This school is part of The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Richard Gill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Vickers. 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Coton Green is a school where pupils feel safe because of the warm relationships they form with each other and with staff. Many in this community refer to ‘belonging to a unique learning family’ that is inclusive and caring. This is a place where differences are celebrated and everybody is of equal importance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils do well, with an increasing number achieving expected standards in reading and writing. Many demonstrate positive attitudes toward their learning. They take increasing pride in their work. Pupils enjoy their learning most when they get to experiment and learn from their mistakes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly and take advantage of the many wider opportunities on offer. They enjoy the chance to hold leadership positions. Some pupils get to vote and make changes to their school while others act as mentors and look after other pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school raises pupils’ future aspirations by providing opportunities for them to graduate at a local university for completing hours of extra-curricular activities. Pupils enjoy attending clubs that are linked to their sporting and creative interests. They learn about global and local news and are supported to develop a social conscience by raising money and making donations for those less fortunate than themselves.

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

A strong partnership between the school and the trust results in everybody working together to deliver the best education possible for the pupils they serve. The school is good at finding ways to improve and making sure they are done well. The trust gives training and support to those who lead the improvements. These individuals then ensure that staff have the resources and training to be effective in their roles. External advisers check how well changes are improving learning. The school acts on the advice it is given. Staff are supported well and are proud to work at this school.

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

There have been significant changes to the curriculum in recent years. These have focused on making sure that learning builds progressively on what pupils know. These changes have had a positive impact on pupils’ enjoyment of learning and are improving outcomes. Nonetheless, the school’s approach to checking pupils’ learning, in some subjects, is at an early stage. Currently, these checks do not always help identify gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. This means that some pupils do not develop a deeper understanding of the topics they study.

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

Children in the early years get off to a good start. They begin to learn to read from the day they arrive. Many are excited to learn new words and routines. Developing children’s language and communication skills is a key priority. Staff accurately model how to use new words in context, while encouraging children to do the same. Children demonstrate a curiosity about how to group and order numbers and do so with increasing confidence. They control their emotions, sustain concentration, and play with each other in a calm and kind way. 24 and 25 September 2024

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Those pupils in the early stages of reading are supported well. Pupils read books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know, and they show a genuine enjoyment of literature. The school’s focus on developing how fluently pupils can read is helping those who previously experienced difficulties in this aspect. This, in turn, has supported these pupils to develop a deeper understanding of what they read.

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The school recognises that pupils did not achieve as well as expected at the end of key stage 2 in mathematics. In response to this, the school has developed new approaches to support more effective learning and to ensure that those who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly. Some pupils are now more confident when calculating and selecting the most efficient ways to answer problems. However, it remains the case that some pupils do not routinely apply the facts and calculation methods they learn to help them solve more complex problems.

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The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with communication and language difficulties are identified early and programmes of support are delivered by well-trained staff. The school, in partnership with parents and carers and outside agencies, puts meaningful support in place to remove barriers to learning. Staff make adaptations to learning and the environment to support equal access.

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Most pupils behave well and learn without interruption. They know their role in making their school a calm and respectful place to be. The school works well with parents to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time.

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The wider development of pupils is of high quality. The curriculum is enriched by trips to places linked to the topics they study, which pupils say brings their learning to life. Pupils enjoy a series of residential visits to activity centres as they move towards completing the ‘Coton Green Promise’. This prepares them well for the next stages of their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all pupils are consistently provided the opportunity to deepen their understanding of mathematics. This means that some pupils are not routinely applying the facts and calculation methods they learn to solve more complex problems. The trust should ensure that pupils can apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures appropriately for their age.  The school’s use of assessment in some subjects is at an early stage. It is not always used effectively to check gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ prior knowledge. This means 24 and 25 September 2024

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that some pupils misunderstand or do not develop a deep enough understanding of the topics they study. The trust should ensure that the school uses assessment to check what pupils understand and that future learning builds progressively on what pupils know.

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Website https://cotongreen.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership Trust.  This school runs a before- and after-school club.  This school uses one registered 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 24 and 25 September 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including those responsible for the curriculum, teaching and learning, behaviour, attendance, personal development and safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors 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 lead inspector also heard a selection of pupils read.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with the chair of the trust board.  The lead inspector also spoke with the CEO, the director of education, the trust

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strategic leader and the trust’s external school improvement partner.  Inspectors considered the survey responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments from parents.  Inspectors also evaluated the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Wood Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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