Peterbrook Primary School

Inspection of Peterbrook Primary School High Street, Solihull Lodge, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 1HR

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They play together well at social times, making the most of the recently introduced outdoor play equipment. Pupils like and understand the new school values of ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe’. They are clear about how these values help them to meet the school’s high expectations of behaviour. Children learn how to manage themselves and their behaviour from the moment they join the school. This is why behaviour around the school is so good.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils of all ages are keen to learn. They are attentive and work cooperatively in lessons. However, the quality of education that they receive is not of a consistently high standard. It varies across year groups and subjects. This means that not all pupils achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love reading. This is fostered from Nursery onwards, through the enthusiastic sharing of rhymes, stories and books. Older pupils talk with passion about the diverse range of books that they have enjoyed reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are warm relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils know that they are cared for and any worries will be dealt with. They know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They become confident, well-rounded young people by the time they leave Year 6.

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

The school has made improvements to the quality of education since the previous inspection. Despite these improvements, however, some pupils do not benefit from consistently good provision. Most pupils achieve outcomes in line with national averages at the end of key stage 2. However, this is not the case for all pupils.

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

There has been considerable work to improve the curriculum in each subject. The school’s curriculum is now well designed to help pupils build their learning over time. The most important knowledge is identified and shared with pupils via knowledge organisers. When used well in lessons, these help pupils to know and remember more.

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

There is too much variation in how well the curriculum is taught. Some staff do not have a clear understanding of the most effective techniques to use. Sometimes, they do not have a strong enough understanding of how to check effectively that pupils have understood their learning. A key area of inconsistent practice is how well learning is adapted to meet the needs of different groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Sometimes different pupils struggle to remember their learning. Others lack opportunities to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge.

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

Children in the early years quickly learn how to manage themselves and how to work well together. They benefit from thoughtfully designed learning activities that help to develop their personal and social skills. The development of children’s language has rightly been 1 and 2 October 2024

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prioritised in the early years. However, some staff are not making the most of opportunities to help children practise using key language in their informal interactions. There are effective language and reading interventions in place for those who need additional support.

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The school’s approach to how pupils learn to read has improved. The phonics scheme is delivered well. The vast majority of pupils are accurate readers when they leave key stage 1. Older pupils who find reading difficult are supported to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified. However, the school is not always checking effectively that the needs of these pupils are being fully met.

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The school has clear expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. There is rarely a need to use the most serious behaviour consequences. Attendance is above national averages. This is a reflection of the school’s positive work to support pupils and their families.

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The school offers a range of opportunities to build pupils’ personal development, especially through the arts. Year 6 pupils developed resilience and social skills on their recent residential trip to North Wales. Pupils are keen to play an active role in supporting the school. For example, ‘peer mediators’ support social times and help resolve any disagreements between pupils. The school makes sure that pupils learn how to be responsible citizens through activities such as litter picking in the local community.

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Governors play an effective role in ensuring that the school continues to improve. The school knows that the quality of education requires improvement. However, processes to check the delivery of the curriculum are not strategic enough to identify the key areas for improvement. This does not result in actions that move things forward quickly enough.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is inconsistency in how well the curriculum is implemented. Some staff do not have the secure subject knowledge and understanding of teaching methods to deliver the curriculum well. This means that some pupils do not secure the key knowledge needed for further learning. The school should ensure that all staff are supported in delivering the curriculum effectively.  The development of language is a priority in the early years. However, there are times when staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children’s language. This means that some children do not practise using new words or extending their talk as well as they could. The school should ensure that children are enabled to develop their language and communication skills more effectively through the interactions they have 1 and 2 October 2024

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with adults.  The school has not ensured a high enough standard of support for all pupils with SEND. These pupils’ needs are not always met effectively in lessons, and this is not checked well enough by the school. Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that all staff are clear and knowledgeable about how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.  School improvement planning is not strategic enough. The most important areas are not addressed with enough precision and pace to bring about further improvements that are needed. This means that some improvements to the quality of education are taking too long. Governors should ensure that the school’s improvement strategy is robust enough to secure timely and sustainable improvements.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body James Wheeliker and John Byrnes (Co- Chairs) Headteacher Lindsey Thorne

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school has a Nursery for children from three years old.  The school provides before- and after-school childcare on site.  The school does not make use of 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have 1 and 2 October 2024

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taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders, representatives of the local authority and the co-chairs and vice-chair of the local governing board.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, music and science. 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 inspectors also visited other lessons, including early years provision.  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.

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 The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pete Hines OBE Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 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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