The Orchards Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Orchards Primary Academy Rhayader Road, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands B31 1TX

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Outcome

The Orchards Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Beverley Walker-Gordon. The school is part of Greenheart Learning Partnership Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Michelle Money, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sean Starr.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has experienced a period of turbulence in the last few years. During this time, pupils did not achieve as well as they should. Trustees and governors identified this. They took appropriate action to improve the curriculum and its implementation. Standards pupils achieve are improving.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Staff understand the school’s behaviour policy and implement it as leaders expect. Pupils follow rules and routines thoughtfully. They are very polite and respectful. Pupils state that behaviour in school is ‘good’. Bullying is not tolerated and is dealt with effectively by staff to make sure that it stops. Pupils say that they feel safe and happy. Pupils’ typical views are that this is a fun school where they ‘learn lots’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places great importance on promoting pupils’ wider opportunities, including for the high number of disadvantaged pupils who attend. Pupils take part in a wide range of fully inclusive extra-curricular activities such as dance, sewing and choir. Some disadvantaged pupils attend a mathematics club at another local school. Year 6 pupils take part in an annual residential trip. Pupils enjoy whole-school trips to the theatre.

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

Past outcomes in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 are low but are 8 and 9 October 2024

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improving. This is partly because many pupils begin school at different times in key stage 2. Many pupils returned to school after the COVID-19 pandemic with gaps in their knowledge.

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The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that is taught well. In a few subjects, the school does not know exactly how well pupils have learned the planned curriculum. This is because checks on pupils’ learning are not rigorous enough. As a result, staff are sometimes unsure about the security of pupils’ knowledge.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. They are taught to read as a priority. Staff have strong relationships with children. Children are taught to be kind to each other. The early years curriculum is well thought through and taught effectively. For example, children enjoy learning about the work of different artists. They can confidently create collages in the style of Henri Matisse. As a result, children are ready for the next stage in their learning.

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Reading is a high priority. Phonics is taught as leaders intend. Staff have the right expertise to teach phonics well. This is having a positive impact on teaching of phonics. Leaders make appropriate checks on how well phonics is taught. Pupils who need help receive the support that they need to catch up. This is having a positive impact on these pupils. Regular checks on pupils’ learning helps staff to know what to teach next in phonics. Pupils read with increasing accuracy and fluency. Outcomes in phonics are improving so children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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The school has identified rightly that there are some gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding. They have introduced a new mathematics curriculum. Staff have the expertise to teach the curriculum effectively. Occasionally some staff miss opportunities to help pupils secure their mathematical knowledge by applying it to reasoning and problem-solving activities. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in mathematics. The school is taking suitable steps to address this.

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Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive high levels of support. The school swiftly and accurately identifies pupils’ needs and routinely reviews learning plans to ensure they reflect the current needs of individual pupils. The school works effectively with external agencies. However, sometimes staff do not always use the most appropriate strategies or resources to support pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND lose focus in lessons and do not achieve as well as they could.

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The school has introduced a range of effective strategies to improve pupils’ attendance. This is having a positive impact. However, some disadvantaged pupils do not attend often enough.

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This is a very diverse multicultural school. Pupils are very accepting of the different faiths and cultures. They are taught about the importance of the rule of law and democracy. Pupils learn how to become responsible citizens. They take part in local litter picks and raise funds for charities. Pupils understand that there are different families and are very accepting of this. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Governors and trustees understand their roles and responsibilities well. They hold leaders to account fully. Most staff say that leaders take their workload and well-being seriously and manage this well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not have a precise enough overview of pupils’ achievement in some subjects. This prevents the school from having a clear oversight of how well pupils achieve across the whole curriculum. The school should ensure that staff accurately assess pupils’ learning in all subjects so that they can check on how well pupils achieve across the whole curriculum.  Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should make sure that all staff have the necessary expertise to teach pupils with SEND effectively so that pupils with SEND achieve ambitious outcomes.  Some disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they could and miss out on vital school experiences. The school should do all it can to increase the attendance of these pupils so they attend school regularly to enable them to achieve high outcomes.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged The Orchards Primary Academy to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2015.

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Greenheart Learning Partnership Trust which comprises 10 academies.  The school runs before- and after-school provision on site.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

n Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. n 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. n The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. 8 and 9 October 2024

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The inspector met with members of the trust board and the local governing body. The inspector met with the CEO and other leaders from the trust. Meetings were held with curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff. n The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English and mathematics, and history and art and design. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupil’s work. n The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. n The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke to many pupils during the inspection. n 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. n The inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. The inspector spoke to parents at the school gate. The inspector also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey and responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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