Codsall Middle School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Codsall Middle School Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV8 1PB

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Codsall Middle School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Kirstin Reade. This school is part of Codsall 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, Jodie Parker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tyrone Field.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have excellent attendance. They like their lessons, their caring teachers and the broad range of subjects that they learn. Almost all pupils participate in the wide range of after-school clubs and enriching trips. The school is welcoming for all pupils. There is bespoke, individualised care in place for pupils who need support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is proud of the work it is doing to encourage pupils to demonstrate their school values of being considerate, ambitious and proud through ‘The Codsall Way’. Pupils enthusiastically take up opportunities to be student leaders and participate in community activities, such as the food bank collections.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for every pupil. The curriculum has been carefully structured to ensure pupils build their skills and knowledge over time. Pupils participate fully in lessons and make good attempts at written and practical work. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations and clear routines have led to a calm and orderly environment with a positive atmosphere for learning. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to their teachers and their peers. At breaktime and lunchtime, pupils move sensibly around busy corridors and play well together in the playground. Pupils feel safe in school. 22 and 23 October 2024

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

Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to explain concepts and ideas clearly. They select appropriate resources for teaching their classes, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff identify the needs of these pupils accurately and make suitable adaptations to help them access the curriculum. Parents of pupils with SEND value this support, recognising that the school puts the basic building blocks in place to help their children to thrive.

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

Pupils did less well than others nationally in the 2024 key stage 2 assessments in mathematics. The school understands the reasons for this underperformance and has rapidly put in place additional support to ensure pupils catch up with their peers. This support is making a positive difference. Pupils in Year 8 achieve well and are prepared for the next stage of their education by the time they leave the school.

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

The school is committed to developing the wider skills that pupils need to succeed. Staff spend time helping pupils become more resilient and confident in their learning. When encountering new learning, pupils are given time to discuss their thoughts with their classmates to help formulate their own ideas. Pupils confidently attempt their work even when they think it is difficult.

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

The school understands the importance of building the core skills of reading and numeracy. Pupils have well-considered reading lessons and enjoy spending time in the library. Most pupils read well. Weaker readers receive additional help from staff to improve their fluency. Specialist mathematics teachers work with their colleagues in different subjects to ensure common approaches are used when teaching pupils to use mathematics. For example, in geography, pupils use and apply their knowledge of mathematical vocabulary when learning about maps and grids.

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

In the main, teachers check pupils’ understanding well and adapt their teaching when they identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not always receive clear enough guidance that allows them to correct errors in their work. As a result, pupils are sometimes left with misconceptions that they carry to the next stage of their learning.

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

The school’s personal development curriculum is well thought out and responsive to pupils’ needs. The curriculum content is taught across assemblies, tutor time and through lessons. The school knows its pupils, including the most vulnerable, very well and provides them with the help and support that they need to succeed. Pupils talk positively about how they are supported to respect people from other backgrounds and to treat everyone equally. However, this curriculum does not sufficiently guide pupils about careers education. Pupils say they would like more information about being prepared for their future. For example, they would like to know more about the qualifications needed for future careers. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the support they receive from the school and the trust. For example, they appreciate the regular training opportunities that the school provides to help them develop professionally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not consistently receive clear guidance to help them to address errors and misconceptions in their work. Consequently, misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always closed before the learning moves on. This hinders the progress that pupils make. The school should ensure that staff routinely check on pupils’ learning and adapt their teaching appropriately to ensure any gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ understanding are quickly resolved.  The careers education programme does not provide pupils with the information they need to ensure they are ready for their next phase of education, training or employment. This leaves pupils unsure about the range of opportunities available to them. The school should ensure pupils receive timely guidance to support them in making decisions about their futures.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019. 22 and 23 October 2024

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Website www.codsall-middle.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the Codsall Multi Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school does not currently meet the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff. An inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the chair of the local academy committee and a member of the trust board.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime. Inspectors considered the views of pupils expressed through the pupil survey.  Inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the views expressed through the staff survey.  Inspectors took account of parents’ views through Ofsted Parent View.  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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Inspection team

Deborah James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Grady Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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