Walmley Junior School

Inspection of Walmley Junior School Walmley Ash Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B76 1JB

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since January 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school and thrive academically and personally. They feel safe and enjoy warm and positive relationships with staff and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a deep sense of tolerance and equality. They speak confidently about treating everyone equally. They treat each other with respect. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal development. Pupils achieve exceptionally well in English and mathematics. This is reflected in the high-quality work that pupils complete in these subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They appreciate the wide variety of character- building opportunities that the school provides. This includes the many educational visits and a vast array of extra-curricular clubs on offer to them. Through their many leadership roles, pupils make a significant contribution to the school and its wider community. For example, older pupils share their talents and interests by organising and leading a range of lunchtime clubs for younger pupils. This helps them to be positive role models and to develop their leadership skills.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is enriched by many meaningful opportunities to bring learning to life. Pupils are supported to make purposeful links across different subjects, and this strengthens their knowledge and understanding. In most subjects, staff routinely check what pupils know and remember.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. In most subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge and skills it wants all pupils to learn. However, in a small number of subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn is not identified and sequenced as clearly as it could be. On occasion, some pupils struggle to learn the curriculum because they have moved on too quickly before securing the foundations needed. This can affect how well some pupils build knowledge in some subjects.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards reading. They speak with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors. The school provides well for pupils at an early stage of learning to read. Staff expertly teach pupils to read. Pupils are quickly supported to become fluent, confident readers.

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

Pastoral care is a strength of the school and something that parents and carers commented highly on. The school’s work on pupils’ personal development is exemplary. When pupils join the school, they learn about the ‘Walmley essentials’ which is a highly ambitious life-skills programme. This includes basic first aid and teaches pupils about their locality and personal safety. This prepares pupils very well for their future lives. Pupils 12 and 13 November 2024

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speak with maturity about issues such as healthy relationships and consent. They know how to stay safe online and the importance of not sharing personal information. Cultural development is promoted through music, the arts and themed days. These experiences support pupils to appreciate difference and develop their understanding of the world.

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Pupils talk confidently about their school values. They know what these mean in practice and model them to each other. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, and most pupils live up to these expectations. However, occasionally off-task behaviour in lessons is not addressed by adults. Some pupils become distracted from their learning so they do not learn as well as they should. The school works well with parents to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time.

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Governors have the right skills to challenge and support the school. Their work is effective. Staff are incredibly proud to work at the school. They appreciate the school’s consideration of their workload and well-being. The school has created a culture where staff feel appreciated and valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variability in the implementation of the curriculum in some subjects. Some pupils struggle to access the planned learning. They do not build their knowledge sequentially over time. The school should make sure that staff have the support they need to ensure that the work given to pupils is closely matched to the aims of the planned curriculum so that it meets the needs of all learners.  Occasionally, low-level off-task behaviour in lessons is not addressed. Some pupils do not fully focus on their learning and become distracted so they do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that the behaviour policy is applied consistently to keep all pupils engaged with their learning.

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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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 January 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school operates a before- and after-school provision.  The school does not use 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. 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.  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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body. Minutes of governing body meetings were also scrutinised.  The lead inspector talked to a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also examined pupils’ work in history, geography, English and modern foreign languages.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.

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 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 spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through the staff surveys.  The inspectors met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Jones His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 November 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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