Boldmere Junior School

Inspection of Boldmere Junior School Cofield Road, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 5SD

p.1

Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

p.1

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

p.1

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 September 2011. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy and busy school. They love learning and are eager to participate in lessons. They are extremely proud of their school and work hard to meet its high expectations. As a result, most work is of a high standard. Pupils achieve well in many subjects and excel in reading and mathematics. They leave the school well prepared for secondary education and beyond.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally in lessons and around school. They have positive attitudes to learning and high aspirations for the future. They know that concentration and perseverance play an important part in their education. Pupils are cooperative and supportive when working in pairs or groups. They enjoy school, feel safe and attend regularly.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunities provided to develop their character and leadership skills. They make a positive contribution to school life in their various roles. This includes, for example, mental health champions, house captains, or running lunchtime clubs for other pupils.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly inclusive, with dedicated and skilled staff. It is committed to ensuring that all pupils succeed and flourish. This includes those with complex needs in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.2

better?

The school is forensic and discerning in its analysis and evaluation of teaching and learning. Leaders know precisely what is working well and where they need to make further tweaks. The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious and well planned. Content builds progressively as pupils move through the school. Teachers are clear about the knowledge pupils need to learn. They make links between subjects, where relevant, so that pupils can connect their learning. Tasks and activities are exciting and varied and spark pupils’ interests. Staff regularly check and revisit learning to ensure that pupils embed and recall their prior learning.

p.2

better?

Highly effective training ensures that staff have the appropriate subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum and accurately assess pupils’ needs. This includes identifying pupils with SEND. The school uses additional resources effectively in order to support pupils in the specially resourced provision. These pupils benefit from a bespoke curriculum tailored to their individual needs and targets. Staff within the school also support pupils with SEND effectively and ensure that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers. On occasion, the tasks set are not consistently adapted well enough to meet the needs of some pupils who find learning challenging, especially those with SEND. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.2

3

Reading is the bedrock of the school’s curriculum. Pupils enjoy reading books from the diverse range of texts available. The school identifies and supports pupils who find reading difficult. Well-trained staff, who are experts in teaching early reading, ensure that these pupils quickly become confident and fluent readers. Consequently, pupils learn to read with expression and accuracy and achieve highly.

p.3

3

The range of personal development opportunities is exceptional. The ‘Boldmere Pledge’ sets out extensive and exciting opportunities to create lasting memories for pupils. The school seamlessly intertwines events and activities throughout the curriculum. Pupils are enthusiastic about the extensive range of clubs, trips and residential visits. These are deliberately designed to enhance the curriculum and extend pupils’ social, emotional and physical development.

p.3

3

The curriculum to promote different faiths, cultures and diversity helps prepare pupils extremely well for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a deep understanding of the importance of respect and equality. They know and demonstrate the school’s values in their positive daily behaviour and responses.

p.3

3

The school has created a successful and purposeful relationship with parents and carers. Parents respect and trust staff. Parent forums provide an important platform for consultation with parents and gathering valuable feedback.

p.3

3

The school benefits from highly effective leadership that provides expertise to support other schools in the local authority. Governors fulfil their role exceptionally well. They provide robust challenge and appropriate support to leaders. Staff are overwhelmingly positive and proud to work at the school. They hugely appreciate steps taken to improve their work-life balance and reduce their workload.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the curriculum is not implemented as well as intended for pupils who have barriers to learning, such as pupils with SEND. At times, some staff do not adapt the tasks set sufficiently well to meet pupils’ needs or ensure that pupils are working with enough precision in some subjects. As a result, a small number of pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise they need to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils who find learning more challenging, including pupils with SEND. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with 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

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10267943 Type of school Junior

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Headteacher Carl Glasgow (executive headteacher)

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 September 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Boldmere Junior School is federated with Boldmere Infant and Nursery School. Both schools share the same site and have one governing body.  The executive headteacher works across both schools in the federation, supported by a head of school for the junior school.  In 2019, the school opened a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum conditions. The school shares this provision with Boldmere Infant School and is known as Boldmere Inclusion Base (BIB). There are currently 13 pupils from the junior school who attend this provision. All pupils who attend BIB have education, health and care plans.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

p.5

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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.5

6

 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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school and senior leaders. They held a meeting with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke to a representative of the local authority and a school improvement adviser commissioned by the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, reading, mathematics, design technology, geography 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

p.6

6

at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan. Minutes of governor meetings and reports from external reviews were also scrutinised.  The inspectors looked at records of attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  The inspectors talked to parents at the end of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and their free-text responses. They also reviewed the responses to the staff survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils through discussion.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: checked the school’s single central record; spoke to senior leaders about safeguarding

p.6

6

procedures; took account of the views of 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Andrew Tilley Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 2024

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7