Lift Montgomery

Inspection of Montgomery Primary Academy White Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, West Midlands B11 1EH

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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

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The head of school is Fozia Nisar. This school is part of Lift 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 (CEO), Rebecca Boomer-Clark, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall. There is also an executive principal, Jasmine Woodward, who is responsible for this school and one other. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets out to provide an excellent education for every child, in every classroom, every day. This they do. Pupils sit at the heart of all that the school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to show visitors around their exceptional school. They value the special spaces that the school provides for their learning and enjoyment. This includes the reading caravan, democracy spinning wheel and the indoor sandpit.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils reach and exceed the school’s high expectations. Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are polite, calm and trustworthy. Pupils are avid learners who thrive and achieve highly. Day by day, week by week, pupils are well-equipped for what comes next.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A strength of this school is the way pupils are encouraged to have a lifelong passion for physical activity in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Pupils also benefit from visiting art galleries, theatres and Parliament. Many enjoy the radio club. These experiences enrich pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the world. These wider opportunities develop their personal growth in a remarkable way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils work with an artist-in-residence and specialist music and drama teachers. Pupils spoke proudly of the leadership roles available in the school, especially the new Shakespeare ambassador role. Their many opportunities beyond the curriculum help develop pupils into well-rounded, thoughtful and responsible individuals.

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

The school sets out a clear vision for what pupils will experience and achieve. Trust leaders use rigorous checks to ensure that the school’s work is positively impacting on pupils and families. Everyone understands the vision of the school. The school embraces the range of faiths and cultures within the community it serves. Staff use this knowledge to make precise and respectful choices in all that they do.

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

Pupils, staff, parents and carers understand why the school chooses to do things in the way that it does, namely the ‘Montified’ way. The school is a strong pillar within the community, working in close harmony with all. Everyone’s voice matters. Deep listening ensures that the smallest detail is considered carefully and not overlooked. Leaders apply this to each area of school life.

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

The school looks after its staff well. There is a strong ethos of identifying and supporting staff in order to develop their teaching skills further alongside managing their workload. A range of well-matched training is in place, ensuring that everyone develops expertise so that ‘good becomes great’. Pupils benefit from this through their time at the school, achieving exceptionally well across the curriculum and in end-of-key-stage tests.

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

Children’s learning begins from the moment that they enter the Nursery. The school has a carefully planned pathway through each area and subject, setting out how one part builds on another. Learning is linked through and across subjects. The combination of highly 19 and 20 November 2024

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skilled staff, engaged learners, and sequenced lessons ensures that learning sticks in pupils’ long-term memory. When pupils need more help, staff provide this well across all curriculum subjects. For example, pupils in physical education (PE) join a Friday session to practise further with the support of an adult.

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Children in early years show high levels of engagement and make excellent progress through the school’s curriculum. Nursery pupils are hooked on the rhymes that they sing and say together and show enjoyment when performing them. In the Reception Year, children skilfully use ‘guidance boards’ to support their thinking. For example, the ‘make a fox’ board helped children to explore which materials would be best for their collage, developing critical thinking skills that support their future learning.

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Right from the start, phonics lessons follow a well-structured programme. The school understands that many pupils join the school with English as an additional language. Its approach to reading ensures a strong focus on pupils understanding what has been read and developing a rich vocabulary. This helps them to enjoy a wide range of texts. These books come to life when pupils take part in meeting authors and making visits to the theatre. Pupils learn to read well, fluently and with enjoyment. The school truly fosters a love of reading.

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The school’s eye for detail ensures that pupils’ additional needs are identified, known and understood. When local services are lacking, the school provides them. Specialist staff work with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, such as those who need extra support in communication and language. This helps them to express their thoughts and ideas clearly.

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The school’s strong focus on academic success is well balanced with other opportunities. Additional activities in sport, music and art build pupils’ skills in teamwork, resilience and creativity. The school also ensures that pupils develop a deep understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Pupils are respectful of diversity. They take pleasure in giving back to the community. Through debating pupils appreciate different moral and ethical viewpoints. Parents are right when they say their pupils enjoy the rich learning experiences that the school offers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 19 and 20 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 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Website www.montgomeryprimaryacademy.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Lift Multi-Academy Trust.  The current head of school was appointed in September 2024.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the executive principal, head of school and other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with the CEO and regional education director of the trust.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation documents and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  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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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, history, science and PE. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed some pupils read to familiar staff.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with some parents to gather their views. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Cox, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Evans Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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