King George V Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: King George V Primary School Beeches Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 6JA

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring, happy school. Many pupils join the school at different times in the year. Everyone works together to make sure that they feel welcome and secure. Support for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Pupils feel safe and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do their best to live by the school’s positive values. One pupil explained, ‘Our values teach us to treat people with respect and kindness.’ This contributes to the inclusive ethos. Pupils are proud of their school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations of what pupils will achieve are on the rise. Recent changes to the curriculum mean that pupils are learning more now. However, pupils have gaps in their knowledge because some changes are in the very early stages. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a broad range of experiences and opportunities. Pupils love the many visits to places of interest, such as museums and galleries. They enjoy regular visits to the local library and the park. They talk with pride about ‘culture days’, when they celebrate different beliefs and lifestyles. These activities prepare pupils well to become active, caring citizens.

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

The school has experienced considerable difficulties, including high staff turnover and changes in leadership, some of which are as a result of the impact of COVID-19. This has posed challenges and had a negative impact on some aspects of the quality of education. The school has accurately identified the areas for development. Leaders at all levels, 12 and 13 November 2024

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including governors, are working with renewed focus. Governors provide effective support and challenge.

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The school has made considerable changes to the curriculum. In most subjects, key learning is clearly sequenced so that staff can focus on the important knowledge that pupils need to remember. However, in some subjects, these changes are very recent. Where this is the case, the school has not yet established ways of checking the impact of these changes on pupils’ achievement. As a result, there are inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum in some subjects.

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In more established subjects, such as mathematics, leaders use assessment information effectively to address any gaps in pupils’ learning and adapt the curriculum accordingly. This is beginning to pay off. More pupils have the skills and knowledge expected for their age in mathematics.

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The school’s phonics programme is ambitious and well structured. Staff have good subject knowledge and deliver phonics with confidence. They use their checks on what pupils know and remember to identify and support pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Almost all pupils achieve highly in phonics.

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The reading curriculum beyond phonics is at any early stage of development. Some pupils in key stage 2 are not able to read fluently. They do not have enough support to develop their fluency and strengthen their language comprehension. This hinders their progress. The writing curriculum is also at an early stage of development. Pupils write for a range of different purposes. However, weaknesses in spelling, punctuation and grammar are not addressed over time. Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could in writing.

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A key strength of the school is the development of pupils’ spoken language. Staff take every opportunity to encourage pupils to share their thinking and build on each other’s ideas. The interactions between staff and pupils extend pupils’ vocabulary. This starts in early years and continues through the school. This supports pupils’ learning and self- confidence.

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The curriculum in early years is ambitious and effective. Children develop their language and communication skills quickly. From Nursery, children hear stories and learn songs and rhymes. Children in Reception learn how to use sounds to build words. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. They are included in all aspects of school life. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Pupils with more complex needs receive tailored care and support from well-trained adults.

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The school has established an impressive personal development programme. Pupils talk sensitively about issues such as equality, racism and prejudice. They are eager to talk about famous people like Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai. They are enthusiastic about 12 and 13 November 2024

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religious education (RE). They enjoy their visits to different places of worship. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff are committed to the school and feel that leaders thoughtfully manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The arrangements to assess the impact of curriculum changes on pupils’ achievement are not established across all subjects, including aspects of English. This means that inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum are not addressed. The school must ensure that leaders at all levels have the right skills and knowledge to complete their roles and responsibilities.  There are weaknesses in the implementation of the writing curriculum. This limits the quality of pupils’ writing in English and in other subjects. The school should ensure that teaching gives sufficient focus to developing pupils’ handwriting, spelling and punctuation skills so that gaps in pupils’ knowledge about writing are addressed and they are well prepared for the next phase in their education.  The reading curriculum beyond phonics is not yet fully implemented. Some pupils in key stage 2 do not have the right support to help them to develop comprehension and

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Information for the school and appropriate authority)

fluency skills. They do not read widely or show an interest in reading. This further limits their comprehension and fluency. The school should ensure that pupils receive appropriate and timely support to develop their confidence and fluency in reading, particularly those weaker readers in key stage 2.

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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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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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). 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 15 to 16 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  Since the previous inspection, a new chair the governing body has been appointed.  The school runs a before-school club managed by the school.  The school uses one alternative provision.

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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 inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work with leaders. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 The inspector observed a selection of pupils reading to members of staff. Other pupils were heard to read their own work during lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: checked the school’s single central record; spoke to senior leaders about safeguarding 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.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and plans for improvement. The inspector checked records of attendance and behaviour. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys

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for school staff. The inspector also met with parents at the end of the school day and gathered the views of pupils and staff on site through discussion.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted 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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