Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Kevin Medway Interim Headteacher Broadmeadow Infant School Monyhull Hall Road Kings Norton Birmingham West Midlands B30 3QJ

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Broadmeadow Infant School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 10 and 11 December 2024, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in March 2023.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Broadmeadow Infant School

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Broadmeadow Infant School

During the inspection, Chris Ogden, Ofsted Inspector, and I discussed with you and other senior leaders, the interim executive board (IEB), leaders from the Robin Hood Multi- Academy Trust who continue to provide external support, subject leaders and a representative from the local authority the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We scrutinised documentation for improvement planning, governance, safeguarding and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). We met with staff, visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work, spoke to pupils and listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. An inspector spoke with some parents at the school gate and took account of parental feedback shared in the free-text responses of Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since the previous monitoring inspection, the IEB has sustained the shared leadership model between Broadmeadow Infant School and Broadmeadow Junior School that was put in place in January 2024. The headteacher and deputy headteacher continue to work across both schools. Since September 2024, the special educational needs coordinator and family support worker from Broadmeadow Junior School now also work across both schools. An additional deputy headteacher has been seconded from the Robin Hood Multi- Academy Trust. In addition to this, several middle leaders are now developing their subjects across both schools. This leadership structure is bringing stability and security to the school.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You and senior leaders have sustained and built on the improvements for early reading and phonics that were seen at the previous monitoring visit. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ reading development. Your reorganisation of staffing has ensured that there continues to be senior leadership capacity to direct attention and energy to where improvements in the teaching of reading are most needed. It has also made sure that the effectiveness of the teaching of phonics continues to be monitored closely. The school is now embedding the secure and consistent delivery of phonics and early reading practices. Consequently, more pupils are learning their sounds well and reading appropriately pitched books with accuracy and fluency. The school has also strengthened teaching practice used within reading interventions. Pupils are benefiting from bespoke sessions that help to address gaps in their sounds or reading skills.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has used the capacity created by the revised staffing structure to rightly focus on beginning to develop middle leadership. The staffing of the pastoral care team has ensured that safeguarding procedures continue to be rigorous and robust. Recording and reporting of concerns have been further improved. The school ensures that identified actions are taken and any further follow up is swift, relevant and involves external agencies if required. It has also concentrated on developing the leadership of early years, English, mathematics, science and physical education.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The external support of the trust, alongside the proficiency of senior leaders, is strengthening teachers’ subject knowledge across the primary curriculum. Strategic oversight and shared expertise are helping middle leaders and staff to understand the development of pupils’ learning across the primary phase. This is starting to make a difference to the teaching of the curriculum, but it is early days. You rightly recognise that there is more to do to ensure the consistent delivery of intended learning in a way that best meets pupils’ needs. Mathematics is leading the way in these improvements. This subject, alongside early reading, demonstrates the effectiveness of the implementation of your planning for school improvement. Leaders are taking the right actions in a timely and thoughtful manner. There are clear priorities for the school’s next steps to build on these initial successes.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You have strengthened your oversight of, and provision for, pupils with additional needs. There are now specific and individual plans in place for pupils who require them. Leaders have continued to support staff to identify and find the best way to meet pupils’ additional needs. Staff now set the targets for pupils with SEND. These are shared with parents and carers. Leaders and staff are developing a better understanding of the profile of pupils’ needs across the school. Time is being used efficiently to accelerate the identification of additional needs and to establish partnerships with parents. There is swift involvement of external agencies if required. There are defined processes in place to implement and review the impact of targeted support. As a result, more pupils are getting the help that they need in a timely and consistent manner, especially those with complex needs. However, there is more to do. An increasing number of parents are positive about how

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

their child with SEND is supported. But there are still some who are less than happy with the provision.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You and the trust have put in place a revised curriculum for several subjects. This means that pupils are taught all subjects from the national curriculum in line with expectations for their age. The curriculum is structured sequentially. Each part of the learning journey is set out clearly. It moves from unit to unit, anchored by, and linked through, the four key concepts of environment, power, innovation and community. Alongside this, leaders are focusing on developing teachers’ skills and knowledge of effective teaching practices. Staff are positive about these changes. They have greater clarity on what to teach and when. The approach that you have chosen has given staff ownership of their own development in an open and supportive environment. The structure of the curriculum, combined with the professional development approach, are providing a secure base to work from. You, alongside the IEB, are correct to have identified that this now needs

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

sustained focus and continued investment in time and support so that the quality of education continues to improve.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Throughout this term, leaders have remained determined to keep the focus of school improvement on the quality of education. Leaders have worked hard to try and overcome difficulties in managing a dilapidated school building. However, these challenges remain and continue to demand your attention. The school has minimised these demands wherever possible.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

A strong factor in uniting everyone in overcoming challenges and focusing on continuing to improve has been the establishment of a programme for mindfulness within personal development. The school continues to provide a range of clubs and well-targeted educational visits that link to the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the visits and their experiences of learning within the school grounds. Your focus on linking personal development to behaviour management is beginning to pay dividends in pupils being ready to learn and to concentrate on their learning. Brain, breathing and how to be a ‘buddy’ are known and understood: ‘Smile to someone and they will smile back’. The depth of pupils’ knowledge and recall is impressive. Pupils are learning to understand that people experience different emotions, in different ways and at different times. This is helping them to appreciate difference and diversity.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Members of the IEB and trust leaders have sustained their commitment to the school’s improvement. This term has seen a strengthening of effective practices for supporting and challenging school leaders. Relevant information and updates are shared with the local authority. This is evident within discussions and through scrutiny of the IEB meeting minutes. Members of the IEB and trust leaders have successfully ensured that, while school leaders have had to deal with leaking roofs and managing finances, they do not lose sight of safeguarding or the quality of education. Everyone involved is pulling together in the right direction. The actions that have been taken are the right ones that are making a positive difference. Leaders show an absolute understanding of what needs to come next and why. Through their succinct and strategic action plans, they recognise that each step forward needs time to be embedded. You are nicely poised for the next

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the IEB, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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