Lindsworth School

Inspection of Lindsworth School Monyhull Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, West Midlands B30 3QA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lindsworth is a nurturing school where pupils engage positively with all aspects of their education. Pupils appreciate the warm relationships they build with staff. They know who to share any worries or concerns with. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide an environment where pupils develop their self-esteem and learn to manage their own emotions. Staff understand what will and will not work for each pupil. This helps pupils engage constructively with a broad range of subjects. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and they do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are helped over time to improve their behaviour. Staff provide very high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. This helps pupils to think about the impact of their choices. Pupils comment on how well the school has helped them to understand themselves and move forward positively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The development of pupils’ character is exemplary. The school guides pupils to explore their talents and interests. Staff help pupils to share their talents with others to enhance life in school. Pupils experience a broad selection of wider opportunities. These include visits to parliament, learning to use the school gym correctly and residential trips. Pupils are prepared well for the next steps they take.

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

The school is highly ambitious for all its pupils, regardless of their past experiences or current challenges. When pupils join the school, their needs are assessed thoroughly. This provides staff with detailed information about pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as their academic understanding.

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

Staff carefully consider the information in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans to ensure that the correct provision is in place to meet their learning, social and emotional needs. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is central to pupils’ development and is carefully implemented. Pupils study a wide range of subjects. Teachers are skilled in delivering learning. They effectively identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Staff choose effective ways to help each pupil to access the curriculum.

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

The school has raised the profile of reading. Most pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers They are beginning to read for pleasure more often. Pupils enjoy having access to the library at lunch time. Staff have the expertise to help pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. This helps pupils who find reading difficult to catch up. Reading is being promoted well through a variety of subjects.

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

Pupils can concentrate on their work as behaviour is managed well. All staff are clear about the behaviours that they expect from the pupils. Pupils understand exactly what is expected of them. Staff work effectively to support them back to their learning when they 3 and 4 December 2024

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need help. The school has rightly made attendance a high priority. Pupils are beginning to attend more frequently. However, more work is needed in this area.

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Pupils’ personal development is a priority across key stages and is exceptional. There is a strong take-up of lunch time activities. Every opportunity is carefully intertwined with learning to allow pupils to develop a much richer experience of life. For example, pupils have opportunities to learn from visiting artists and meaningful encounters with the world of work. Pupils are very much involved in the life of the school. The student council works reflectively with leaders to make improvements, helping to enhance everyone’s life in school. Pupils receive personalised careers support to make their next step as well matched as possible.

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Staff say that the school cares about their well-being as well as that of the pupils. They speak highly about the support and opportunities they receive. Senior leaders have relentlessly driven improvements since the last inspection. They have ensured that change has been sustainable and pupil focused. However, in a few areas, the school’s impact is not as well understood as it could be. For example, in understanding how effective the specific support that pupils receive helps them over time.

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Governors have a clear and precise understanding of the school and its priorities. They provide effective challenge and support. This helps to ensure the school continues to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A number of pupils do not attend regularly enough. The school are aware of this and attendance is beginning to improve. However, some pupils continue to miss valuable time in school. The school should continue to prioritise supporting pupils to access more of the ambitious and effective provision being delivered.  In some instances, the school does not have a sharp enough understanding of the work done in some areas. As a result, in a few cases the impact of systems to help pupils are not as great as they could be. The school should ensure that leaders at all levels have the necessary skills and knowledge to have an accurate view of impact of their work. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school caters for children with complex special educational needs, including social, emotional and mental health difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attachment disorder and autistic spectrum conditions, which impact on their social, emotional and behavioural responses.  The school uses two alternative provisions for pupils. Both of them are unregistered.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors held discussions with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, art and PSHE. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors visited lessons and reviewed books from a range of other subjects across the curriculum.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection.

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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.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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