Abbey Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Abbey Primary School Glastonbury Crescent, Mossley Estate, Bloxwich, Walsall, West Midlands WS3 2RP

p.1

Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

p.1

Outcome

Abbey Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Abbey Primary School because they feel well cared for. The kind and nurturing relationships they form with staff help them to feel safe. Staff understand their community and are dedicated to delivering the best quality education and care they can offer.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well at this school because of the well-designed curriculum on offer. While some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) require adaptations to their learning, all pupils learn the full curriculum.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of feeling included at their school. They learn about the importance of being tolerant and showing mutual respect. Pupils are empathetic and show kindness by supporting those less fortunate, for example raising money for a local hospice.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning outdoors and are eager to share stories about their new playtime routines. Opportunities for those in the early years to play with pupils in Year 6 are a highlight of this new initiative. The behaviour of pupils at playtime has improved as a result.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has prioritised the wider personal development of pupils. It recognises the importance of pupils enjoying their time in school. Pupils benefit from the wide range of opportunities they are offered, for example when visitors and interactive experiences bring their learning to life. 10 and 11 December 2024

p.1

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

This is a school with a ‘can-do’ approach to supporting pupils and their families. Leaders, helped by a knowledgeable governing body, are dedicated to doing all they can to improve the life chances of their pupils. An increase in pupils with complex SEND has made the school more determined to adapt the curriculum and classroom spaces. The school ensures that staff are trained to deliver the curriculum in different ways. This makes sure that these pupils are supported in their learning. Staff check pupils’ understanding well. They offer support to those who need it and deepen the understanding of those who are ready to move on.

p.2

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

Staff appreciate the support they receive and know that their well-being matters. They know that to be successful at this school, they must show dedication, understanding and kindness. They are motivated and care deeply about their community because they feel the same is offered to them.

p.2

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

The school has sharply focused on ensuring pupils can read and solve mathematical problems with increasing independence. Those in the early stages of reading use books matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who fall behind with their reading receive timely support to catch up with their peers. There have been changes to the approach to support pupils to write with accuracy and greater fluency. These approaches are not implemented consistently well. Consequently, some pupils do not yet form letters correctly, spell and form sentences accurately.

p.2

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

The school identifies children with SEND and ensures it communicates well with parents at the earliest point. For example, children who arrive in Reception with significant language and communication difficulties quickly have support put in place to enable them to access their learning. The school works with outside agencies to ensure high-quality support is put in place.

p.2

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

Pupils are inquisitive when learning and enthusiastic about school. They understand that the school’s values of ‘explore and believe’ are there to support them to develop their confidence and become independent learners. They know it is their responsibility to do the right thing for the right reasons. However, occasionally, the school’s expectations for learning behaviours are not consistently applied. This means that learning can be disrupted or that it takes longer to complete learning activities.

p.2

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

The school has worked hard to support parents to understand the importance of their children being in school each day. The school offers personalised support to families who struggle to attend school. However, it remains the case that some pupils miss school too often, sometimes without good reason. These pupils miss important learning and the exciting wider opportunities that are on offer at the school.

p.2

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

Pupils’ wider development is a strength and priority at this school. Pupils feel that their voice really matters and enjoy changing things at their school. The school council is proud to have been responsible for changing how playtimes run and for ordering new equipment. Being a mental health hero is seen by many pupils as the most important 10 and 11 December 2024

p.2

3

leadership role in their school. They support pupils, as young as Year 2, to understand the importance of positive mental and physical health. Pupils talk excitedly about their knowledge of how to keep a healthy mind and feel lucky to belong to a school that really cares about them.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Despite the school’s work to reduce persistent absence, too many pupils continue to be absent too often. This affects pupils’ learning and means some miss the wider opportunities on offer at school. The school should continue to support parents to understand the impact persistent absence has on their child’s academic and social development.  The school’s approach to early writing is not being delivered consistently. This means that some pupils are not supported to form letters, spell and write sentences at an age- appropriate level across the curriculum. The school should ensure that the expected approaches for writing are consistently implemented, so pupils develop their writing skills securely in line with age-related expectations.  Occasionally, the school’s expectations for behaviour are not consistently implemented. Learning is sometimes disrupted as a result. The school should ensure that the

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

expectations for addressing low-level disruption as outlined in the behaviour policy are followed by all staff so that pupils show a readiness for learning.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

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, 10 and 11 December 2024

p.3

4

behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.4

4

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

p.4

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.

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 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 April and 1 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school does not use an alternative provision.  This school run its own before- and after-school provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with a range of leaders, including those responsible for the curriculum, teaching and learning, behaviour, attendance, personal development and safeguarding.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central 10 and 11 December 2024

p.5

6

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.  The inspector spoke with the local authority school improvement officer.  The inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and four other governors.  The inspector considered the survey responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments from parents.  The inspector also evaluated the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 December 2024

p.6

7

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.

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