Broadheath CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Broadheath C of E Primary School Sailor’s Bank, Lower Broadheath, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 6QT

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Outcome

Broadheath C of E Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Julia Randall. This school is part of Diocese of Worcester Multi-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), Victoria Shelley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alan Soper.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and staff are united in their view that Broadheath is a community that feels like ‘a family’. The kind and nurturing relationships that are formed ensure that pupils feel happy and safe at school. This is a school where everyone feels included and where pupil voice matters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises the wider personal development of pupils. Pupils enjoy the various opportunities to develop their talents and interests. They embrace the leadership roles offered to them. Being responsible for entertaining and supporting younger pupils at breaktimes or being subject ambassadors are just a few of the roles they hold. Pupils feel that being a leader means that they effect change at their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well because of the rich curriculum they experience. Those who require support to improve their learning are quickly provided with the help they need. Many become independent learners who speak confidently and are motivated to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well, showing respect and positive attitudes to their learning. They uphold the school values, demonstrating perseverance when things become challenging and generosity towards others. They learn to become good role models in their community and enjoy raising money for those less fortunate than themselves. 17 December 2024

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

The school and trust have formed an effective partnership committed to delivering the best quality of education for the pupils they serve. Leaders, supported by a dedicated governing body, have made significant changes to the curriculum. Such changes are supporting more pupils to achieve well. The school understands there is more work to do to ensure that all pupils achieve age-expected outcomes and has accurately identified improvement targets to enable it to do this.

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

The school has improved the writing curriculum to ensure that pupils begin to write fluently. Pupils at the early stages of writing form letters, spell, and construct sentences with increasing accuracy. However, those more developed writers do not have enough opportunities to apply what they learn independently. This means that some pupils leave school unable to write at the age-expected standard.

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

Staff are well supported in their roles and feel that their well-being matters to leaders. They recognise that the training opportunities they are provided with enable them to deliver the curriculum effectively to pupils. Staff check pupils’ understanding well and identify misconceptions as they arise. This helps pupils be successful in their learning.

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

Pupils at the early stages of reading are well supported. They read books matched to the sounds they know and receive timely help when they fall behind. The more established readers enjoy books from a wide range of authors, time periods and cultures. Pupils benefit from using texts linked to their wider curriculum topics. This helps them to develop their understanding of the vocabulary linked to their learning.

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

Pupils are becoming increasingly fluent mathematicians. They use the knowledge and number facts they learn to help them solve complex word problems. Children in the early years learn to spot patterns in numbers and recognise amounts of objects without counting. They apply their mathematical knowledge when exploring the various learning stations both indoors and outside.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to access the same learning as their peers. The school works effectively with agencies such as speech and language therapists. Pupils who arrive at school with communication difficulties get the right support early to enable them to develop confidence and become independent learners. Pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs are supported to help them to understand and regulate their feelings.

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

The school has worked with the community to improve school attendance. It has recently changed systems and processes to send clear messages about the importance of pupils being in school every day. However, it remains the case that too many pupils are absent from school too often. This affects their learning and means they are unable to benefit from the wider social experiences the school offers.

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

Pupils enjoy trips and visits, as these bring their learning to life and help them to remember. Opportunities to entertain senior citizens from the local care home or engage 17 December 2024

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in projects about mindfulness and well-being are just a few of the ways they serve others. The school is dedicated to developing pupils’ all-round appreciation of art and music, and of being physically and mentally healthy. The school has been awarded many accreditations in recognition of its commitment to doing so. Pupils recognise that being successful is linked not only to what they achieve in the classroom but to their contributions outside of it too.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Despite the school’s work to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school, too many pupils are away from school too often. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning and miss opportunities to socialise with their peers. The school should continue to strengthen its partnership with parents to help them to understand the impact that being absent from school has on their child’s academic and social development.  Those more established writers are not provided with sufficient opportunities to apply their learning independently. This means that some pupils leave the school unable to write at an age-expected standard. The school should ensure that pupils are provided with wider opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills they learn independently.

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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.

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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, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 17 December 2024

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Broadheath C of E Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2017.

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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). 17 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school does not use any alternative provision.  The school’s leadership has changed since the predecessor school was inspected in May 2017.  This school runs a pre-school provision for two-year-olds.  This school became part of the Diocese of Worcester Multi-Academy Trust in 2019.  This school runs its own before- and after-school club provision.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. It received its last section 48 inspection in March 2023. The next inspection will take place within five years of this date.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 December 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors 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 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.  The inspectors spoke with the diocese school improvement adviser.  The lead inspector met with the director of education, the CEO and a member of the

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board of trustees.  The inspectors considered the survey responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free- text comments from parents.  The inspectors also evaluated the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli Ofsted Inspector 17 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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