Stirchley Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Stirchley Primary School Pershore Road, Stirchley, Birmingham, West Midlands B30 2JL

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Outcome

Stirchley 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 Davie Clifford. This school is part of Evolve Education 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), Davie Clifford, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nathan Povey.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils agree unanimously that Stirchley Primary School is an ‘amazing’ school. They learn lots of new and exciting things. Each day, pupils try their best to live the school’s ‘ACORN’ values. Pupils strive to be active learners and are confident, open-minded, responsible, nurturing and successful. There is a strong culture of safeguarding and well-being across the school. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are polite and well mannered. In lessons, pupils settle quickly to tasks and are eager to learn. During social times, pupils are kind and respectful of one another. Pupils know the qualities of a good friend. They learn to resolve any occasional friendship issues themselves. Staff and pupil play leaders are always on hand to support if needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to succeed and achieve well. Pupils do, particularly in mathematics and reading. They value the range of clubs on offer. Yoga, watercolour, science, choir and sports clubs help pupils develop new interests and hobbies. Pupil elections create great excitement and help pupils understand democracy. They proudly undertake responsibilities such as school councillors, digital leaders, reading buddies, house captains and junior police officers.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for its pupils. The important knowledge and skills 7 and 8 January 2025

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pupils need for future success are identified clearly and sequenced over time with clear end points. Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively. They present learning in exciting ways, captivating pupils’ attention and interests. The school makes rigorous checks on how well pupils learn the curriculum and addresses any gaps in learning. However, sometimes teachers do not check carefully enough how well pupils learn in lessons. This means, at times, key misconceptions and errors are not addressed quickly enough or go unchecked.

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Children in the early years settle well into school life. Adults provide many opportunities to encourage conversations and help children build their vocabulary. Children develop a good understanding of early reading, writing and mathematics through stories, songs, rhymes and well-planned, engaging activities. For instance, searching for a ‘big box for a large dinosaur’ created great excitement and discussion, as did drawing snowflakes and exploring the properties of ice following the recent snowfall. Children take turns and share resources when working together. They get off to a great start in their education.

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Early reading, including phonics, is well taught. Pupils read and are read to daily in school. Any pupils who fall behind in their reading are identified swiftly. They get the support they need to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils learn to read with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified effectively. Bespoke resources, additional adult support and adjustments to the work set help pupils with SEND learn well. Parents and carers value the information and support they receive through events such as the school’s ‘SEND coffee mornings’.

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The school provides an exciting range of experiences which nurture pupils’ entrepreneurial aspirations. For example, pupils research, source, make and sell products such as bath bombs, candles and baked items during enterprise week. They also enjoy working with local chefs to create Mediterranean and African dishes. Pupils learn about cooperatives through their work with a local baker, a bicycle foundry and a chocolate inventor. A local printworks project inspires pupils’ creativity and nurtures drawing skills. Fieldwork studies, farm visits and forest school are popular with pupils. All of this helps pupils deepen science, technology, art and mathematical learning.

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Pupils learn about religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Sikhism and Islam. They know the importance of special books to these religions such as the Torah and the Bible. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how to keep themselves physically healthy and recognise risks to their well-being. They learn how to keep safe on- and offline. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they could. This means they miss out on important learning and wider aspects of school life.

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Leaders, including trustees, know the school well. They set the right priorities for the school. Trustees support the school effectively and hold leaders to account for the school’s performance. Teachers are well supported in managing their workload and well-being. Curriculum plans and resources help to reduce teacher workload. 7 and 8 January 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, there is inconsistency in how well teachers check on pupils’ learning in lessons. This means key misconceptions are not addressed swiftly enough, or errors go unchecked. The school should ensure teachers consistently apply its revised approach to check pupils’ learning in lessons so pupils make progress and learn as well in all areas of the curriculum.  Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they could. This means they miss out on important learning and wider aspects of school life. The school should continue to evaluate recent work to improve attendance and consider where further improvements could be made so all pupils attend school regularly.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Stirchley Community School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2013.

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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 7 and 8 January 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school provision for its pupils.  The current chair of the trust took up post in September 2024.

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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 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the 7 and 8 January 2025

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with trustees. The inspector also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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