Albert Bradbeer Primary Academy

Inspection of Albert Bradbeer Primary Academy Turves Green, Longbridge, Birmingham, West Midlands B31 4RD

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Christine Nock. This school is part of the Greenheart Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Professor Michelle Money, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dr Sean Starr. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and cheerful. They are enthusiastic about their learning. Pupils feel safe in school. The school mantra of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ helps pupils understand how to stay safe. It permeates school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Nothing is considered a barrier to learning for any group of pupils. Pupils know what the school expects of them. They work hard and meet these lofty expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite. They are well mannered and behave well in classrooms and around school. Relationships lie at the heart of managing behaviour. Staff know their pupils well and what pupils need. Pupils value the relationships they have with their teachers and they trust them. They say teachers are kind. They have confidence that their teachers would sort out an issue if it were to arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum promise promotes many experiences beyond the classroom. Pupils take part in experiences such as trips to the Thinktank Science Museum, a local mosque, a Gurdwara, a pantomime and a theatre to watch ‘Awful Auntie’. These experiences open the eyes of pupils to what is achievable for them in the wider world.

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

Children get off to a secure start to their education in Nursery and Reception. The curriculum in the early years has been carefully thought out. Leaders have identified that children start school with gaps in communication and language. The curriculum is language-rich to help close these gaps. Increasing numbers of children are well prepared to move into Year 1. Teaching reading is a high priority in this school. Staff have recently undergone intense phonics teaching training. Teaching phonics is effective. As soon as children start school, they begin learning the sounds that letters make. The school tracks carefully how children progress in learning their phonics. Those who fall behind are quickly identified. They receive extra support, which helps them rapidly get back on track. Children soon become fluent in their reading. Older pupils enjoy reading different types of books from a wide range of authors.

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

The school has developed comprehensive systems for identifying and checking on the progress of those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff identify these pupils quickly. Carefully designed extra support helps these pupils to access the same learning tasks as their peers.

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

The curriculum is carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of all groups of pupils. Key knowledge is carefully sequenced so pupils can build on their prior learning. Many teachers carefully check on the key knowledge pupils know and remember. The school recognises the importance of tailoring the curriculum to provide rich learning experiences which spark pupils’ interests. For example, the art curriculum brings alive the work of classic and contemporary artists such as Claude Monet and Charlotte Caron for pupils. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The curriculum is raising standards. Outcomes for pupils leaving Year 6 are rising and are broadly in line with those nationally.

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In some subjects, pupils remember key facts without gaining a deep understanding of how the facts link together to make sense of new concepts. In a few subjects, pupils revisit what they have learned before, although sometimes this does not happen frequently enough. This hampers learning, so pupils cannot always make clear links to prior learning and remember some key knowledge.

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Attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils know the expectations for behaviour and follow them in lessons and on the playground. Leaders track pupils’ absences closely and work with families to improve regular attendance. As a result, attendance is increasing, and fewer pupils are regularly absent from school.

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There are many clubs for pupils to take part in before and after school. Music tuition provides an opportunity for all pupils in Year 4 to enjoy learning to play the trombone. Pupils take on extra responsibilities in roles such as art ambassadors. Pupils know about voting and that this happens in a democracy. They have seen this in school councillor elections.

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Trustees receive information to help them understand about the work of the school. They regularly check on how well all groups of pupils are learning. Trustees support and challenge appropriately in equal measure. The trust supports the school well. The recently formed parental forum enables the school and the trust to rightly listen to the views of parents. Leaders carefully consider the well-being of staff and reduce workload when possible.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not consistently give pupils opportunities to develop a deep understanding of how key facts link together in some subjects. This means pupils cannot fully deepen their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure effective teaching of the disciplinary knowledge in all subjects.  In a few subjects, what pupils have learned before is not revisited frequently enough. As a result, they cannot build securely on what they have learned. The school should make sure that staff support pupils to revisit prior learning more often so pupils can make secure links. This will help them to remember key knowledge more successfully. 21 and 22 January 2025

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How can I feedback 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 feedback 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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Greenheart Learning Partnership, which was previously known as The University of Wolverhampton Multi Academy Trust.  A new headteacher took up post in June 2023.  Many teachers who are in the early stages of their teaching careers have been appointed since the new headteacher took up post.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives of the trust, including the CEO, and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical education, history and art. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included improvement plans, leaders’ self-evaluation, minutes of trust board meetings and

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documents relating to behaviour and attendance.  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 the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. They took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys. They also spoke to parents and carers on the school playground.

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Inspection team

Declan McCauley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Benjamin Taylor Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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