Brownhills West Primary School

Inspection of Brownhills West Primary School Shannon Drive, Brownhills, Walsall, West Midlands WS8 7LA

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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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Stephanie Cotton. This school is part of Central Co-operative Learning 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) Richard Simcox, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Bailey. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this caring, nurturing school. The school motto: ‘DREAM BIG’, reflects the school’s values: Belonging, Responsibility and Ambition. Pupils believe they can achieve well academically and socially and they do. All adults are highly ambitious for all pupils from the moment they join the school, whether this is in Nursery and Reception or further up the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school knows its families and pupils extremely well. It acknowledges some of the difficulties they may face. The school sensitively and effectively provides pupils and their families with the support they need. Parents and carers value this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and want to be here. They are safe and happy. They trust the adults who greet them enthusiastically each morning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and at other times of the day is strong. The school gives appropriate, effective support to any pupil who might find managing their behaviour more difficult. Pupils enjoy playtimes. The school council have played an active part in making changes to playtimes, which they know have made a difference. Pupils enjoy the activities, including the reading hub, they can now use at these social times.

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

The school, with the support of the trust, have designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils. The review of the curriculum, after COVID-19, identified gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills pupils need to acquire. The school has successfully improved pupils’ attitudes to learning. Pupils achieve well. They present their work with care and pride.

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

A focus on reading, writing and mathematics has been a priority for the school. These are now a strength. Pupils enjoy their learning in these core subjects. They talk enthusiastically and confidently about what they have learned. The school’s review of some other subjects, such as history, physical education and art and design, is at an earlier stage. The curriculum for these subjects is well designed. Leaders have sequenced learning with clear end points and opportunities to check pupils’ learning. However, there is still more for leaders to review to ensure that all pupils are doing as well as the school expects them to in each subject.

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

Early years is a strength of the school. Children in Nursery or Reception get off to a great start. They settle quickly. Children are happy and secure in the purposeful, vibrant environment. Routines are well established, and staff expectations are high. The curriculum for early number is strong. There is a focus on developing language through stories and rhymes. As a result, children achieve well.

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

Reading is rightly a school priority. As soon as pupils join the school, they learn to read well. Staff are well trained to support early readers. Those who find learning to read more difficult quickly receive support. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The school creates a positive reading culture. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 readily share their reading for pleasure books. Year 5 pupils confidently recite the poem ‘Jabberwocky’, and many know it from memory. One pupil commented, ‘reading helps us know more and more’, and another said, ‘it stretches my imagination’.

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Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means they miss important learning and the wider experiences the school provides. The school works hard to encourage pupils to attend. It identifies barriers and issues pupils and families may face. It works closely with parents and carers to support attendance, and where this is successful, pupils thrive.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are part of all school activities, including taking on roles and responsibilities. The school swiftly identify pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND receive effective support. Staff adapt the curriculum well to ensure pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers in class successfully. Consequently, they grow in confidence and build self-esteem, achieving well.

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The school identifies pupils’ skills, talents and interests and seeks out opportunities to develop these. Pupils learn about fire and water safety. They also learn how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils take on roles and responsibilities including reading ambassadors, school councillors and playground leaders. The school prepares pupils for life beyond school. They learn about faiths and beliefs that may be different to their own. Pupils know the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect.

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Staff are proud and happy to be a part of this school. They feel valued by leaders, governors and the trust. They value the professional development opportunities they receive. Members of the local governing body and trust know the school well and are frequent visitors to school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school’s review of its curriculum, and the impact it is having on pupils’ learning, is at an early stage. This means that the school cannot yet be sure that pupils are learning the intended curriculum. The school should put in place appropriate measures to establish if pupils are learning what is intended and achieving as well as they could across all foundation subjects. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Brownhills West Primary School converted to an academy within The Co-operative Learning Trust in February 2022. When its predecessor school, Brownhills West Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted in May 2017, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school runs a breakfast club and a before- and after-school club.  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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and the chair of the board of trustees.  The inspector had a meeting with the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about 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 also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 met with staff. They also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  Inspectors had regard to the views expressed through Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Tina Willmott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Vanessa Payne Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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