Bromley Hills Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Bromley Hills Primary School Granville Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8LW

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

p.1

Outcome

Bromley Hills 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 and staff are united in their view that Bromley Hills is a nice school to attend. When it makes decisions, the school considers carefully pupils’ best interests. Pupils demonstrate the school values, such as showing perseverance when things are challenging. They are caring towards those less fortunate than themselves.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all. Pupils achieve well because of the carefully designed curriculum that they learn. Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of important subject-specific vocabulary and enjoy using these new words when writing or speaking about the topics they study.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where everybody feels included. Pupils learn that everyone is different and unique and that this is celebrated at their school. They know that being respectful and tolerant are important in ensuring that their school is welcoming to all.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ views are important to leaders and staff. Pupils hold roles such as subject ambassadors and school council representatives. Pupils are active citizens in their community. They collect clothing for those in need and make donations to the local food banks. Many look forward to the residential visits they undertake in Years 5 and 6. For some, their first time away from home helps them to become more independent.

p.1

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

The school, in partnership with governors, has made significant improvements to its curriculum. Such changes are now enabling more pupils to achieve well. The school has accurately identified the improvements needed to enable all pupils to achieve age-related outcomes in all subjects. Governors have an accurate view of school performance. They 28 and 29 January 2025

p.1

2

understand the strengths and where there are areas for improvement. The school works well with external partners and acts quickly when improvement actions are identified.

p.2

2

Since the previous inspection, the school has developed many curriculum subjects. Learning sequences now build on pupils’ prior knowledge, helping them to recall important facts about the subjects they study. However, in some subjects, there is more work to do to support staff to enable pupils to become better at the subject-specific skills. While pupils know lots of facts linked to their learning, some do not improve the skills linked to those subjects.

p.2

2

Staff check pupils’ knowledge well and quickly identify gaps in their understanding. Pupils receive timely support, such as in reading, writing and mathematics, when they need it. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early and receive timely support from staff and from external agencies when required. The school ensures that pupils with SEND have equal access to its curriculum and wider activities. There is a high ambition for them to achieve well. However, sometimes, staff do not adapt their teaching of the curriculum well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means some pupils struggle to understand what staff expect of them in lessons.

p.2

2

The school is successfully developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils learn to expand on their peers’ responses and share their thinking, such as with support partners. Pupils are developing their vocabulary, helped by staff who highlight words that will be useful to know. Staff check pupils’ understanding of important words and encourage pupils to use them, for instance in their writing.

p.2

2

Children in the early years are well supported and settle quickly at school. Many successfully learn to control their feelings and emotions, waiting for their turn to share and listening to other children’s ideas. They develop positive relationships with each other and staff. Those at the early stages of learning to read have books matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who do not read regularly at home get the chance to read daily to adults in school. More-established readers enjoy choosing books by a wide range of authors and from different periods and cultures. Pupils benefit from reading texts linked to their writing topics. They enjoy it when staff read stories to them.

p.2

2

Pupils behave well. Those who experience difficulties with their behaviour are well supported by staff to make improvements. The school keep parents and carers informed about the many rewards that children achieve and also when improvements are required. Pupils know what bullying is and who to report it to, should it occur. They understand online risks and that they should share any concerns with trusted adults.

p.2

2

The school has begun working more effectively with parents to improve pupils’ attendance. It has recently made changes to how it communicates the importance of pupils being in school every day. However, it remains the case that too many pupils are away from school too often. This affects their learning and means they are unable to benefit from the wider social experiences on offer. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.2

3

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs they are offered. Archery, Makaton, Japanese and karate are just a few of the clubs that develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils learn from special visitors to the school about the possible careers that they can pursue. This helps pupils aspire to do well. Learning about different cultures and faiths has helped many pupils to understand the importance of being respectful.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils with SEND do not always have the necessary adaptations made to their learning to enable them to access learning. As a result, some struggle to understand what is expected of them and this delays them starting activities. The school should ensure that staff successfully adapt learning to support pupils to access the curriculum as intended.  Staff do not always deliver the subject-specific knowledge and skills in the curriculum effectively. Consequently, some pupils learn important facts but they do not become more proficient at the skills associated with the subject. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary support to deliver the subject-specific skills identified in its curriculum.  Despite the school’s early work to reduce persistent absence, too many pupils continue to be away 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

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

understand the impact that persistent absence has on their child’s academic and social development.

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 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 28 and 29 January 2025

p.3

4

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.

p.4

4

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 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). 28 and 29 January 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school operates 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. 28 and 29 January 2025

p.5

6

 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 extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke with a school improvement officer from the local authority.  The inspector met with the chair of the local governing body and another governor.  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 28 and 29 January 2025

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