The Coleshill School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Coleshill School Coventry Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, Warwickshire B46 3EX

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

The Coleshill School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The head of school is Rebecca Brindley. This school is part of The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Richard Gill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Vickers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘work hard, be kind and take responsibility’ are evident in how most pupils conduct themselves when at school. They show respect to each other, staff and visitors. Pupils know that expectations have been raised through ‘the Coleshill way’ and that routines such as the morning line-up help them to meet these expectations. They manage themselves appropriately as they move around the site, especially in some of the small but busy shared spaces.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are attentive in lessons, follow teachers’ instructions and do not behave in a way that disrupts others’ learning. Pupils enjoy working with each other, whether in discussion tasks or group performances. Although current pupils are learning the curriculum in a way that will support future success, this has not always been the case.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ wider development is supported by a rich extra-curricular offer, including eco-club, book club and many sporting options. Pupils value opportunities to contribute to the school and wider community through the many leadership roles available, whatever their age. Sixth-form students are proud of the voice they are given in contributing to improvements. They enjoy representing the school, for example leading open evenings and a cross-country event for local primary schools. 11 and 12 February 2025

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

The school ensures that all pupils follow an ambitious curriculum. There have been improvements made to the curriculum since the previous inspection, particularly in key stage 3. It is carefully sequenced to enable pupils to build their knowledge over time. Pupils are able to choose from a broad range of subjects and qualifications in key stages 4 and 5.

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

Despite the school’s previous work to improve outcomes, pupils’ achievements in the 2024 examinations were below national averages, especially in key stage 4. Many pupils, including a significant number of disadvantaged pupils, did not secure the key qualifications needed for their next steps in education. The school has put in place focused work to help current Year 11 pupils close any learning gaps they may have. The improvements made to the school curriculum mean that pupils are now developing stronger foundational knowledge to support their future learning.

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

The school, supported by the trust, is working to improve how well the curriculum is implemented. Most staff use strong subject knowledge to explain new learning clearly. The school has identified specific teaching strategies for teachers to use when designing and delivering lessons. However, there is some variation in how well these strategies are employed. A key area is how effectively teachers check that pupils have understood their learning. Although there are times when this is done skilfully, there are occasions when these checks are not used in a way that helps move pupils’ learning forwards. Leaders are taking action to address this. There is a more consistent quality to the sixth-form provision.

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

The school strives to be ‘ethically inclusive’ and the strength of this work can be seen in the high-quality academic and social support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their needs are accurately identified and shared with staff via helpful ‘pupil passports’. Staff are clear on what they need to do to support each pupil with their learning. Pupils with SEND achieve in line with their peers. This focused and effective support is also in place for any pupils who are not yet confident, fluent readers. However, there is less clarity for staff around how to support some disadvantaged pupils to achieve well.

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

The school also provides strong pastoral support for pupils. There is a real sense that pupils are known as individuals and the school tries to remove barriers which individual pupils may face that impact on their attendance, behaviour and learning. There have been significant improvements in pupils’ attendance over the last year, other than for disadvantaged pupils. Suspensions are reducing and the internal reflection consequence is being used less often. The school’s safeguarding team does all it can to help pupils receive the support they need.

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

The school’s work on personal development is a strength. Pupils learn in age-appropriate ways about how to stay safe and healthy. Through the ‘SPIRIT’ points they earn, pupils develop important character traits such as perseverance and reflection. Through the high- quality careers programme, pupils are encouraged to have high aspirations and know how 11 and 12 February 2025

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they can achieve these. This includes helpful mentoring for sixth-form students when they are applying for university.

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Leaders are committed to their vision of ‘all of us, all the time’. They are now working on the right things to help move the school forward. Trustees and local ‘advocates’ share this commitment. All are determined to ensure that their improvement work is reflected in stronger outcomes for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is inconsistency in how effectively staff use the school’s chosen strategies for checking that pupils have understood their learning. Sometimes this means that gaps in knowledge or misconceptions persist. Sometimes pupils do not receive the precise feedback they need to deepen their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff are able to check pupils’ understanding more precisely and adapt teaching or tasks effectively in response.  The school’s strategy to support disadvantaged pupils is not understood well enough by staff. As a result, some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as their peers. Some do not attend school often enough and miss out on important learning and wider development opportunities. The school should ensure that staff at all levels understand their role and responsibilities in securing the best possible outcomes for these pupils.  There has not been close enough oversight of how well pupils achieve in their

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

examinations. As a result, a number of pupils do not leave school with the qualifications they need for their next steps. The trust should ensure that the school improvement strategy contributes more strongly towards better examination outcomes for pupils.

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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 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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This is the second ungraded inspection since we the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016.

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,226

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form

Headteacher Rebecca Brindley (Head of School)

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form

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The head of school has been in post since September 2023. The deputy headteacher started in January 2023. Three assistant headteachers joined the senior leadership team in 2024.  The school uses three registered and two unregistered providers of alternative provision for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the head of school, other school leaders and staff. They also met with the CEO, the trust director of education, the trust secondary strategic lead and the trust safeguarding lead, as well as the chair of the trust board.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school improvement plan and records of trust board meetings.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. They considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments, and correspondence sent to Ofsted during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Bassett Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 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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