Ocker Hill Infant School

Inspection of Ocker Hill Infant School Gospel Oak Road, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 0DS

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school does an excellent job. It sets high expectations and provides consistent, purposeful routines for all. This enables pupils to settle in quickly, make the most of lessons and experience success. Pupils know what to expect. They feel safe and secure at school. Behaviour is excellent. On the playground and in classrooms, pupils respect others and get along well. They are attentive to their teachers, friendly to their classmates and enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s attention to reading, writing, speaking and mathematics is exemplary. This leads to exceptional progress through the curriculum. By the end of Year 2, standards are high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are clear with their expectations. They are kind and make everyone feel valued. They celebrate diversity and recognise each pupil’s unique character, talents and potential. This creates a sense of belonging, builds self-confidence and lifts aspirations. This individual attention also shows in the tailored support for pupils’ different needs. Whether pupils are racing ahead with learning or need specialist support to catch up, staff provide them with excellent tuition and support. Consequently, pupils are very well prepared to succeed at junior school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are full of praise for the school. They value its successful attention to their children’s academic progress and emotional well-being.

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

This school provides pupils with a first-class early education. Many pupils start with limited language. In response, the school has established an excellent curriculum for spoken language and reading. In the Nursery, staff teach children how to listen carefully. They use rhymes, stories and songs to help children learn about the patterns in language. Simple, effective routines prompt children to use and understand words and the concepts behind them. Together with high-quality input from adults, this enables children to make great strides forwards with their early speech. This prepares them well for formal phonics teaching in Reception. A consistent daily routine and a well-resourced reading scheme support all pupils to succeed in reading. For those who need extra help, the school provides additional reading sessions. These are highly effective.

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

The early years curriculum builds carefully, and imaginatively, on children’s starting points and interests. It is ambitious and builds secure readiness for Year 1. For instance, through stories and discussion, children learn about the language of time and gain a sense of past and present. Daily checks on the weather support children to know a range of subject- specific words. This prepares them well for key stage 1 history and geography. Once in key stage 1, key knowledge is revisited and practised so that pupils remember it.

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

The school’s work in mathematics is informed, ambitious and leads to high standards. Clear adult instruction and careful attention to learning from their mistakes, teaches pupils 25 and 26 February 2025

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to persevere. The school has created resources and routines that capture pupils’ attention with excellent effect. Characters such as Connor Concentration and Rosie Resilience, for example, exemplify qualities that help pupils to learn. They remind pupils about the school’s expectations, and help them develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils love them and can explain how such qualities help them at school and in life. Pupils regularly reflect on their own personal development and record their thoughts in special ‘passport books’. From putting on their socks independently after physical education, to singing in a choir, these booklets capture individual achievements that make pupils feel proud.

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The school has a career-related learning programme that helps to build an aspirational outlook. Through this programme, the school challenges stereotypical thinking, prompts curiosity and builds self-confidence. On top of this, a well-designed personal, social, health and economic education programme makes a highly positive contribution to pupils’ wider development.

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Leaders and staff are reflective and evaluative. They make careful checks on how well pupils are doing and are quick to make changes if aspects of teaching need adapting. Staff value the feedback that leaders give them. They feel supported in their work. This constructive culture, along with research-informed professional development, enable all to grow and thrive.

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School leaders are outward-looking and seek expert advice. They provide governors with plenty of information and welcome challenge. Their decisions have enabled the school to continue to adapt so that the education on offer meets everyone’s needs. For instance, the school has trained staff to quickly recognise the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In lessons, they modify resources or make other changes so that all pupils can access the full curriculum. As a result, everyone can fully engage with learning. Lessons are calm, purposeful and enable all to achieve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Toni-Rhiann Thomas-Hodgetts

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School details

Website www.ockerhill-inf.sandwell.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides before-school childcare at a breakfast club on site.  The school does not use any 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 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.  The inspectors considered published performance data about the school. Inspectors also looked at a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, school improvement planning, governance and documents published on the school’s website.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, school staff, pupils, governors and a local authority school improvement partner.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and religious education. In these subjects, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers,

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spoke to pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work. They also considered the curriculum in other subjects to check how they were organised, taught and assessed. An inspector observed some pupils reading to staff.  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 talked with pupils, parents and staff to gather general information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at lunchtime, on the playground, at clubs, in assembly and at other times during the school day.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Tibbits Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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