Little Heath Primary School

Inspection of Little Heath Primary School Spring Road, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 7FN

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 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 Requires improvement 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive and welcoming school. Respectful relationships are at the heart of the school. Staff nurture the pupils and know them very well. The school ensures that pupils can share any worries and concerns they might have. Pupils know that staff take their concerns seriously. As a result, pupils feel safe, happy and they thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excellent ambassadors for the school. They exemplify the schools’ values through their highly positive attitudes towards each other and their learning. As a result, pupils work and play together in harmony.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a real sense of community at this school. Many pupils join the school at different stages, often speaking English as an additional language. Pupils relish the opportunity to support and welcome new pupils through their pupil leadership roles, which include language ambassadors and play leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for every pupil. Pupils study a curriculum that engages them. The school provides a rich set of opportunities to broaden pupils’ knowledge and experiences through trips and extra-curricular clubs. Pupils learn with enthusiasm and have impressive recall of their recent learning. Pupils of all abilities get the support they need to learn well.

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

Over recent years, the school has overhauled and improved the curriculum. It is ambitious and takes account of children’s starting points in the early years, building their knowledge and skills throughout their time in school. The school makes clear the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should know. As a result, pupils use technical words confidently and can explain their learning clearly. This starts in the early years, where interactions between staff and children are of high quality and develop and extend children’s language skills well.

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

The school’s approach to identifying the needs of pupils is thorough. This includes identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as pupils who need extra support to develop their English language skills. Effective training and a strong focus on developing oracy skills enables staff to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils. Staff work hard to reduce barriers to learning. Individual targets for pupils with SEND are precise. Most pupils achieve well from their starting points.

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

In some subjects, there are some inconsistencies in how well teachers check that pupils fully understand their learning before moving on to new content. This means that teachers do not identify sufficiently well pupils who have misconceptions, resulting in some pupils moving on with gaps in their knowledge.

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

The school prioritises reading. Staff share exciting and purposely chosen texts with pupils across the school. From the early years, children learn to understand phonics and develop 25 and 26 February 2025

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their reading fluency well. Staff deliver the phonics programme with consistency and expertise. Pupils who fall behind with their reading get the support they need to catch up. Most pupils become confident and fluent readers as a result.

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The early years environment is calm and purposeful. Children play and learn together well. High expectations for children’s behaviour begin in the early years, where children settle quickly and maintain concentration. Pupils’ behaviours in classrooms across the school are positive and respectful. Pupils are keen to contribute their thoughts and ideas. They are enthusiastic and approach their work with focus and engagement.

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The school has taken effective steps to improve attendance. Staff work with pupils and families to help them understand the importance of being in school and remove any barriers. The attendance of older pupils is very high.

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The school has created a well-designed programme of learning to support pupils to become healthy, safe and successful citizens. Pupils embrace difference and diversity in society. They learn about financial budgeting and future career options. They also learn how to develop positive relationships with others through the varied opportunities that they have to play well together during social times. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their talents and interests when they participate enthusiastically in lunchtime and after-school clubs, which include cooking, sports and arts and crafts.

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Staff feel valued and there is a real sense of teamwork. They are proud to work at the school and approach their work with passion and commitment. Staff appreciate the support and consideration from school leaders about their workload and well-being. They value the ongoing professional development opportunities that they have. This leads to sustained and continuous improvement in the quality of education. Governors are effective. They maintain a clear focus on the quality of education provided by the 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 subjects, there are some inconsistencies in the way that teachers check what pupils have learned. At times, staff do not identify pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely. The school should ensure that teachers have the skills and expertise to check pupils’ understanding systemically to help pupils build on prior learning more successfully in all subjects. 25 and 26 February 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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2022 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, new leaders have joined the school, including an assistant headteacher and an interim deputy headteacher. A new chair of the governing body has also been appointed.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They also met with governors and examined minutes from governing body meetings.  The lead inspector talked to representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. 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 a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning in geography and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.

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 The inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  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.  The inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through the staff surveys.  The inspectors met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Dean His Majesty’s 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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