Wychall Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wychall Primary School Middle Field Road, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands B31 3EH

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Inspection dates: 25 to 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Wychall Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nick Lamorte. This school is part of drb Ignite Multi Academy 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), Robert Bowater, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Sheldon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is welcoming and inclusive. It prioritises pupils’ well-being and cares deeply for each individual pupil. Parents and carers appreciate the effective pastoral support the school provides for pupils. The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in every aspect of school life. They benefit from receiving bespoke support, when necessary. Staff work as a team to ensure that pupils are safe, secure and successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught how to recognise and manage their own emotions, which helps them behave well. They are polite and respectful, holding doors open for visitors. Pupils understand the importance of being resilient and cooperating with others. They consider what it is like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that the curriculum develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding well. Pupils enjoy learning a broad range of subjects in lessons. They talk enthusiastically about trips in the local area and the outdoor adventure residential in Wales, which bring their learning to life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their leadership responsibilities. These include peer mediators, play leaders and being selected to be on the ‘Wychall Super Safeguarding Kids’ board. They take their responsibilities seriously. 25 and 26 February 2025

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

Since the last inspection, the school has fully implemented the ambitious curriculum. Each subject is carefully designed and sequenced, setting out the key knowledge that pupils will learn. Staff consider how best to teach each subject so that pupils know and remember more. Most of the time, teachers design activities that interest and enthuse pupils. For example, in science, pupils enjoy making simple models of moving muscles. They confidently demonstrate how muscles contract and relax. Occasionally, the tasks that teachers design do not focus well enough on the important knowledge that the curriculum outlines. When this is the case, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

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

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They regularly check pupils’ understanding and fill any gaps in their knowledge. However, there are times when teachers do not identify and address misconceptions in the knowledge of pupils at the early stages of learning to write. This is particularly the case in relation to spelling of subject-specific vocabulary and letter formation.

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

Published outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are below national averages. This is, in part, because a significant number of pupils do not start in Reception and many arrive new to the school in Years 4, 5 and 6. The school monitors and tracks pupils carefully, swiftly addressing any gaps pupils have in their knowledge. Evidence gathered during this inspection shows that the more time that pupils spend at the school, the greater their achievement at the end of key stage 2.

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

Children in the early years make a strong start. The early years provision is an engaging, vibrant space. Children explore, problem solve and collaborate. They count one more and one less as they build towers out of bricks. Children enjoy buying things in the role-play farm shop. Adults skilfully support children to express themselves clearly.

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

The school is determined to ensure that every pupil learns to read no matter what their starting point. Teachers quickly assess pupils’ reading skills when they start school. Daily support is given to any pupil who needs help to learn their phonics. Well-trained staff help pupils catch up and keep up. Pupils in key stage 1 excitedly share new books with their reading partner. Older pupils talk about favourite authors and make good use of the school library. The school inspires a love of reading in pupils.

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

The school provides a range of support and adapts the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well. Staff are knowledgeable about each pupil, particularly those with complex additional needs. They use this information with skill and sensitivity to help pupils with SEND to progress through the curriculum well.

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

The school’s work to improve attendance is a strength. The school works closely with families to support pupils’ welfare. This has a positive impact. For example, pupils who were absent from school too often now attend more regularly, and attendance is rising. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Pastoral support is strong. Staff form caring relationships with pupils. Pupils say that bullying happens rarely. They know that they have trusted adults at school that they can speak to if they are worried or anxious. A minority of pupils who find it tricky to manage their emotions appropriately are given extra help.

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There are rigorous systems in place for checking the quality of education in the school. Trustees provide effective challenge and support when holding leaders to account. They know the school well and ensure pupils are at the heart of any decision-making.

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Staff benefit from the ongoing professional development and participation in professional networks provided by the trust. They are deeply committed to the school community and appreciate the way in which leaders consider their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes the activities that teachers design do not focus clearly enough on the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. When this happens, pupils do not secure the knowledge they need quickly enough. The school should consider the most effective ways to teach the key knowledge so that pupils remember more over time.  At times, the checks made on pupils’ work in key stage 1 do not always address misconceptions or the correct letter formation and the spelling of important subject- specific vocabulary. As a result, pupils do not build on the good start made in the early years foundation stage and do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that pupils secure the foundational knowledge they need to be successful in the next phase of their education.

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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 school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the drb multi-academy trust. There are 12 schools in the group.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, and a range of teaching and non-teaching staff. The 25 and 26 February 2025

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inspector held a meeting with those responsible for governance and trust executives including the CEO of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, in lessons, on the way to assembly and at playtime and lunchtime.  The inspector took note of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and met with a group of parents from the parent strategy group.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  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.

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Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector 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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