West Heath Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: West Heath Primary School Rednal Road, West Heath Primary, Birmingham, West Midlands B38 8HU

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this vibrant, friendly and caring school. They feel safe and happy and say that bullying does not happen. Any problems are sorted out swiftly. Pupils speak about the wide range learning opportunities with enthusiasm and say that their school is quite unique.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for behaviour and learning for all pupils. As a result, pupils’ conduct and behaviour towards learning are exceptional. Pupils enter school in a calm manner. In their lessons and at lunchtime, pupils are polite and considerate. They behave with a mature attitude and treat each other with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lunchtime organisation is particularly impressive. There are a range of varied and extensive activities to support all interests and encourage active involvement. Sports leaders and skilled support staff manage the playground activities to ensure they are accessible and well organised. The job share board for pupil leaders advertises roles across all areas of the school’s work. The school values their applications and contributions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are positive about the school and say that they feel well informed. Many parents and carers would recommend the school. They appreciate the range of extra activities and enriching curriculum provided. Many commented on how well their children achieve, as well as the positive support from school staff.

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

The school sets out clear goals about how to bring about improvements in pupils’ experiences of school. Leaders and staff work hard to achieve these goals. They are well 25 and 26 February 2025

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supported by an effective governing body. Improvements have been made in the whole school curriculum since the last inspection.

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The school ensures that pupils get off to a positive start when learning how to read. High- quality teaching of phonics is a result of effective training and development. Staff understand the phonics programme and teach it well. The school ensures that children who require extra help receive the support they need to keep up. This means that pupils learn to read and enjoy books. As a result, pupils achieve above the national average and are well prepared for each stage of their education.

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There is an ambitious curriculum that covers all subjects. Curriculum leaders are knowledgeable. Teachers have high expectations. They know what the pupils should learn. Most subjects are well designed to help pupils learn and build knowledge step by step. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not planned clearly enough, which means that pupils do not learn in a sequenced way to enable them to build on previous learning.

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Teachers know their pupils well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this knowledge to help pupils in lessons. There are clear targets and resources to support pupils with SEND. These are personalised and focus on individual need. The quality of the provision for pupils with SEND is a strength of the school. In addition, the school has created high-quality provision for pupils with more complex needs.

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Pupils know how to stay safe and how to manage information online. They understand the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. Pupils develop a mature understanding of people’s differences and the importance of respect. They say that regardless of our differences, we should all be accepted and treated equally. There is an understanding that building healthy relationships is important.

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The school values are consistently shared. Their mission to ‘Be a Star and Shine Bright’ forms a strong cornerstone for the wider curriculum. There is a passion for personal development evident through the culture, activities and dedication of staff. There are many experiences on offer to enhance learning, for example, singing at ‘Young Voices’, taking part in inter-school sporting events, attending the remembrance service, city wide community projects and special curriculum days. Engagement in the many wider opportunities available supports and develops pupils’ cultural capital and broadens their learning experiences.

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The school provides regular professional development opportunities. Staff say they feel valued and encouraged to move forward in their career. They say that workload is considered when implementing training or new initiatives.

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In the early years, children can apply their phonics knowledge to their writing. They use mathematical vocabulary within context. Children can talk about their learning through a variety of purposeful activities. The environment is well-resourced and purposeful. Effective adult interactions help children to explore and develop ideas. The school has 25 and 26 February 2025

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ensured that there is a clear focus, structure and pedagogy throughout the early years’ curriculum. As a result, younger pupils are happy and achieve well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not set out clearly enough the important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that teachers do not have the information they need to be able to design lessons that help pupils to build their knowledge over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out the knowledge that pupils should learn and when in each subject.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a 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.

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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 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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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 25 and 26 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is provision for before- and after-school clubs run by an Ofsted registered external company.  The school does not currently 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. 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 English, mathematics, history, geography and science curriculum, attendance, personal development and safeguarding. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 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 lead inspector spoke with the chair of governors and five other governors.  The lead inspector spoke with the local authority improvement adviser.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses from the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Debra Newman, 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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