St Nicholas Church of England First School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Nicholas Church of England First School Belvide Gardens, Chillington Drive, Codsall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV8 1AN

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Outcome

St Nicholas Church of England First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher is Jodie Parker. This school is part of Codsall 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), Jodie Parker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tyrone Field.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Nicholas is a welcoming school, where pupils have a deep sense of belonging. The school’s values of respect, perseverance, care, trust and thankfulness are central to its work. Staff are ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Pupils achieve high standards.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to follow rules and routines called ‘The St. Nicholas Way’. Pupils follow these well. They are incredibly polite and respectful. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. Lunchtimes are an active time for pupils to join in with games. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is enriched through a range of carefully considered extra-curricular activities and visits. These include vocal group, football and first-aid club. Pupils visited a farm to learn about growing food. They have grown vegetables at school and made soup. Pupils learn to play the guitar, drums and recorder. They have performed alongside the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes meaningful links to careers in preparation for the pupils moving to middle school. For example, as part of science and design and technology learning, pupils participated in a university engineering project to design solutions to real-life problems. Pupils are ready for the next stage in their learning. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

The curriculum has been carefully designed with well-sequenced concepts, knowledge and vocabulary. Staff are clear about the expectations in each year group. They possess secure subject expertise to deliver the curriculum well. Staff model and explain learning with clarity. Checks on pupils’ learning have improved over time. Staff notice gaps in pupils’ knowledge and address these appropriately. As a result, pupils remember the most important learning across the curriculum.

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

Reading is a high priority. Children learn phonics daily as soon as they start school in Nursery. Staff possess appropriate knowledge to teach phonics well. They help pupils to learn to read successfully. The school provides help every day for pupils who need extra support with phonics. Staff carefully select books for pupils to match their phonics knowledge. The school encourages reading for pleasure by sending library books home to share with an adult. As a result, pupils read regularly. Pupils achieve well in reading.

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

The early years environment is inviting and interesting. Children are well cared for. Strong relationships between staff and children exist. Staff possess appropriate knowledge to support children’s learning. They identify that physical development is an area that some children need extra support with as they start school. Children practise cutting and sticking and using small movements by opening and closing lids of different containers. This improves their ability to manipulate small objects. Overall, most children are ready for Year 1.

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

Early writing is an area that the school have identified for development. The school knows what to improve and how to do this. Some staff address early writing misconceptions swiftly and comprehensively, but others do not. This leads to inconsistencies in the implementation of the writing curriculum. As a result, standards in writing are not as high as in other subjects.

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

This is an inclusive school. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life. The school seeks and follows the advice of external agencies. Recently, the school has made improvements to the effectiveness of support for pupils with SEND. This is having a positive impact on some pupils, but some pupils with SEND are not as well supported as they should be. This is because the school has not made sure that all staff know exactly how to support all pupils effectively, which affects how well some pupils with SEND achieve.

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

The school prioritises regular attendance. Most pupils attend school regularly. Pupils get involved in all that the school offers. They value the sense of responsibility developed through the range of leadership roles available. These include school councillor, eco- representative and providing playtime support for younger children. Pupils are proud to help organise a sponsored walk to raise funds for the development of a quiet space in the school grounds for those who need this. They know and understand what fundamental British values are. A barrister visited school to explain how the law works, which helped to develop pupils’ understanding of how laws keep everyone safe. 1 and 2 April 2025

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Trustees and governors know their roles and responsibilities. They share in the school’s ambition for all pupils and demonstrate extensive knowledge about the work of the school. They hold leaders to account fully. Staff report that their workload is very well managed, and their well-being is appropriately supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that the writing curriculum is consistently implemented. Teachers do not always notice and address early writing misconceptions. As a result, standards in writing are not as high as in other subjects. The school should ensure that staff identify and address misconceptions effectively in order to help pupils to write with greater accuracy and success.  The school has not made sure that all staff know how to support all pupils effectively. This affects how well some pupils with SEND achieve. The school should ensure that all staff have the necessary expertise and strategies to support all pupils with SEND effectively.

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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 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 predecessor school, St Nicholas CofE (C) First School, to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2013. 1 and 2 April 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a before- and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is part of Codsall Multi-Academy Trust, comprising three schools.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in March 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of this date.

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Information about this inspection

n Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. n 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 this evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 April 2025

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n The inspector met with the CEO/headteacher, assistant headteachers and other leaders. The inspector held a meeting with trustees and members of the Local Advisory Board. The inspector met with a representative from the Diocese of Lichfield. Meetings were held with curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff. n The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. n The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. n The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour and interactions during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke to many pupils during the inspection. n 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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 The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. The inspector also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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