Westminster Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Westminster Primary School Stamford Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands B20 3PN

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Outcome

Westminster 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 Maneer Samad. This school is a single school academy, part of the Westminster Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), who is also the headteacher, Maneer Samad, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Edward Wright.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They are happy and attend regularly. The school is ambitious for all pupils to succeed, including those facing any challenges or barriers to their learning. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The three school rules are to be ‘safe, kind and ready’. Pupils adhere to these. They behave very well in lessons and around school, including opening doors for each other. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when working or playing online at home. There are a range of responsibilities available to pupils. They can stand as parliamentarians for the school’s upper and lower parliament, or act as trained tour lead for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In addition to the wide range of subjects they study, pupils experience an array of other opportunities. They participate in a public speaking competitions, judged by a prominent publisher. Those learning a musical instrument perform as an ensemble at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Younger pupils experience the opera and ballet. Older pupils visit Coventry University as part of their computer studies. Learning from geography field trips to the Peak District is built on during pupils’ residential visit to the Wye Valley. 8 and 9 April 2025

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

The school has put in place an ambitious curriculum, designed successfully to enable all pupils to achieve. The school has a system in place to check pupils’ progress through the curriculum. This includes pupils with SEND, and those with more complex needs. It incorporates their learning in English, mathematics and wider curriculum subjects. Teachers use this information to identify where further modifications are needed to support learning.

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

Pupils start their phonics programme straightaway in the early years. Pupils with SEND and those at the early stage of reading access the same programme as their peers. Suitable adaptions and effective support sessions help pupils to catch up to become confident and fluent readers. Pupils themselves suggested an enclosed area in the playground where they choose from a suitcase full of books to read during breaktimes.

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

The early identification of pupils with SEND from Nursery onwards ensures support is timely and appropriate. Pupils with more complex needs, whose needs cannot be fully met within the mainstream classroom, are supported successfully through a more personalised curriculum and approach to learning. Teachers have received training to effectively meet the needs of pupils with SEND. They have developed the necessary subject knowledge required to teach a range of subjects across the curriculum, including music and physical education.

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

Subject leaders are at various stages in their leadership experience. The extent to which the school checks the delivery of the curriculum is inconsistent in some subjects. In a few instances, the intended curriculum is not taught as effectively as in others. The school is working with staff to develop a consistent approach to the oversight of all subjects.

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

Attendance is high and continuing to improve. Instances of persistent absence are low. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Examples of low-level disruption in lessons are very rare. Pupils play well together outside. They have access to a wide variety of sports equipment to enjoy, supported by the specialist sports coaches.

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

Pupils enjoy sporting clubs, including football, tennis, cricket, dodgeball, basketball and gym. Older pupils receive training to become ‘young sports leaders’. Other pupils take on roles as monitors, collecting house points. There are a variety of curriculum trips to support pupils’ learning. For example, pupils visit the exhibition of Rembrandt’s etchings at the Birmingham art gallery. Pupils learn from the lives of local, well-known residents, for example paraplegic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and England cricketer Moeen Ali, about diversity and success. This understanding of diversity is broadened further as pupils talk about different types of families, as well as differences between religions. Pupils are knowledgeable about other faiths and are respectful at all times.

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

Members of the trust and local governing board know the school well. They question and challenge leaders using the information they receive. Staff are highly appreciative of the way leaders consider their workload, for example when considering priorities. Staff well- being is at the forefront of the trust’s and leaders’ decisions. 8 and 9 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The delivery of the curriculum in a small number of subjects is not as effective as it is in others. As a result, some pupils do not learn the curriculum as securely in these subjects. The school should ensure the delivery of the curriculum across subjects is as intended and that any improvements needed are identified and addressed.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 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. 8 and 9 April 2025

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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. The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, other leaders and staff.  The inspector spoke to groups of pupils.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer and representatives from the trust, including the chair and vice-chair of the trust. 8 and 9 April 2025

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 The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. He also considered additional feedback from parents. He reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey. He considered information on pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils read to a familiar adult in lessons.  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

Mark Sims, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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