Billesley Primary School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Billesley Primary School Trittiford Road, Billesley, Birmingham, West Midlands B13 0ES

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Karl Rogerson. This school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies 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), Hugh Greenway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tim Coulson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Billesley Primary School has a strong sense of community. The school creates a caring and compassionate environment in which pupils flourish. The high-quality pastoral care for pupils is a key feature of the school’s work. Warm relationships between staff and pupils abound throughout the school. This helps pupils to feel safe, happy and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for academic achievement, behaviour and pupils’ wider development. Pupils live up to these expectations and most achieve well. They are terrific ambassadors for their school. They embody the school’s values of ‘inspire, create and achieve’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are polite and considerate. They work hard and take pride in the work they produce. Pupils are very proud of their school. They value the leadership opportunities that they have. For example, play leaders ensure that ‘nobody is left out’. Other pupils live up to their sustainability pledges. They take action by litter picking to protect wildlife, recycling and conserving water.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is unwavering in its commitment to providing the best possible opportunities for pupils. Pupils benefit from a broad range of trips and visits to bring learning to life. They also enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities to develop their talents and interests. 20 and 21 May 2025

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

Children in the early years thrive and gain a strong start to their education. They benefit from a vibrant and richly resourced provision. Knowledgeable staff have a sharp focus on children’s communication and language needs. Staff model important vocabulary with precision. Children quickly learn to live up to the high expectations that embody the school. This prepares them well for their next stages in learning.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to engage and inspire pupils. The school has identified the key concepts and skills that pupils should learn. Staff have strong subject knowledge. The school supports staff development well through effective coaching and mentoring. Staff present new information clearly. Teaching regularly revisits previously taught content to help pupils to recall it. Staff carefully check what pupils have learned and adjust tasks to address any misunderstandings. This helps pupils build a strong body of knowledge over time. They produce high-quality work across the curriculum.

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

The school’s approach to teaching early reading is highly effective. Pupils read books that closely match their stage of reading. Staff swiftly identify any pupils who fall behind. They provide timely and effective support to help them keep up. As a result, pupils become confident, fluent readers.

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

The school is inclusive. Precise identification of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a real strength of the school’s provision. Pupils with SEND get the support that they need to succeed and achieve well. Pupils who learn in the specialist resource base receive bespoke and effective support to prepare them well for their next steps in learning.

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

A calm and purposeful atmosphere pervades the school. Pupils value their education. They work diligently in the classroom. They know what is expected of them and rise to the school’s high standards. Pupils play harmoniously with each other at social times.

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

The school has taken effective action to address the low levels of attendance in previous years. Staff quickly identify pupils who need extra support to attend regularly. They identify any barriers and provide effective support. As a result, most pupils attend well.

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

The school caters for pupils’ personal development in a wide range of ways. Pupils learn in an environment where there is respect for all. The school teaches pupils to recognise their own emotions and supports them to develop self-control and compassion for each other. Pupils develop a keen awareness of the importance of fundamental British values. Pupils learn about and celebrate diversity. They know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They learn how to be safe and demonstrate a deep understanding of their responsibilities to others and the wider world.

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

The trust has a strong understanding of all aspects of the school’s work. They use a wealth of information to gather stakeholder views and probe expertly to hold leaders to 20 and 21 May 2025

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account. They value the wider work that the school provides through its research and school-to-school support.

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Staff often refer to the ‘family community’ at this school. They appreciate the high regard for staff workload and well-being. They feel valued and proud to work at the school. Parents and carers appreciate the compassion and care that staff provide for their pupils as well as the many opportunities that the school plans for parents to see learning in action.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 outstanding 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 outstanding for overall effectiveness in May 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.

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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. 20 and 21 May 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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for its pupils.  The school has a specialist resource base to support pupils with autism spectrum disorder.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 During the inspection, the inspectors met with the principal and other school leaders. The inspectors also met with the CEO, regional director and chair of trustees.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 breaktimes and lunchtimes.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors met some parents at the start of the school day and had regard to the

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views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ed Masterson Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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