Dorrington Academy

Inspection of a school judge outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Dorrington Academy Dorrington Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, West Midlands B42 1QR

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is John Harrison. This school is part of Dorrington 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, John Harrison (CEO), and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Ruane.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Dorrington Academy sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils learn well in most subjects, including mathematics and science. Museum and castle trips, fieldwork studies and author visits help pupils to know and remember more of the curriculum. However, in some subjects, teachers’ checks on learning do not identify gaps in prior knowledge effectively. This impacts on how well pupils achieve in these subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They want to do their best. Each day, pupils live the school motto: ‘together we are stronger’ by supporting one another in lessons and at social times. They learn valuable teamwork skills by undertaking a wide range of sports activities. Pupils know the qualities of a good friend. They are kind and respectful of one another and try to resolve any disagreements themselves. Play leaders and staff are on hand to support them if needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly undertake responsibilities such as those of head boy and girl, school councillors, play ambassadors and peer mediators. They value the range of clubs on offer, including sports, art, craft and yoga clubs. This helps pupils to develop new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Recent turbulence in school leadership and governance has significantly impacted the school. Swift action to address this has been effective. However, further work is needed to 3 and 4 June 2025

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maintain the pace of improvement, so that there is effective oversight of the school’s performance.

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

Recent curriculum developments have been implemented at pace. The school’s curriculum is now ambitious for all pupils. The school has carefully sequenced the important knowledge and skills that pupils need for future success, starting from the early years. In most subjects, the school gives pupils work which enables them to achieve well, especially in mathematics. However, published school outcomes, particularly in reading, are not fully in line with the school’s high expectations. In some subjects, pupils have gaps in their prior knowledge which have not been spotted or addressed effectively by teachers. In these subjects, pupils do not know and remember the curriculum as well as they could.

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

The school prioritises language and communication skills, right from the start in the Nursery. Children enjoy joining in with stories, songs and rhymes. They learn to share, take turns and enjoy using numbers. However, there is too much variability in staff knowledge of how to teach phonics, which hampers the teaching of early reading, particularly for some pupils who struggle with learning to read. These pupils do not get enough opportunities to practise and apply the sounds they learn. This slows the pace at which they catch up. Early writing skills, such as effective pencil grip, are also not taught well enough. All this means that some pupils do not learn to read and write with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. Staff know pupils’ needs well and make the right adaptions to learning in lessons for pupils. The school skilfully implements advice from external professionals for pupils who need it. Pupils with SEND get the right help and support to be successful in school.

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

The school’s values of respect, perseverance and compassion underpin its wider curriculum offer. Pupils learn to be active citizens by litter-picking in the local area. They fundraise for the local food bank and national charities. Pupils know the school rules and the consequences of not following them. Workshops help pupils to understand the work of the local police and to stay safe when working online. This helps pupils to understand right and wrong. School elections help pupils learn about democracy. Pupils know their voice can shape improvements to school life through the work of the school council. Pupils learn to respect difference when learning about different faiths and cultures. For instance, pupils learn about Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Sikhism. They learn about the importance of places of worship and celebrations, such as Eid and Easter, to these faiths. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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

Recent work to address poor rates of pupils’ attendance is starting to make a difference. However, some pupils still do not attend school as regularly as they should. They miss out on important learning and social aspects of school life. The school does not have effective oversight of pupils’ attendance for some pupils who are absent too often. 3 and 4 June 2025

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There have been recent improvements to the trust’s governance of the school’s performance. However, trustees do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of where the strengths and areas for improvement are across the school.

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Staff are supportive of recent changes in the school’s leadership. They feel valued and well supported to manage their workload and well-being. Staff are on board with the pace of change.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils have gaps in their prior knowledge which have not been spotted or addressed effectively by teachers. As a result, pupils do not always build on their prior learning and achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions and support staff with the knowledge and skills needed to address these gaps.  There are inconsistencies in staff’s knowledge and skills of how to teach early reading and writing. This means pupils do not learn to read and write as well as they could, particularly some pupils who struggle. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to teach early reading and writing effectively so pupils learn to read and write with the confidence and accuracy expected.  The school does not have effective oversight of pupils’ attendance for some pupils who

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

are absent too often. As a result, too many pupils miss out on the valuable learning and social opportunities available to them in school. The school should ensure that attendance information is effectively utilised, so that swifter engagement takes place when pupils’ attendance rates start to fall, to prevent more pupils becoming persistently absent.  The trust’s governance is not fully effective. As a result, leaders are not held to account effectively for some important aspects of the school’s work. Those responsible for governance should maintain the momentum of recent improvements so there are rigorous and robust systems in place.

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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 outstanding for its overall effectiveness. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in November 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.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher and CEO took up their post in September 2024. He was formerly one of the deputy headteachers in the school. The chair of trustees took up their post on 1 October 2024.  The school operates a breakfast club provision for its pupils.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.  The school is subject to a Notice to Improve from the Department of Education for financial irregularities.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 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.  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 and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with the CEO and trust representatives. The inspectors also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Onyon Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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