a school not in a category of concern of Shireland Biomedical Utc

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Gulfam Shahzad Principal Shireland Biomedical Utc 350 High Street West Bromwich West Midlands B70 8DJ

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Biomedical Utc

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 18 June 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school meets the monitoring threshold as set out in the Monitoring Inspection Handbook .

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Biomedical Utc

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Biomedical Utc

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior leaders, the chief executive officer (CEO) and deputy CEO of the trust, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo), the designated safeguarding lead and other staff the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also visited 10 lessons across seven subject areas, looked at pupils’ work, met with pupils and scrutinised documents relating to the school’s self-evaluation, the curriculum, the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the personal development programme, safeguarding and governance. I observed pupils during their breaktimes and lunchtimes. I also reviewed the school’s single central record to assess the checks made for the recruitment of new staff. I have considered all this in coming to my

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Main findings

Since the last inspection there has been significant change to staffing in the school. This includes a new principal, new vice-principal and new SENDCo. The school has also made key changes to other staff roles and responsibilities. For example, you have recruited new subject leaders in English and science. You have also promoted some staff into senior and middle leadership roles and revised the staffing structure.

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Main findings

The school has reviewed the knowledge and training teachers need to deliver the school’s ‘literacy4life’ curriculum effectively. You have focused on the specific subjects of English, geography and science, following your own evaluation of the key areas needing to be developed. Resources, including writing frames and structured paragraphs, are providing staff with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver ‘literacy4life’ well. Staff are increasingly confident about what they teach and how it needs to be taught. You have further ensured that ‘literacy4life’ is linked across all subject departments. It is no longer an isolated part of the wider curriculum.

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Main findings

Following the appointment of a new SENDCo, the school has completed a comprehensive audit of adaptive teaching. Consequently, there is now a keen plan in place to develop staff’s expertise in how they adapt their teaching. As part of this work, the school has an extensive professional development programme in place. This is delivered weekly. It highlights approaches such as scaffolding, learning mats and chunking down the skills and knowledge pupils need to know. The school also develops teachers’ knowledge of specific SEND needs, such as ADHD and autism. However, you also know there is still work to do to ensure all staff consistently adapt their teaching and their use of questions to support and challenge all pupils well.

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Main findings

The school has reviewed its approach to supporting weaker readers. You have carefully evaluated your reading curriculum, including the promotion of wider reading, pupils’ comprehension skills and where reading aligns across all subject areas. Staff are becoming increasingly confident in how to model reading well to pupils. However, there is further action needed to identify the precise individual reading needs of pupils. Pupils speak enthusiastically about reading in school.

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Main findings

Supported by a range of specialists from within and outside the trust, you reviewed how leaders monitor the impact of their work so there is increased consistency across the UTC. School improvement partners have worked with all leaders, including newly appointed staff, to develop robust quality assurance processes. Leaders understand what further work is needed to embed a consistent delivery of pupils’ education. School leaders confidently analyse and evaluate the quality of education provided. Staff speak in detail about the effective opportunities to visit other schools in the trust and beyond.

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Main findings

The school has reviewed its personal development curriculum. You and your team have implemented an effective programme around pupils’ personal development, careers advice and extra-curricular opportunities, which are helping to enhance their wider education. As a result of comprehensive training, staff’s confidence is growing in teaching topics such as knife crime and staying safe when using public transport. Within the school’s personal development curriculum, pupils speak knowledgeably about fundamental British values that the school promotes. Sixth-form students report enthusiastically about the increased opportunities to join the student leadership group. They also welcome your ‘Give Back’ programme where sixth-form students support lessons in key stage 3. This is encouraging evidence that students engage further with younger pupils.

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Main findings

There are increasing signs that the school’s extensive range of educational visits are having an impact. Also, through an increased offer of clubs during lunchtime and after school, pupils report attending a range of activities that stimulate their interests, including creative arts, zen and life skills. However, pupils also request that the school considers more sports activities outside the curriculum.

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Main findings

The school’s safeguarding practice is effective. It has clear systems in place to identify pupils at risk of potential harm. A well-developed and systematic approach to dealing with disclosures ensures that the school takes decisive and timely action to support vulnerable pupils. Training from both the school and trust enables staff to deal with low-level concerns appropriately. A coordinated approach ensures that support is timely, appropriate and effective.

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Main findings

Those responsible for governance understand their statutory responsibilities well. They continue to support and hold leaders to account effectively. You, and other leaders, report that trustees and governors have worked quickly and effectively with the school, the local authority and external specialists to support any whole-school changes that are necessary. Relationships between trustees, governors and leaders are positive and purposeful. Governors and trustees are well informed about the school’s development priorities and the progress now being made to achieve them. You recognise that while progress has been made, there are still areas to review and develop further for greater consistency. You have a realistic evaluation of the school’s current strengths and challenges.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the CEO or equivalent of the Shireland Collegiate Academy trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Sandwell local authority. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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