Spring Vale Primary School

Spring Vale Primary School

Address: Kenilworth Crescent, Parkfield, Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV4 6SD Unique reference number (URN): 150943

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve highly. Teachers ensure pupils secure the important knowledge that they need to communicate, read, write and calculate at the earliest stage. Leaders are relentless about ensuring that all pupils keep up. Pupils build on this early learning to develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum. In the full range of subjects, pupils confidently use taught vocabulary and clearly explain concepts learned in previous years. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for the next stage.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders and staff support all pupils with determination and conviction. They passionately believe that any barrier to learning can be reduced. As a result, pupils make rapid progress. Where starting points are lower, leaders ensure these pupils catch up quickly.

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Achievement Strong standard

Achievement in national tests is significantly above national averages for reading, writing and maths. Disadvantaged pupils achieve far higher than disadvantaged pupils nationally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress from their starting points.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders' focus on attendance is relentless. They use effective systems to identify and support pupils who are persistently absent. Leaders understand pupils' barriers to attendance and intervene effectively. Staff build excellent relationships with families, who welcome the available support. As a result, persistent absence is low and continues to decrease.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Attendance is high and improving over time. Disadvantaged pupils' attendance is higher than their peers nationally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities also attend well. This is the result of the school's dedicated work.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have established a calm and orderly environment for pupils to learn in. Pupils show excellent learning behaviours. They want to do well and show great respect for the staff and other pupils in their class. Pupils are courteous, polite and follow the school rules consistently. They show empathy for those who may need additional support. This results in a cooperative, purposeful environment in which disruption is very rare. Where pupils are finding it difficult to make positive choices, staff provide timely, tailored support. This leads to rapid improvement.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Bullying or discrimination is never tolerated. Pupils and families trust leaders to deal with issues quickly. This means that pupils feel safe and cared for at school.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed a highly effective curriculum. They have thought carefully about sequencing in every subject to enable pupils to build knowledge and vocabulary over time. The curriculum is ambitious and prepares pupils well for the next stage. Leaders know what is going well and how to further improve the high-quality curriculum offer. They support teachers well. This gives staff the confidence to deliver the curriculum effectively. Teaching is highly effective across the school. Staff's subject knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn are excellent. They intelligently adapt the curriculum to the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff skilfully check pupils' knowledge and understanding to identify pupils’ starting points in each aspect of their learning. Teachers provide pupils with the right learning opportunities, at the right time, to most effectively develop their understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that pupils receive the teaching they need to secure key knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. There are meaningful opportunities to apply this knowledge in a range of subjects. This means that pupils have frequent opportunities to extend their written and spoken vocabulary. They develop their subject-specific vocabulary and use it with sophistication.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school puts inclusion at the heart of its work. Leaders are passionate about ensuring every pupil receives highly effective support. Leaders identify pupils' barriers rapidly on entry to the school. They implement effective, tailored support. Leaders work closely with external agencies and parents to design this support. This partnership approach ensures that barriers to achievement or wellbeing are removed. Leaders have established systems to evaluate effectively the progress of pupils. This means support continually evolves in relation to pupils' needs. This includes the use of pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Well-trained staff implement this support well. As a result, pupils flourish and they fully experience everything the school has to offer.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent effectively. As a result, outcomes, experiences and belonging for these pupils are enhanced significantly.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure pupils needs are met, regardless of complexity. For example, they have established the ‘Explorer’s Room’, which supports a small group highly effectively. They have created a tailored environment and curriculum for these pupils, which is checked for impact, robustly. As a result, these pupils thrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Where alternative provision is used, leaders ensure that it is in the best interests of the pupil. This ensures that placements are successful and meet pupils' individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders at all levels are passionate about providing the best support and care possible for pupils. They have a deep understanding of the school's strengths and priorities. Leaders work effectively with families and pupils to make the school better. Relationships with parents and carers are excellent. Families value the school's work to help their children develop. Governors and trustees support leaders effectively. They know the school and work strategically. This helps the school to sustain its high standards.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders put pupils at the centre of everything they do. Every decision they make is in the best interests of the pupils. Leaders show great care, empathy and love, but also unwavering high expectations. This ensures all pupils achieve, belong and thrive. Leaders and staff are highly positive role models. They work tirelessly to remove barriers. This results in a culture of warmth, high ambition and professionalism.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

When pupils experience challenges to their learning or wellbeing, leaders ensure they are supported highly effectively. Leaders ensure that all pupils receive the love, care and support they need to succeed. This means that pupils have a highly positive experience of primary school, which sets them up well for the next stage.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders, including governors, carefully monitor staff workload. Staff appreciate this. They value the support that leaders provide. Leaders have designed an effective professional learning programme. This includes access to external training, support from the multi- academy trust and coaching. Leaders support early career teachers well. As a result, staff are continually building expertise in their roles.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the personal development programme makes a tangible difference to pupils' lives. There are no barriers to access for any pupil. This is because of leaders' work to ensure that every pupil can be a part of every experience. This creates a culture of genuine belonging.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a personal development programme tailored to the school's context. It is responsive to local and national changes. For example, road safety and online safety workshops help pupils make sense of incidents in the news. Staff implement the full programme effectively. As a result, pupils develop detailed knowledge over time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school's relationships and health education and sex education curriculum ensures pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy offline and online. For example, pupils speak articulately about changes in technology, such as artificial intelligence. This means they are well prepared for life beyond the classroom.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pastoral support is highly effective. Where pupils need additional support, leaders respond swiftly to address barriers to wellbeing. They implement strategies including targeted emotional literacy support. Consequently, pupils' wellbeing improves rapidly.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of the different characteristics and needs of others. They develop their knowledge of fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils speak with maturity and empathy about how to support others. They are reflective, appreciate all forms of diversity and engage thoughtfully with a range of different viewpoints.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a tailored programme of experiences that reflects pupils' needs and interests. These include learning first aid, taking part in a bake-off and developing financial awareness. Pupils enjoy the workshops, trips and residentials that the school provides. Leaders are passionate about ensuring all pupils access musical, creative and artistic opportunities. For example, all pupils learn to play an instrument. School clubs are free and include ‘step into’ clubs, where pupils try something new.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders understand the importance of children's experiences of the early years provision. They have designed a curriculum that prioritises communication, vocabulary and interaction. However, sometimes staff do not maximise opportunities for high-quality discussion with children. This means some children do not develop their communication skills as quickly as they could.

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Early years Expected standard

Children quickly begin to learn to read through phonics. Reading is high profile. The carefully sequenced writing curriculum ensures that children have the knowledge, physical coordination and strength to progress well. Staff implement the mathematics curriculum effectively. Leaders understand children's starting points and plan activities to help them meet age-related expectations. For children with additional barriers, the school implements support quickly and effectively. Leaders work closely with families. This means that all children access the opportunities available in the early years.

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Early years Expected standard

Children feel safe and manage risks well. Staff encourage children to develop their independence as soon as they start at the school. This continues through the early years. Children manage their emotions well. This is because staff are nurturing and teach children to understand their feelings.

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Early years Expected standard

By the end of the early years, children are ready for year 1. There is clear communication with staff in key stage 1, which helps to support children's transition from the early years. Where children still have gaps in their learning, leaders implement rapid support, which helps children catch-up quickly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils love being a part of this highly inclusive, accepting and welcoming school. They are proud of their school and appreciate and respect the adults who work with them. They view staff as positive role models and know that they always have time for them. From the moment pupils enter school, their day is full of positivity and warmth. They attend regularly and enjoy coming to school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy their learning. They work hard and focus. The calm, orderly environment helps with this. Although children have some high-quality interactions, there need to be more opportunities for this in early years. Pupils develop important knowledge quickly. By the time pupils leave school, they are extremely well prepared for the next stage. They achieve very well in national examinations. Where there are barriers to learning, pupils access highly effective support. This helps them to make excellent progress. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well from their starting points. Leaders are determined that every pupil should succeed.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils understand how to deal with bullying and feel confident to do so. They cooperate well with each other. As a result, social times are calm and harmonious. This ensures pupils feel safe. Pupils treat those who are different to themselves with respect, dignity and love. There is a powerful sense of community. This means pupils feel they belong.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils value the range of experiences that leaders provide. They go on trips, try new clubs, develop talents and learn important life skills.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have very close relationships with families. Parents and carers speak very highly of the school and appreciate how it goes the extra mile to support their children. Pupils flourish and are thriving because of a consistent, whole-school ethos of love, care and high expectations.

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Next steps

• Leaders need to ensure that all staff maximise opportunities for high-quality interactions in the early years so that children's communication and language skills are continually developed across the day.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Lykos 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, Graham Tate, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Charlotte Harding.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers and other leaders. They also spoke with representatives of the trust, including the chief executive officer, chair of trustees and members of the local governing body during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 2 alternative provisions, including 1 that is unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school joined Lykos Multi-Academy Trust in September 2024.

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Team inspectors:

Richard Kentish, Ofsted Inspector Christian Hamilton, Ofsted Inspector Donna OToole, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 4.7% 5.2% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 14.2% 13.3% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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