Anna Seward Primary

Anna Seward Primary

Address: Bridgeman Way, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS14 0AL Unique reference number (URN): 149841

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders implement effective systems to check pupils' attendance. Where required, they intervene swiftly at an early stage. An important part of their strategy is to make school a place where pupils want to be. This helps pupils to attend regularly. As a result, attendance is consistently in line with national averages. This is also the case for the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where pupils miss too much school, leaders understand the reasons and work with families to overcome the barriers. As a result, persistent absence is rare, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Children in the early years attend particularly well.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils generally behave well. Where teaching is effective, they listen well and work hard. At times, where staff's explanations are less clear, pupils find it harder to focus. The school environment is calm and orderly. Leaders help pupils that find some situations overwhelming, such as by providing movement breaks or quiet spaces to eat lunch. Pupils interact and play together well during social times. Leaders deal with bullying, or any form of discrimination, quickly so that recurrence is rare.

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Early years Expected standard

Before children begin in the early years, leaders visit them to build relationships. This supports a smooth transition into school. Staff care for children and build positive relationships. This helps children to feel safe and secure, which is reflected in their confidence and independence. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, leaders design effective support plans, which staff implement well. As a result, children with barriers to learning and/or wellbeing thrive.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have adopted a well-sequenced curriculum that supports children to build their knowledge across the early years. Staff make well-judged decisions to adapt provision based on the interests of the children. This ensures that children find the learning activities interesting and engaging. As a result, children progress well across the seven areas of learning. Interactions are high quality and help children to build and practise new vocabulary. Staff teach phonics well. This means that children learn to read at the earliest stage. They also develop the important knowledge they need in early writing and mathematics so that they are ready for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work with families and other professionals to quickly identify pupils' needs before they start school. This means that support is in place for when they begin in the early years. Across the school, staff understand how to identify when a pupil needs further support. They have the expertise to implement support plans effectively. This means that pupils' barriers to wellbeing or to accessing the classroom are reduced. Additional sessions help further reduce these barriers. Leaders generally monitor the impact of these sessions to see what difference they make. This enables them to adapt support based on pupils' changing needs. Where pupils need additional adjustments, leaders provide them. This includes tailored

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Needs attention

learning programmes and movement breaks. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate fully in school life. While practical support to enable pupils to access learning is successful, sometimes the work that pupils are provided with is not matched well enough to their starting points, which limits their progress.

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Needs attention

Leaders use funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively. They focus on ensuring these pupils secure important early reading knowledge and can access the full school offer. Staff implement the strategy well. As a result, disadvantaged pupils learn to read quickly and positively experience school life. Pupils known (or previously known) to social care access effective support from trusted adults and key staff. They also work with external professionals, where appropriate, to reduce barriers to wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established an ambitious and coherent personal development programme. It starts in the early years and develops pupils' knowledge and experiences as they move through school. As a result, pupils have secure knowledge of the personal, social, health and economic curriculum. For example, they know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Leaders ensure pupils know how to manage risks to their wellbeing and safety. Pupils learn how to maintain healthy friendships. This helps ensure that they interact positively with one another. They understand how to stay safe online and outside of school. There are opportunities to vote for preferences, and pupils understand the importance of everyone having a say. They live out fundamental British values such as tolerance and respect. This makes the school a harmonious, positive environment where all are welcome.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a wide range of enrichment to enhance pupils' experience of school. Community work provides a connection to the local area and gives pupils the chance to raise money to help those who need it. Visitors, such as fire fighters and dentists, help make learning memorable. A range of clubs provide opportunities to sing, play sports and perform in a band so that pupils develop their talents or interests. Pupils enjoy the trips on offer, which includes visits to museums and nature reserves. Leaders ensure that everyone can attend. They work with pupils and families, where needed, to overcome pupils' barriers. For example, they provide extra trusted adults for trips to help those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, the school offer is an entitlement for all, and pupils feel they belong.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral support is responsive to pupils' changing needs. Pupils know who their trusted adults are and are confident to speak to them when they need help. Leaders work with external agencies where pupils need additional support. This helps pupils feel happy, confident and safe.

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Achievement Needs attention

Although outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check are lower than national averages, leaders have improved the quality of the reading provision. As a result, pupils across the school now read at the level that they should for their age. This is also the case for disadvantaged pupils. However, too many pupils do not secure important handwriting, spelling and mathematical knowledge. This means that they are not ready for the next stage of their education. Because handwriting is not consistently accurate or fluent, some pupils' work is not as high-quality as it could be.

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Achievement Needs attention

Across the curriculum, pupils generally remember what they have been taught. They can recall key information about different topics. However, some pupils, including those with lower starting points and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not progress as well as they should because their work is not matched precisely enough to their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have adopted an ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced in all subjects. It supports pupils to develop the key knowledge they need as they progress from the early years to Year 6. Vocabulary and reading are key features of the curriculum. However, staff do not always implement the curriculum effectively. For example, sometimes they do not design tasks to precisely match pupils' starting points. This means that some pupils with lower starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, lack high-quality opportunities to practise and remember learning. In addition, sometimes staff introduce too many concepts at once, which makes it hard for pupils to understand key learning points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching. They know what is working well and which areas to develop further. They have recently identified early reading as an area to improve. They have taken effective action, including using external specialists, to provide training. As a result, staff teach phonics well and make sure pupils are reading the right books. Leaders know there is more work to do now on ensuring that staff teach early writing and mathematics to the same high standard.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Over time, those responsible for governance have not ensured that the school has the resource it needs to run well. This has led to turbulence in staffing, which has had a negative impact on the teaching of the curriculum and pupils' achievement. Trustees have now set a clear strategic direction for the school and evaluate the work of the school carefully. They ensure that they check the impact of leaders' work and deploy resources effectively to support improvement. However, the impact of their actions is not yet evident on standards within the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders understand the school's strengths and areas for development. They generally identify the right areas for improvement. They have established effective systems for attendance, behaviour and inclusion so that pupils' experiences, including vulnerable pupils, are positive. They have designed an effective professional learning programme, which is responsive to staff's individual needs. This means that most staff are gaining the expertise they need to fulfil their duties. Leaders have focused on improving the reading provision. This has led to pupils securing important early reading knowledge. Leaders know they must apply the same rigour to developing writing and mathematics to the same level.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Most staff feel that leaders support their workload and wellbeing, although some would like further support during periods of change. Relationships with parents and carers are generally positive, although the recent instability in staffing has affected some parents' confidence. Leaders know there is work to do to rebuild trust.

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

Leaders are ambitious to make school 'irresistible' through providing interesting, enjoyable opportunities and lessons. They are successfully achieving this and pupils happily skip into school. They look forward to their learning and like the adults who work with them.

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

Pupils typically work hard. They generally listen well and concentrate on their work. In some areas, such as early reading, they achieve well. In other areas, such as mathematics and early writing, there are gaps in their knowledge. This means that some pupils do not have the knowledge they need to be successful in the next stage of their education. In the early years, children do secure the important knowledge they need to be ready for the move into Year 1. These children have a positive start to school life. Staff plan exciting activities and experiences for them, such as a dress-up 'pirate day'. This makes learning meaningful and immersive.

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

Pupils with barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing access effective support so that they feel included and can access learning. However, sometimes, staff do not match their work well enough to their needs, so these pupils do not make the progress that they are capable of. Leaders make sure pupils, regardless of any barriers, access the wider school offer. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate fully in clubs and trips. Staff know them well. As a result, vulnerable pupils feel included and that they belong.

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

Behaviour across the school is typically calm and orderly. If there is an issue, pupils trust that the adults will help them to resolve it. They say that bullying is rare. They enjoy playing together and form positive, healthy friendships. If they are finding it hard to attend regularly, leaders support them so that pupils attend well.

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Next steps

Leaders, including trustees, should ensure that teaching is consistently effective so that pupils secure key foundational knowledge in writing and mathematics, and achieve as well as they should. Leaders, including trustees, should ensure that staff adapt tasks appropriately so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their starting points.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 8 July 2026

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Total pupils

Leaders and trustees should continue to strengthen relationships with parents and carers so that confidence in the school grows.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer, Lee Miller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Stevenson.

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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 the headteacher, hub special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, trustees and other leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

This is the school's first inspection. At the time of the inspection, the school had pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. It will continue to grow by one cohort every year. When it reaches its capacity, the school will be one-form entry, with pupils from the early years up to Year 6.

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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 6 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 needs support 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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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 (3 term) 5.1% 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 (3 term) 13.3% 13.0% 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

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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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