Birchfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The school has improved since its previous inspection. It is led and managed by an effective and highly focused headteacher and senior leadership team which is well supported by staff and governors. Governors know the school well.

In close partnership with senior leaders they have helped to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards, especially in Key Stage 2. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are courteous, conscientious, behave well in lessons and say that they feel safe and enjoy learning.

Teaching is continually improving. Teachers are well trained, make learning fun and work well with teaching assistants to raise... standards for pupils. Overall standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have continually improved over the last five years and were significantly above average in 2014.

Attainment in reading was significantly above average and high in writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling. The proportion of pupils attaining the highest possible Level 6 in mathematic was well above average. The majority of pupils make at least good progress throughout the school.

This includes disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils. The teaching of phonics (linking letters and sounds) is good, and has been so for the last two years. Parents' views of the school are highly positive.

They are well informed, happy that their children are safe and well looked after and appreciative of the opportunities they have to be involved in school activities. All aspects of the early years, including leadership, teaching, provision, achievement and work with parents, are good and improving. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils' attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has been below average for two years.

Classroom activities are not always well matched to pupils' varying abilities, particularly in mathematics in Key Stage 1. Marking is not of a consistently good quality. Teachers do not always identify how pupils can improve their learning, or check to see if their advice is acted on.

Newly appointed middle leaders have yet to be fully involved in improving the quality of teaching.

Information about this school

This school is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well below average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is well below the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.) The majority of pupils are White British; very few speak English as an additional language.

Nursery provision is part time and Reception provision is full time. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. Since the previous inspection, the senior leadership team has been reorganised.

Pre-school and after school services operate from the site; these are managed by the governing body. Since the previous inspection the school has employed a number of staff, including two newly qualified teachers. The governing body school leadership teams have been reorganised.