Birchwood CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Birchwood CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a caring and nurturing environment, where pupils are happy and feel safe. Pupils play a key role in maintaining the school's harmonious and purposeful culture. They enjoy exceptionally warm and nurturing relationships with adults who know them well.

Pupils know that if they have any worries or concerns, staff are there to offer support and guidance. Pupils particularly enjoy opportunities to work alongside Kobi, the school dog.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabi...lities (SEND), try hard to live up to the school's high expectations of their behaviour and achievement.

They are keen to learn and take pride in their work. Pupils delight in sharing their accomplishments and celebrating those of their peers in the weekly celebration assemblies. Most pupils leave Year 6 ready for the next stage of their education.

Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular activities that hone their talents and interests. For example, pupils enjoy attending chess, coding and gardening clubs. Pupils are keen to contribute to the smooth running of the school.

Many pupils develop their interpersonal and leadership skills by taking on roles, such as school councillors and librarians. They show care for others who are less fortunate than themselves by raising money for a wide range of charitable causes.

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

The school has created a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils to study.

This has been designed to meet the needs of the Birchwood school community. The school has given careful consideration to the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn and when it will be taught. Pupils excitedly share their recent learning and feel enthused by the trips and visitors to school that enrich their experiences.

Most pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

The curriculum is delivered by skilled teachers. There is a strong programme of professional development in place, which ensures that staff are very well supported.

Staff carry out effective checks on pupils' learning. They provide targeted support for pupils when needed to ensure that they revisit and secure prior learning. This is particularly strong in reading and mathematics.

However, in a small number of subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result of weaknesses in the previous curriculum. On occasions, pupils experience learning that does not build on what they already know. This makes it harder for pupils to build a rich body of knowledge in these subjects.

The teaching of early reading is a real strength. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts. They particularly enjoy the books read to them by their teachers each day.

Pupils recommend books for others to read in the vibrant school library. The school regularly checks pupils' phonics knowledge to identify any gaps in learning. Pupils who fall behind with their phonics knowledge, including some pupils with SEND, are provided with support to catch up quickly.

As a result, most pupils meet the national phonics screening check. However, this is not replicated in terms of early writing. Some pupils are not supported well enough in relation to their handwriting, spelling and punctuation.

This then hinders their writing fluency and confidence as they move through the school.

The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers and other adults support pupils with SEND to fully access the curriculum.

They adapt resources to help pupils to secure their knowledge. This helps pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum alongside their peers.

Children are taught the importance of good behaviour from the moment they start in the Nursery or Reception classes.

They quickly settle and learn to follow routines, develop their independence and become a good friend. Pupils listen attentively to adults and enthusiastically engage in activities with their peers. They are keen to achieve their best.

This academic year, attendance has improved because of the support the school provides to families. The school carefully tracks absence and identifies those pupils who struggle to attend. Its initiatives are having a positive impact on improving pupils' rates of attendance.

Pupils experience many opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. They learn about healthy relationships and the importance of keeping themselves healthy. Pupils benefit from a rich and varied set of experiences that broaden their horizons, such as residentials, visiting speakers and trips.

Pupils also make a positive contribution to their local community. For example, they litter pick locally and at the park nearby. During their time at the school, pupils develop into responsible, mature and well-rounded citizens.

Governors are knowledgeable across their areas of responsibility and have a strong focus on the quality of education. They carefully monitor the developments within school and hold the school to account effectively. Staff are extremely positive about what the school has done to further support their workload and well-being.

They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result of weaknesses in the previous curriculum.

This makes it difficult for these pupils to make connections with prior learning when they learn new content. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to use assessment strategies with accuracy, ensuring that gaps in pupils' learning are identified and addressed quickly. ? The school's expectations for pupils' early writing are not high enough.

This means that some pupils have not mastered legible and accurate letter formation by the time that they leave Year 2. This hinders pupils' writing fluency and confidence as they go through the school. The school should ensure that there is an increased emphasis on pupils' writing skills from the start of their time in school.

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 good for its overall effectiveness.

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.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.