Broadmeadow Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Broadmeadow Infant School.

They say that they like their teachers and that everyone is friendly. They feel safe in school. However, pupils do not get a fair deal at this school.

Leaders do not have high enough expectations of pupils. They do not check that pupils are getting a good enough education.

Pupils do not benefit from experiences to enrich their learning or find out what it is like to live in modern Britain.

They do not have the chance to take part in school trips or learn about other cultures. Pupils lack opportunities to share their opinions or take on any responsibilities in school. They do not have the option to joi...n any clubs at school or develop sporting talents.

Most pupils behave well in school. However, there is not an agreed approach to tackling unwanted behaviour in lessons. A small number of pupils talk over each other and their teachers.

This means that other pupils' learning is disrupted. Pupils know what bullying is. If it happens, pupils speak to trusted adults, who ensure it stops.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not always get the additional help they need. Some parents and carers are concerned about this.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders, including governors, have failed to identify or address weaknesses that have developed.

In some subjects, such as reading and mathematics, there are structured programmes in place. These help teachers to know what pupils should learn. In some other areas of the curriculum, subject leaders ensure that the curriculum in their subject is equally well structured.

For example, in art, a range of artists have been identified for pupils to learn about and there is an order to the skills and knowledge that pupils should learn. However, this is not consistently the case. In computing, for example, the curriculum scheme does not give sufficient detail about the key knowledge to be taught.

Where teachers recognise this, they seek their own additional resources.

Some teachers do not always teach what is intended. In addition, staff are sometimes unsure what learning they should be checking and when this should happen.

Because senior leaders do not enable subject leaders to check what is being taught, this is not always identified or addressed.

Leaders do not ensure that teachers know how best to plan and adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND, so some pupils are unable to access the learning alongside their classmates. Leaders lack urgency in assessing the specific additional needs of pupils with SEND and in ensuring that teachers know how to offer the best support.

Leaders have ensured that staff are trained to use the phonics programme. They have invested in new reading books. This means that pupils read books that help them to practise the sounds that they know.

Leaders ensure that there are checks on pupils' progress in phonics. However, they do not consistently check that the interventions put in place to support those who are falling behind are as effective as they could be. They do not monitor the impact of how they allocate specific funding for disadvantaged pupils.

As a result, potential barriers to learning are not identified. Some pupils who are behind in reading, particularly the most disadvantaged and pupils with SEND, do not catch up as quickly as they could.

In the early years, particularly in Nursery, some aspects of provision are strong.

Children play purposefully and are supported by knowledgeable adults. Early mathematics is taught well. However, leaders do not have a good understanding of how well children progress in the early years.

They do not monitor how well the curriculum is implemented or understand teachers' assessment documents. Also, despite the structured phonics programme, leaders lack ambition for children in Nursery. They delay when they begin teaching children the foundations of reading.

Leaders have not ensured that there is a programme to promote pupils' personal development. Pupils do not benefit from experiences that enrich their learning or teach them about life in Birmingham or beyond. They do not learn about faiths or other cultures.

Pupils do not benefit from whole-school assemblies. There are no opportunities in school for pupils to take on responsibilities or have a voice in school life. Leaders do not know how well the curriculum for personal, social and health education is delivered or what is taught.

As a result, pupils are not well prepared to live in a diverse society.

Pupils generally behave well in school. They follow instructions and play sociably with their friends, including during wet breaktimes and lunchtimes.

However, in some lessons, low-level disruption from some pupils distracts their classmates from learning. There are no agreed strategies to deal with these incidents.

Although attendance rates are not significantly low, leaders do not take appropriate action to improve pupils' attendance over time.

Parents have mixed views of the school. Staff have access to training to help them develop. However, some staff do not feel supported in their work by leaders or governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive safeguarding training. As a result, staff are aware of the signs that pupils might be at risk of harm.

Staff record their concerns using the agreed systems. However, some actions taken by leaders as a result of concerns are not recorded in full. This means that there are occasional gaps in important information.

Leaders ensure that all the required checks on adults who work in school are carried out and recorded appropriately.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders and governors do not have a clear understanding of the school's weaknesses, including in the early years. They do not take sufficient action to ensure that pupils get a good quality of education and that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND receive the support they should.

They do not ensure that safeguarding records are as thorough as they should be. Leaders should take immediate action to identify and address weaknesses, including carefully evaluating the use and impact of funding received for different groups of pupils, to achieve the best outcomes for all. ? Leaders have not ensured that there is provision in place to promote pupils' personal development effectively.

As a result, pupils do not learn about the diversity of life in modern Britain or benefit from wider experiences to develop additional skills and interests. Leaders should ensure that an appropriately wide-ranging programme is put in place to enrich pupils' development and prepare them for life in modern Britain. ? Leaders have not ensured that subject leaders have sufficient time to check that subjects are taught as intended.

As a result, the curriculum is not always delivered in the way that subject leaders intend and subject leaders cannot support colleagues to improve. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders support their colleagues to deliver the intended curriculum effectively. ? Leaders do not ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to plan and adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.

As a result, pupils cannot access some of the intended learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers know how to support pupils with SEND and check that they do so effectively. ? In phonics, leaders do not ensure that they check the impact of support for pupils who need to catch up or keep up with reading.

As a result, not all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND, learn to read as effectively as they could. Leaders should ensure that they check the impact of support for all pupils who have fallen behind so that all pupils learn to read effectively. ? Leaders and those responsible for governance may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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