Cotteridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cotteridge Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy life at Cotteridge Primary School.

They are keen to talk about their learning and the different activities they participate in. They are proud to represent the school. This includes at different sports tournaments and as ambassadors at the local park where forest school lessons are held.

Pupils' views of school are positive. Year 6 pupils said they would be sad to leave in July and would most probably cry on their last day. This represents the affection pupils have for all staff and for their friends.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They learn impo...rtant messages right from early years through to Year 6. Leaders make sure that pupils, and parents, have someone to talk to if they need to.

In addition to staff, the pastoral manager, learning mentor and school therapist provide strong guidance and support.

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The carefully adapted curriculum, and quality support provided, ensures that all pupils achieve well, especially in reading and mathematics.

Pupils are respectful and polite. From the outset, children demonstrate impressive levels of behaviour. Nursery children listen carefully, follow instructions and happily share equipment with others.

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

Leaders have created a balanced and interesting curriculum. They have thought carefully about how pupils build their knowledge over time in most subjects, especially English and mathematics. However, leaders have not identified the crucial knowledge or key vocabulary that pupils need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education in some subjects.

This includes in the early years curriculum. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They provide suitable support and use appropriate resources to help pupils with specific difficulties.

Staff model tasks well to ensure pupils know precisely what to do. They check pupils' understanding in lessons and intervene early if they detect that a pupil is not achieving as well as they should. This is in line with leaders' desire for all pupils to 'keep up rather than catch up'.

Expectations of pupils with SEND are high. Pupils access the same curriculum as their classmates. Teachers modify tasks to ensure pupils succeed.

High-quality training, skilled observation and effective assessment enable staff to identify pupils with SEND early. Once identified, leaders act swiftly to provide any additional resources, tuition or support needed. They work closely with other agencies to access specialist input for individual pupils.

Older pupils with education, health and care plans work in smaller groups so that their needs are fully met.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the importance of reading. Regular story time encourages a love of books.

High-quality texts underpin daily reading lessons. Pupils are proud when they receive rewards for having read a million words. Phonics is taught well from the start.

Books match the letters and sounds that pupils learn. Pupils take these books home to read to their parents. This helps develop their reading fluency and confidence.

Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress, and some have the opportunity to read to volunteers from a charity every week. Staff regularly check how well pupils learn new sounds. They promptly provide extra support for any pupils who fall behind.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. Low-level disruption is rare. Even the youngest children in the school show high levels of concentration and positive attitudes to learning.

There is a consistent and fair approach to the management of behaviour. Survey responses confirm that behaviour is good across the school. Pupils strive to earn 300 house points to get a gold coin for the behaviour rewards vending machine.

The personal development of pupils is a strength. Pupils are mature and thoughtful. They treat others equally and with respect.

They have a strong understanding of discrimination and diversity. As one pupil said, 'It's ok to be different because we should be accepted for who we are.' Staff encourage pupils to be independent.

Many take on roles such as librarians, head pupil or school councillor. Pupils enjoy the many visits, visitors and clubs staff organise. This helps pupils develop their talents and interests beyond the classroom, such as speaking German or playing a musical instrument.

Leaders have worked hard to improve attendance. They have had a good degree of success. However, there are still some pupils who miss school regularly.

This affects their achievement and personal development.

Staff have positive views of the school and are a united team. They appreciate leaders' approachability and consideration of their well-being and workload.'

Freedom Fridays' and non-contact days contribute to staff feeling valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding.

They ensure that staff are fully trained to recognise and report all concerns – no matter how small. Leaders take swift action to deal with reports received. They seek advice and ensure both pupils and parents get the help needed.

All records are stored securely. Leaders carry out robust checks when appointing staff. They make sure that all staff and visitors in school are safe to work with children.

Leaders thread keeping safe into every aspect of school life and of the curriculum. Pupils have a good understanding of road, fire and online safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not identified the key knowledge and precise subject vocabulary that they want pupils to know, use and remember in some subjects.

This means that there are gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders should ensure that all subjects cover the crucial knowledge and relevant vocabulary that pupils need in each year group to build successfully on their prior learning. ? Leaders have worked hard to improve attendance, but some pupils continue to be persistently absent.

This means that these pupils fall behind their peers and do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders should continue to work with parents who do not yet recognise the importance of daily schooling to improve the attendance of their child.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2014.