Dunstall Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The trust, governors and leaders have created a very positive school environment where, because of high expectations and clear accountability, all pupils are able to thrive.

Keeping pupils safe is the school's number one priority. There are effective systems in place to support pupils and their families. Pupils know that they can trust adults to keep them safe.

Most individuals and groups of pupils make increasingly strong progress from their starting points and outcomes are improving. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In 2018 at the end of key stage 2, pupils' progress in reading, writing and... mathematics was significantly above the national average.

The proportion of pupils achieving the standards expected for their age were above those seen nationally. Rigorous assessment and monitoring systems ensure that pupils at risk of falling behind their peers access effective and timely support. Lessons are generally well planned and teachers have increasingly high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

However, approaches to teaching are not consistent across all classes and, sometimes, work is not well matched to pupils' needs. This can slow the progress that pupils make. Almost without exception, pupils are polite and respectful to adults and each other.

Pupils are proud of their school and show excellent attitudes to learning. The curriculum has, rightly, focused on developing pupils' English and mathematics skills. Other areas of the curriculum are not as well developed.

Pupils' books are generally well presented but handwriting is inconsistent and not well modelled by adults. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other pupils nationally by the end of key stage 2. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and extra-curricular opportunities; participation in sporting activities is particularly high.

Children in the early years enjoy a safe and welcoming environment but they do not make as much progress as they could. This is because sometimes activities do not meet their needs and adults do not act quickly enough to remedy this. There are too few opportunities for children in the early years to practise their basic literacy skills.

Information about this school

Dunstall Hill Primary School opened as an academy in May 2016 when it joined Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust. The school is governed by the board of trustees supported by a local governing body. The school is led and managed by a senior team including the headteacher, head of school and an assistant headteacher.

The school is growing in size. There are two classes in each year group except for Years 5 and 6, where there is currently one class per year group. Nursery children attend on a part-time basis from the age of three years.

Children in Reception attend full-time. Pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Most pupils speak English as an additional language.

Some pupils are at an early stage in learning English. The proportion of pupils with SEND is a little above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is higher than that found nationally.

Pupil mobility is higher than the national average and several pupils join or leave the school during the academic year. The school offers a breakfast club. The local governing body manages this provision.