Great Oldbury Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Great Oldbury Primary Academy is welcoming and friendly.

There is a positive and vibrant ethos that permeates through the school. The school's vision, 'dream, believe, achieve', clearly encapsulates its ambition to achieve the best outcomes for all pupils.

Pupils love learning.

As a result, attendance is high. Pupils want to be in school. They are keen to learn new things and talk enthusiastically about what they have learned.

There are high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils know and understand these well. They value the rewards they receive for their positive behaviour, for example the coveted headteacher award, 'the pink step'.

Th...e school is a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils are well behaved.

Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying in the school.

They are confident that adults will sort out any worries they might have.Pupils, including those in the nursery, benefit from a carefully planned curriculum to support their learning beyond the academic. They learn about equality and respect.

Pupils learn the importance of being kind to one another. They recognise that everyone is different and special. Staff are superb role models.

They help pupils to understand how to show consideration to one another within the school community and beyond.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils' high outcomes in phonics at the end of Year 1 reflect this.

Reading starts in Nursery where children begin to hear and identify sounds. All staff have the training they need to deliver the phonics curriculum well. Staff skilfully help pupils to learn the phonics code so that they become fluent readers.

Pupils who fall behind quickly receive the help they need to catch up. Most pupils read books that match the sounds that they know and have learned. This helps them to gain confidence.

Pupils develop a love of reading. They enjoy listening to stories in class. The newly developed school library ensures pupils experience a broad range of high-quality books, including stories from different cultures.

The school has designed a well-sequenced curriculum that defines the essential content it wants pupils to know and remember. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils to learn, such as effective questioning to probe pupils' understanding. This means pupils are ably supported with learning new concepts.

In core subjects, teachers check that pupils know and remember what they have learned. They identify where there are misconceptions or gaps in pupils' learning. Subsequent teaching takes account of this.

This helps pupils to develop a secure understanding of what they have learned so that they know more and remember more.

In a few foundation subjects, the school has recently updated the curriculum. These changes are in their early stages and are not yet fully embedded.

Assessment in the wider curriculum is being further developed. It is not yet used with precision to check what pupils know and remember in the long term. As a result, pupils' recall and understanding of prior learning in the wider curriculum are less secure.

This means they do not build on what they already know.

This is a highly inclusive school. Staff strive to ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the support they need.

Pupils with SEND are well cared for. Staff adapt learning appropriately to support individual pupils. This helps pupils to achieve well.

The school's high-quality pastoral provision means pupils receive the support they need to be happy, safe and ready to learn.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. The early years curriculum helps children to build their knowledge and confidence year on year.

It secures successful foundations to support children's future learning. Staff working in the early years are passionate and knowledgeable about how young children learn. Relationships are warm and staff know children well.

Children in the early years demonstrate high levels of concentration and perseverance. They are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Leaders prioritise the wider development of pupils.

Carefully chosen experiences help pupils to build their character and to understand their place in modern Britain. For example, pupils develop a strong understanding of the fundamental British values. They talk confidently about why we have laws and how democracy helps everyone to have their say.

The trust knows the school well. It provides robust support and challenge to the school.

Staff, including those in the early stages of their careers, are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive from the trust and school leaders for their workload and well-being.

They appreciate the strong focus on their professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment is being further developed in the wider curriculum.

Teaching in these areas does not check that pupils can remember and recall knowledge in the long term. This means pupils' knowledge is less secure in some subjects in the wider curriculum, as they do not build their understanding over time. The trust must ensure that assessment is used effectively, to check what pupils know, understand and can do, to inform future learning.

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