Ladywood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ladywood Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's values of 'confidence, resilience, enthusiasm, respect, curiosity and articulate' help pupils at Ladywood Primary School to grow. Pupils are polite and friendly, and they engage well in conversation.

They welcome visitors to their school. Leaders and staff provide a happy and caring environment for learning.

The school has high expectations for all pupils.

Pupils understand the importance of aspiration through the school motto, 'If we dream it, we can do it!' One pupil said, 'If you work hard, your dreams will be accomplished.' Pupils learn in a supportive an...d nurturing environment. Pupils are encouraged to express their feelings.

Adults help pupils with any worries or concerns they have.

Pupils have a thorough understanding of people's differences, other faiths and fundamental British values. They are aware that everyone should be treated equally and fairly.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and when they are out and about in their local community.

The school provides a range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to develop their interests and talents. The clubs on offer include art, rugby and reading.

These activities are accessible to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils well, including those with SEND. Leaders have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6.

Leaders have carefully ordered the content for individual subjects. Pupils use their existing knowledge well when they are learning something new.

Leaders check what pupils know and remember in phonics and mathematics.

They use this information well to plan pupils' next steps. However, the checks that the school makes on pupils' learning in some other subjects are not as effective. The school does not know how well pupils are achieving in these subjects.

Leaders are currently developing more efficient ways of checking what pupils have learned.

The school's programme for phonics is effective. As pupils learn more sounds, they read with increasing confidence.

Pupils have daily phonics lessons and read books that closely match their stage of reading. Teachers regularly identify the next steps that are needed to ensure that their pupils develop the reading skills they need. Pupils who need extra support have additional daily sessions to practise their phonics skills.

However, some older pupils who no longer access the phonic programme have gaps in their existing reading knowledge. These pupils do not receive the support they need to catch up quickly. This small group of older pupils do not become confident readers as quickly as they should.

Pupils with SEND receive effective support. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils who need extra help. Staff regularly check that the provision made for these pupils meets their needs and links well to targets in their individual support plans.

Parents and carers are kept well informed and appreciate the support that they receive.

Children in the early years settle well. There is a well-organised and stimulating learning environment.

Children follow the routines consistently. Staff interact regularly with children to develop their language, communication and early mathematical skills. Children learn sensibly both when working independently and with an adult.

They remain focused and show sustained concentration. Children talk to adults confidently about their learning. Adults use these opportunities to develop children's speech and vocabulary.

Children are well cared for, and relationships between staff and children are warm.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils know that the rewards they receive help them to behave well.

This can be seen in the positive behaviour around school. In lessons, pupils listen attentively and work cooperatively with one another. At social times, pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer to them in the playground.

Pupils enjoy reading the books in the dedicated reading areas outside. Recently appointed games leaders are proud of their role. They help younger pupils to play together harmoniously.

There is a wealth of activities to support pupils' wider development. The personal development programme develops pupils' knowledge of the world around them and beyond their local area. Educational visits are deliberately planned to ensure that pupils have experiences they have not had before.

For example, pupils visit the seaside and eat in a restaurant during the carefully planned residential.

The school supports subject leaders and teachers effectively to develop their subject knowledge. Subject leaders provide staff with helpful training.

Leaders and governors ensure that new initiatives are manageable. They give subject leaders time to review and develop their subject. Staff feel well supported by leaders.

Leaders care about staff's well-being and help them to manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Systems to check what pupils know and remember are not embedded in all subjects.

This means that the school does not have a comprehensive understanding of how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum in the wider curriculum subjects. The school should ensure that staff use effective systems to check what pupils know, remember and can do in each subject of the curriculum. ? The school does not check how well pupils in key stage 2 are developing their reading knowledge precisely enough.

This impacts negatively on some pupils' ability to read with confidence and fluency. The school should implement agreed strategies to address gaps in pupils' reading knowledge and help them to become accurate and fluent readers.

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 May 2013.