Perton First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Perton First School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that feels like a family. Pupils enjoy coming to school and learning new things. They greet visitors with a smile and display good manners.

Pupils feel safe because they can trust the staff to look after them. Leaders, staff and parents work well together to provide pupils with a range of positive experiences.

Leaders and staff have high expectations of every pupil.

Pupils do not disappoint. In lessons, pupils listen well, try their best, work cooperatively and focus on their work. There is a relaxed atmosphere around the school.

On the playground th...ere is lots to do. Pupils enjoy playing games and chatting with their friends. Staff take bullying seriously and deal with any issues when they arise.

Leaders, supported by governors and staff, are constantly improving the curriculum and other aspects of school life. However, leaders know that there is more to do to enhance the delivery of the curriculum in a few subjects.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

There is a shared view that the school is at the heart of the local community. Parents value the visibility and approachability of the headteacher. They also comment that staff constantly go above and beyond for their children.

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

Across the curriculum, leaders have considered the order of learning carefully. The curriculum finds its roots in the early years and prepares children well for Year 1 and beyond. In the Nursery and Reception classes, teachers make learning interesting.

Children learn lots of new things every day and activities build on what they already know. The youngest children get off to a great start.

The knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn is sequenced well within and across all year groups.

As a result, teachers know what to teach and when to teach it.Teachers value this guidance because it reassures them that what they are teaching is building on what pupils already know.

In most subjects, teachers possess secure subject knowledge.

They model subject-specific language accurately, which pupils use when explaining their own understanding. Teachers explain new learning clearly. They use questioning well to explore pupils' understanding.

In most instances, teachers check that pupils have understood new learning and adapt their teaching if required. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is quite new. In these subjects, teachers' knowledge and expertise are not fully secure and the curriculum is not delivered as effectively as it could be.

Reading underpins the entire curriculum across early years and the rest of the school. Staff teach phonics consistently well because they are well trained. There is a common structure to phonics lessons, with which pupils are familiar.

Pupils read with accuracy because reading books are matched to their phonics ability. Teachers quickly identify any pupils who are falling behind with their reading and give them help to keep up. The love of reading is promoted well through the English curriculum, daily story times and the use of the school library.

As a result, many pupils can name and talk about their favourite book.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in lessons and all aspects of school life. Leaders have established clear systems to identify any pupils who have SEND.

Leaders involve parents in this process. Teachers know pupils well and consider pupils' needs when planning learning activities. Additional help is at hand if a pupil needs extra support.

Pupils relish the wide range of after-school clubs and trips that are on offer, especially the Year 4 residential trip. Pupils understand the need for a balanced diet. They know which foods are healthy and which are not.

Pupils learn about the different types of families that exist in their local community. Pupils have a developing understanding of the different faiths and beliefs that exist in society. They say that everyone, regardless of their background, is welcome in their school.

Leaders know the school well. They have brought in lots of positive changes. However, leaders do not rest on their laurels and are continually looking for ways to improve the school even further.

The decisions that leaders make always have pupils at the centre of them.

Staff work well as a team and support each other. They appreciate the training that leaders organise for them, especially in relation to understanding how pupils learn.

Teachers' workload is manageable and leaders are considerate of staff's well-being. A comment from a member of staff sums up the feelings of their colleagues, 'The school is like a family and there is nowhere else I would rather work.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have made sure that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. The members of the safeguarding team are knowledgeable and carry out their roles efficiently. Leaders organise a wide range of training for all staff.

As a result, staff know how to spot concerns and they know what to do if they are worried about a pupil's welfare. Leaders work well with external agencies to secure additional support if required. Staff teach pupils how to stay safe.

This includes when working online. Pupils name a range of trusted adults who they would go to if they were worried about something.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is relatively new and in the early stages of being implemented.

In these subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as well as it could be, and pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should support teachers to develop their subject knowledge and expertise so that they can teach these areas of the curriculum more effectively.

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 March 2013.