Sedgley Park Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sedgley Park Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this friendly school where everyone feels valued regardless of their differences. Pupils follow the school rules. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for children in the early years.

When they join the school, many pupils are at the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language. They are well supported to develop their vocabulary and spoken English. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy and achieve well.

Pupils are polite and well mannered. ...They are attentive in lessons, and they work hard. Their positive attitudes mean that there is very little disruption to learning.

Pupils trust adults to deal with any incidents of misbehaviour quickly. Pupils feel listened to and cared for by staff.

Pupils benefit from the wide range of enrichment experiences on offer.

From the early years onwards, they take pride in carrying out positions of responsibility such as fruit monitors, school councillors and play leaders. Pupils regularly contribute to the community by raising money for local charities. These opportunities add considerable value to pupils' learning and development.

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

The school has ensured that there is a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum on offer to all pupils, including those with SEND. Careful thought has been given as to when key knowledge and skills should be taught within the mixed-aged classes.

The school has supported teachers well so that they have the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Teachers design learning that helps pupils to develop a secure understanding of the knowledge that teachers want them to learn. Teachers' explanations are logical and clear. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to revisit their prior learning.

This means that some pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught previously. As a result, teachers miss gaps in pupils' knowledge. This prevents them from identifying accurately and building on what pupils know and remember.

The school promotes a love of reading. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. Pupils practise reading using books that closely match the sounds they have learned.

Pupils who need extra help to keep up with the school's phonics programme are quickly identified and get the support that they need to catch up. As a result, most pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately.

Staff skilfully adapt activities so that these pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND, and those who are disadvantaged, are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

Pupils, including children in the early years, behave very well.

They are cheerful and welcoming to visitors. The school does everything possible to maintain high attendance and to reduce absence.

The school offers an array of experiences to support pupils' personal development.

For example, pupils are keen to attend computing, cooking and football clubs. The school actively celebrates the diverse range of languages, backgrounds and religions that the pupils and their families bring. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of differences, and they embrace each other's cultures.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and how to stay physically healthy. However, some aspects of the school's programme in support of pupils' personal development are less effective than others. This includes pupils' understanding of the importance of keeping mentally healthy.

Additionally, some pupils have a limited understanding of the importance of fundamental British values. This means that some pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors know the school community well.

They are knowledgeable about the barriers that the school faces, and they give careful thought to possible ways to overcome these contextual challenges. Governors hold the school to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive to manage their workload and to protect their well-being.

In particular, staff appreciate the time given to design learning in teams so that the load is shared.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to revisit earlier learning.

As a result, some pupils cannot remember well enough what they have learned in the past and in previous years. The school should ensure that effective strategies are used to support pupils to remember more of what they have learned so they can better apply past knowledge to new learning. ? Some pupils have limited knowledge of some aspects of personal development, such as mental health and fundamental British values.

This leaves them less well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils fully understand all aspects of the school's programme for pupils' personal development.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2018.