Springwood Heath Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Springwood Heath is a very distinctive school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thrive. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) receive well-tailored support from staff who know them exceptionally well.

Pupils are proud of the diverse nature of their school. They make sure that everyone is welcome. Pupils' positive attitudes help make the school a happy place to learn and play.

Children in the early years learn quickly how they are expected to behave. They listen, take turns and follow well-established routines. Older pupils build on this positive start.

...>They typically behave well. Pupils who find it more challenging to manage their own behaviour are supported gently and sensitively.

The school wants pupils to succeed academically.

Recent improvements to the curriculum mean that many achieve well across a range of different subjects. More and more, pupils achieve the school's vision of 'success through caring and learning'.

Pupils readily take on roles of responsibility, for example, by acting as school councillors or digital leaders.

In doing so, pupils develop a keen sense of responsibility. A wide range of clubs allows pupils to discover and nurture their interests and talents.

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

The school has been on a rapid journey of improvement.

It has acted decisively to address the shortcomings identified at the time of the previous inspection. This includes significantly improving the way that the curriculum is designed. The result is a well-organised curriculum that meets the different needs of pupils successfully, including pupils in the specially resourced provision.

The new leadership has quickly won the confidence of staff, pupils and governors. Morale is high. The school has considered the impact of change on staff's workload and well-being with genuine care.

Staff have received training to help them to deliver the new curriculum. They have access to high-quality curriculum resources. This means that, despite brisk change, staff have adopted new curriculums expertly and enthusiastically.

Pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision, achieve well. They benefit from the expertise of staff in identifying and meeting their varying and often complex needs. The school communicates well with a wide range of professionals to secure prompt and expert help for these pupils should they need it.

The quality of education that current pupils enjoy is not reflected in the most recently published data. In 2023, too many pupils left Year 2 and Year 6 poorly prepared for their next stage in education. These pupils had gaps in their knowledge owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, weaknesses in the previous curriculum and high absence rates.

The school has strengthened its approach to improving pupils' attendance. It works in close partnership with parents and carers to reduce absence levels. As a result, more pupils now attend school regularly and benefit from the school's ambitious curriculum.

Teachers in the early years skilfully design activities to help children to strengthen their learning. For example, children practise letter recognition while playing in the 'tuff tray.' Changes to the school's curriculum mean that, at times, some staff are unsure what knowledge they should emphasise and rehearse until it is secure in pupils' memories.

Consequently, while pupils spoke with assurance about their new learning in most subjects, some were less secure in remembering their key learning, including important vocabulary, over time.

In contrast to the rest of the curriculum, the school's phonics programme is well established. Children in the Reception class are building their phonics knowledge well.

However, some older pupils have large gaps in their reading knowledge. These pupils benefit from regular support. In a few instances, staff lack sufficient expertise to deliver this extra support consistently well.

This means that some pupils continue to struggle to read with fluency or confidence.

Pupils play together happily at social times. They benefit from kind and caring relationships with staff and with each other.

Pupils' positive attitudes mean that they can typically learn without disruption.

The school places a strong focus on pupils' wider development. Pupils learn how to be healthy in mind and body, and how to stay safe online.

They show considerable compassion when discussing sensitive issues, including the differences that exist among people. Pupils are well prepared to grow up in a modern and diverse Britain.

The governing body has improved its oversight of the school's work.

It has developed an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. For example, governors now ask leaders plenty of probing questions to hold them to account for their work to improve the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff lack the expertise to support pupils with gaps in their reading knowledge. This means that some of these pupils struggle to become fluent readers. The school should make sure that staff get the support that they need to deliver the reading curriculum equally well so that they remedy the gaps in these pupils' reading knowledge swiftly.

At times, teachers do not focus on helping pupils to retain the most important knowledge that they have learned, including subject-specific vocabulary. As a result, some pupils are less confident in recalling learning over time. The school should ensure that teachers design learning that focuses on the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to build a secure understanding across the curriculum.

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