The Birches School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are met each day by staff who know them well and support them into school. Staff forge positive and trusting relationships with pupils.

This helps pupils to feel safe. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils' confidence, resilience and independence grow as they move through the school.

They achieve well from their individual starting points.

Pupils play happily together in the playground, and they eat sensibly together in the dining hall. They are respectful to each other and towards adults.

Pupils behave well during lessons and when moving around the school. Staff are well trained to respond calmly to some pupils w...ho may be in crisis. Staff use the school's behaviour systems effectively in order to address any incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

Pupils' behaviour improves over time.

Pupils enjoy taking part in sports, such as swimming in the on-site pool and football. They recently participated in a table-top cricket competition.

Pupils spoke positively about their visits to an art gallery and a zoo. They enjoy learning outside in the woodland area on the school site. Pupils value opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being school councillors.

They learn to help others. For example, pupils raise money for charities through the 'Birches Bake Off' event.

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

The school is ambitious for its pupils.

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school identifies the additional needs of pupils quickly. The school's curriculum pathways ensure that pupils receive effective support to meet their needs.

Pupils progress well through the curriculum.

The school places pupils' communication at the heart of the curriculum. Staff work together and with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to promote pupils' communication skills effectively.

For example, staff use verbal reinforcements, sign language and symbols well to help pupils access their learning.

The school is in the process of improving some aspects of the curriculum. In most subjects, it has clearly determined the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught, from the beginning of the early years to Year 6.

This helps pupils to build securely on their earlier learning. However, in a small number of subjects, the school is still identifying what pupils should know and the order in which new learning should be taught. In these subjects, pupils do not learn some of the building blocks that are essential for their future learning.

Teachers typically use a range of assessment strategies well to check what pupils know and to address any errors and misconceptions that they may have. In the main, the curriculum is delivered well.

The school places a strong focus on developing pupils' reading.

Children in the Reception class experience different sounds through listening to rhymes and singing songs. Pupils read from books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Many staff who deliver the phonics programme have been well trained.

Most deliver phonics sessions and individual reading support effectively. However, occasionally, some staff do not deliver aspects of the phonics programme well enough. This hinders how quickly some pupils learn to read.

The school has devised clear rules and routines. For instance, children in the Reception class learn to take turns and share classroom resources kindly. A small number of pupils struggle to regulate their own behaviour.

They have supportive opportunities to use sensory areas and outdoor spaces that help them to improve their behaviour.

Many pupils attend school well. There are a few pupils who do not attend school regularly enough.

However, the school provides effective support for these pupils and their families so that, over time, most pupils attend more regularly.

Pupils receive age-appropriate advice about relationships. They find out about democracy through election events.

The school is taking effective steps to broaden the experiences that pupils receive, such as by providing more visits to places of interest. Pupils learn about different religions. While pupils celebrate and are respectful of people's differences, some do not have a sufficient understanding of religions, faiths and cultures beyond their own experiences.

As a result, some pupils are not sufficiently prepared for life in multicultural Britain.

Governors bring suitable experiences and skills to their roles. They offer informed challenge and support to the school.

Governors understand what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve. Staff appreciate the school's efforts in reducing their workload when implementing any changes.

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 few subjects, the school is refining what pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught. This hinders some pupils from learning as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies the knowledge that pupils should learn clearly.

• A small number of staff do not implement the phonics programme consistently well. This hinders how quickly some pupils learn to read. The school should ensure that staff receive the necessary training to implement the phonics curriculum effectively.

Some pupils do not have a sufficient understanding of different religions, faiths and cultures. As a result, these pupils are not as prepared as they could be for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to develop their knowledge about different faiths and beliefs so that they are better prepared for their future lives.