The Olive School, Small Heath

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a wonderfully friendly welcome for all at this school. Staff, pupils and their parents and carers feel a strong sense of belonging. They praise the school for how much like a family it is and for how well it helps pupils to learn and develop.

Pupils display exemplary behaviours, exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and kind actions. They embody the school's STAR values of service, teamwork, ambition and respect. Pupils enjoy warm relationships with staff, who they trust to help and support them at all times.

Pupils simply love coming to school, playing with their friends and being successful learners. They become confident, articulate and resilient le...arners.

The school has extremely high expectations for what pupils can achieve.

This is true for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a culture that aims for excellence across the curriculum, and pupils share this impressive ambition. They try their best, work diligently, take pride in their work and listen well to guidance.

This results in pupils reaching high standards and being very well prepared for learning at secondary school.

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

The trust and school have worked together to create a highly ambitious curriculum. They have decided what should be taught in all subjects and the precise order in which to do so.

This means that pupils make connections and build on prior learning extremely well. As a result, they understand and remember more of what they are taught.

The school has ensured that staff receive effective and timely training on how the curriculum should be taught.

Teachers and support staff become skilled in how they present information and guide pupils. They ensure pupils understand the vocabulary they need in each subject. This helps pupils to understand lessons and talk about their learning in ways that deepen their understanding further.

There is an impressive consistency in how lessons are organised. Teachers revisit previous learning at the start of each lesson, which helps pupils to understand new learning better. Teachers keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing.

In mathematics, for example, they check understanding throughout the lesson. This allows teachers to correct pupils' misconceptions as they arise, which in turn helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills 'in the moment' and to become competent, confident mathematicians.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start.

The environment and the curriculum are highly engaging, and children quickly become confident learners and explorers. They are calm and happy. Children show high levels of independence and concentration.

Staff are skilled at identifying children with SEND or children at risk of falling behind. For these children, the school responds quickly to put in place the extra help and support they need. There is an inclusive culture in the early years and throughout the school.

All pupils have full access to the valuable curriculum that the school provides.

Staff are adept in helping children to learn to read with accuracy and fluency. Children experience success in their daily phonics lessons.

As they move through school, pupils develop a passion and love for reading and literature. This is because the school provides multiple, meaningful opportunities to enjoy reading. Pupils told inspectors about how the 'STAR Readers' inspire them to read more often and more widely.

Pupils benefit from a wealth of experiences to support their wider development. These include a vast range of visits, visitors and after-school clubs. The school has a variety of carefully chosen leadership roles that pupils can undertake.

They can become anti-bullying ambassadors and junior police community support officers, or work at the school's community foodbank. The school motto, 'nurturing today's young people, inspiring tomorrow's leaders', shines through.

As a result of the highly effective personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils know how to keep themselves healthy, both physically and mentally.

They recognise the risks when playing or working online and what constitutes a healthy relationship. A particular strength is how well pupils understand equality. Pupils at The Olive School are very well prepared for their lives in a modern, diverse Britain.

The vision and values of the school underpin everything that happens here. The trust has been effective in supporting the school to improve. Together, the trust and the school have developed a collaborative culture in which staff feel valued and to which they are proud to belong.

The school and trust have been successful in engaging with staff, parents and the community. There is a shared ambition that pupils will all receive the education they need to thrive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.