Wallbrook Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is always a warm welcome at Wallbrook.

Pupils are proud to attend this school; there is a real sense of acceptance for all. They come to school smart, feeling safe and ready to learn. Pupils contribute actively to the calm, purposeful and happy atmosphere in the school by treating each other respectfully and by taking on roles, such as becoming 'diversity, equality and inclusion' leaders.

The school's values of 'excite, explore and excel' thread throughout what happens here. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how well they behave. They are passionate about all pupils succeeding.

They organise a rich variety of experiences for pu...pils to open their eyes to possibilities. These include visiting the opera, welcoming artists and authors into school and working with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

There is a strong sense of community here.

Parents and carers appreciate the support that the school gives their children. They have noticed significant improvements in recent years. The school has been through several challenges over the past three years but has overcome these.

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

Leaders in school and from across the trust have put in place an ambitious and meaningful thematic curriculum which pupils thoroughly enjoy following. For all subjects, they have thought carefully about the order in which knowledge is taught. This is helping pupils to remember more and to deepen their understanding over time.

In mathematics, teachers present information clearly to pupils to help them understand concepts. Pupils revisit their previous learning regularly, enabling them to master skills. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, become confident mathematicians; they are able to explain and explore their thinking.

When pupils need more help, teachers adapt the delivery of the curriculum effectively.

Teachers ensure that English lessons are engaging and build towards pupils producing meaningful pieces of work. Pupils try hard to develop their written skills and outcomes are improving.

However, pupils' handwriting is inconsistent and often untidy. This prevents pupils from recording their ideas as fluently and accurately as they could.

In daily phonics lessons, children in the early years quickly learn the sounds that letters make and how to blend these together into words.

Adults are skilled at noticing when pupils fall behind; they provide extra support to help them catch up quickly. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy reading and do so often. There is a large selection of high-quality books that pupils choose from.

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. The curriculum is broad and highly ambitious. It is carefully designed to suit the children.

Teachers select activities that are engaging and precisely match what children need. Children display positive behaviours because of how well adults guide and support them to do so. Despite how early it is in their school career, they are happy, independent and confident.

On the whole, pupils behave very well. Classrooms are calm places. Pupils play together nicely at playtimes.

The school's work to improve behaviour has been successful. Pupils' attendance has improved significantly over the past year, although remains low. The school has positive relationships with parents as a result of successful engagement in recent years.

The school provides many opportunities to develop pupils' wider development. Pupils take on roles such as becoming school councillors or junior librarians. Their understanding of equality is particularly well developed because of how well it threads through the school's curriculum.

Pupils also take advantage of the many trips, visitors and after-school clubs that the school offers.

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, know the school extremely well. They share a vision to make it as good as it can be.

There is a forensic approach to establishing what is working well and a tireless, successful drive for improvement. They put in place plans to ensure that they are focused on what is most important. Support from across the trust has been highly effective in recent years.

Staff receive constructive and timely support and training. They appreciate this, feel valued and thoroughly enjoy working at Wallbrook Primary Academy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not adopted an effective approach to the teaching of handwriting. This means that pupils' written work is less tidy than it should be and lacks fluency and accuracy. The school should put in place an approach that all teachers apply consistently well so that pupils form letters correctly and confidently, enabling them to record their ideas fluently and accurately.

• Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. As a result, they are missing out on the exciting curriculum this school offers. The school needs to find effective ways to further engage with parents and carers to improve pupils' attendance so that they do not miss out on learning opportunities.