Perton Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Perton Primary Academy is, as parents and carers say, a warm and welcoming school.

Pupils and staff are proud of the Perton values that underpin school life in its entirety.

Pupils are kind, courteous and considerate to each other and staff. They rightly say that there are very few occasions when behaviour does not meet expectations.

Staff sort any disagreements between pupils quickly.

The school sets high expectations for pupils' learning, as well as behaviour. Pupils achieve well and are equipped for what comes next in their education.

Pupils concentrate in lessons and enjoy their studies. They talk about what they know with enthusiasm..../>
Pupils show a deep understanding of being 'happy, healthy and safe'.

They are developing into open-minded and nurturing individuals. They value the importance of being physically, but especially mentally healthy. They appreciate the many, varied opportunities that come their way.

These include an extensive range of clubs, 'no pen days' when various visitors stretch and challenge their thinking, plus visits to places of interests.

One pupil, expressing the views of many, said, 'We are one big family. Not a birth family, but a family all the same.

We care for each other.' Parents and staff echo this sentiment.

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

One vision, one team and one family are immediately apparent within the school.

Everyone is working effectively together to enable 'successful futures for all.' Many staff and parents are fulsome in their praise of how the school looks after them and the pupils. Inspectors heard many examples of this during the inspection.

Each conversation shared the common strand of attention to detail and leaders taking the time to stop, listen and care.

The school has rightly refreshed its focus on the curriculum. This has proved successful.

The curriculum builds from pre-school to Year 4. The school has helped staff to know what to teach and when across the curriculum. This is more developed in some subjects including science, history and geography.

It is in development for others. Leaders are spot on in their knowledge of what is working well and what needs to happen next.

The school provides relevant and targeted staff training and coaching.

This has been especially effective in phonics and reading. However, on occasion in some other subjects, staff do not choose the most appropriate resources or activity to support the intended learning. When this mismatch is evident, pupils are not always able to recall their learning well enough.

Pupils behave well in lessons. When the organisation of learning through a unit is clear and activities link to the learning, pupils talk with enthusiasm and depth about what they know. They can explain the causes and consequences of invasions in history.

They describe complimentary and contrasting colours in art. However, sometimes teachers' organisation of the intended curriculum lacks cohesion and this muddles the learning slightly.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported.

This is evident from pre-school upwards. The school quickly notices any emerging needs. They are swift to act to put targeted and effective support in place.

They wrap a team around the pupil and the family. This allows everyone to work together in a way that provides the very best opportunities for pupils with SEND.

Children in the early years develop a joy in books and stories that stays with them throughout their time at Perton.

Right from the start, they learn to listen and appreciate sounds and stories. This builds through Nursery where they begin to know that letters make sounds. From Reception upwards, precise teaching of phonics is consistent and effective.

Staff note any gaps as they occur and nip these in the bud. Pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy. Older pupils embrace reading as a way to gain new knowledge and improve their own writing.

Children in the early years learn in a well-organised environment. Staff help children to grow and develop as independent, confident individuals. Children and staff enjoy a range of conversations.

Watching the care with which children wash their own plates and cups or carefully cut leaves to design an image is a pleasure. Children make their own choices in play which adults then tap into to skilfully move the learning forward.

The school provides many, varying opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the classroom.

Pupils can be found singing in a supermarket, reading to residents in nearby accommodation or foraging in the forest. Pupils and parents cherish these wider occasions and experiences that are part and parcel of school life.

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 has not ensured that some learning activities or resources used within lessons are sufficiently well linked to the intended curriculum. As a result, pupils are not always helped to build and deepen their learning well enough. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to select the most appropriate learning activities and resources and that these are used effectively to extend and challenge pupils' learning.

• The current sequences of learning in a few subjects do not always promote learning in the most effective way. Pupils are sometimes muddled or unclear because learning is not building precisely enough in the right order. The school should continue to review and further refine the current sequence of learning to ensure that the right things are taught in the most effective sequential manner.