Birley Spa Primary Academy recognised for inclusive culture in latest Ofsted inspection

Birley Spa Primary Academy has been recognised for its inclusive culture, pupils’ enjoyment of learning in all subjects and ambitious vision for pupils in its latest Ofsted report.

The school was inspected in September under Ofsted’s new inspection framework, which now evaluates schools on multiple areas instead of issuing one-word judgements. Birley Spa Primary Academy was judged to be at a ‘Strong Standard’ for Inclusion and are delighted to be meeting the ‘Expected Standard’ in Achievement, Attendance and Behaviour, Curriculum and Teaching, Early Years, Leadership and Governance, and Personal Development and Wellbeing.

An ambitious vision for every child

Inspectors recognised that leaders ‘share an ambitious vision’ for pupils, with an education that helps them manage their wellbeing and develop communication and other important life skills alongside their academic learning. The report also highlights that staff use their ‘deep understanding of pupils’, alongside positive relationships with parents to identify early signs that a pupil may need support.

Other key highlights from the report include:

• Classrooms are ‘calm and orderly’, with pupils listening attentively to their teachers and to each other, while teachers have ‘detailed subject knowledge’ and explain new ideas clearly.
• Staff work closely with families to remove barriers to attendance, supported by a partnership with a breakfast club and pupil attendance ambassadors who celebrate positive attendance through friendly competitions between classes.
• Teachers make ‘thoughtful adaptations’ to lessons, using visual prompts and practical resources so that every pupil can access learning well. Pupils with SEND benefit from adjustments such as calm spaces and visual timetables.
• Pupils ‘relish the chance’ to take on leadership responsibilities, from designing healthy menus with the catering team to leading projects to keep each other safe , while Aspire Day introduces them to careers such as nursing, firefighting and catering.
• In the early years, children explore indoors and outdoors ‘with curiosity and growing independence’, making regular use of the engaging resources staff provide.
• Leaders use regular checks, staff feedback and ‘support from the trust’ to identify what works well and what needs to improve.

Our next steps

The report also identifies next steps for the school, including continuing to develop the expertise of middle leaders so that high-quality teaching is consistent across every subject, and prioritising pupils’ development of spoken language.