Bournville School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 March 2024

Pupils value the positive environment of this all-through school. They say that teachers know them well and that this helps to make them feel safe. The school has high expectations of pupils and they receive help to learn how to live up to these. Across the school, pupils generally behave well in lessons and during social times. However, some pupils do not display a positive attitude to their learning. Children in early years learn well and grow to understand the world around them. Pupils in the primary phase play well together. They know the established routines and get on well with their peers. Pupils enjoy coming to school, although a significant number of pupils are often late. Pupils' attendance is improving. Older pupils appreciate how their experience of school has improved recently. However, some pupils are not doing as well as they should do due to the gaps in their knowledge. The school makes sure that pupils benefit from a range of trips and visits to support their learning. For primary pupils these are often related to the books they are reading. They also visit different places of worship. Pupils take part in a range of clubs that are available to them. Older pupils have access to high-quality support for their future career, including information about apprenticeships and learning from different local and national employers.

What the school should improve

• Teaching strategies do not always ensure that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills required to learn more. This uneven delivery hampers pupils' progress, and early knowledge is missing for some groups of pupils, especially in mathematics. The school should ensure that the pupils have the knowledge they need through a consistently delivered curriculum so that they can make strong progress and achieve well.
• Some pupils with SEND are not receiving effective support to enable them to progress through the curriculum. As a result, some pupils with SEND, particularly those who do not have an EHC plan, are not able to engage fully with the ambitious curriculum. The school needs to ensure that teachers appropriately adapt the curriculum in all subjects and that it monitors the progress of all pupils with SEND through the whole curriculum.
• Some pupils' attitudes to learning are negative and at times go unchallenged by staff. As a result, they do not work to the best of their ability within some lessons. The school needs to ensure that pupils engage with their learning well, regardless of the subjects they are studying.
• A significant proportion of pupils do not come to school on time each day. This poor punctuality results in missed opportunities to learn and experience the strong offer during assemblies and form time. The school should ensure that it is doing all it can to secure the punctual arrival of these pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)