Perton Middle School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 February 2023

This is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. Pupils, parents and carers and staff are 'Proud to be Perton'. Leaders know their pupils well. Carefully crafted moments in the day, such as 'moral compass', help teachers to nurture strong, positive relationships with pupils. Pupils know whom to turn to if they have a concern. They are confident that any incidents of bullying will be dealt with. Pupils feel safe here. Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have developed a broad curriculum that spans beyond the academic. For example, many pupils take part in the 'young voices' programme or in the school's theatrical productions. Pupils engage with important concepts such as climate change through the 'solutions for the planet' programme, through which pupils have celebrated much success. Leaders have made sure that all pupils can benefit from these valuable experiences. Pupils behave very well. They model leaders' high expectations in all that they do. Teachers are quick to challenge pupils if they fail to meet these standards. Pupils value their learning. They are resilient to setbacks; they understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Teachers and leaders nurture this important character trait well.

What the school should improve

• While there is a culture of safeguarding, leaders have not made sure that records of concerns contain the appropriate level of detail. This means that there is a risk that pupils may not receive the help they need at the right time. Leaders should ensure that safeguarding records are sufficiently detailed to outline the detail of the concern, the discussions had and the decisions made.
• Some teachers do not adapt their teaching to take account of the needs of pupils with SEND well enough. This is because leaders have not made sure that all staff have the information they need in order to do so. This limits the progress that pupils with SEND make through the curriculum. Leaders must ensure that teachers are provided with the information they need to enable them to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs and enable them to achieve well.
• Leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of some aspects of the school's work. This means that leaders have not taken effective action to address the most important areas needing improvement. Governors should ensure that they closely monitor the effectiveness and impact of the work of leaders.

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