Inside a primary school which has been on a journey of improvement and teaches pupils 'learning without limits'

It strives to achieve this by offering youngsters opportunities outside the four walls of a classroom - including at its onsite farm.

Here, children regularly visit to feed the chickens and ducks or cuddle one of the rabbits or guinea pigs, while green-thumbed pupils can make use of the school's allotment to plant herbs or potatoes.

Mr Barry said: "We try and do so much for the children to make sure, whatever their potential is, that something is sparked inside them.

"We know we have Sandwell Valley down the road, we know we have parks in the area and free swimming, but actually some of our children won't have the opportunity to do those things because their parents are working or don't have transport - but we don't leave it to chance, we make sure there is no opportunity to miss it.

"Every year we bring a professional theatre company to school and the farm is here because we know it's not just the experience of handling animals but what they get from that - learning compassion and how to look after something more vulnerable than they are."

Yew Tree Primary has been on a journey of improvement since it was found to be 'Inadequate' by Ofsted in 2019. It has since climbed the rankings and was labelled 'Good' in its most recent inspection by the education watchdog in 2021.

Mr Barry took on the role of head in the same year as the 'Inadequate' Ofsted report and just a month before pupils and staff moved into the school's newly renovated building on Birchfield Way - but says he was not the "knight in shining armour" who turned it around.

The 42-year-old told the Express & Star: "It is not just about the Ofsted rating, I look at the way the community engages with us compared to when I first came to this school and it just feels like it's worlds apart.

"Every aspect of this school has been so carefully considered from the design of the building, to the layering of the curriculum and even to the weekly residentials we organise.

"Every member of staff in this school is making a massive difference - I genuinely can't emphasise that enough.

"As headteachers, we often get credited as the person who is leading it and of course it takes leadership, but I often say to the school governors my job is really spinning the plates and making sure everyone is doing their jobs really well.

"I have always said we don't do what we do for Ofsted - we have to be aware of the framework because we have to demonstrate our compliance, but we need to satisfy ourselves that we are a 'good' or 'better' school, whatever that may be."

Following the Covid pandemic, Yew Tree Primary has also taken steps to improve how it uses technology, with each pupil from Year 2 onwards having access to their own device.

One way it uses technology is through its twice-weekly assemblies, which are delivered remotely to classrooms where children are able to sit more comfortably instead of cramped in the school hall.

It has also made efforts to improve the attendance of pupils, with figures now better or matching the national average.

In September, it set up an 'attendance shop' which sees youngsters awarded a stamp for every week they come to school and exchange these for items from the shop, with stationery, sweets and small toys among the items 'for sale'.

Mr Barry, who travels to the area at the start of each week from his home in Bristol and returns home on weekends, explained: "Each year we try and think how can we promote attendance.

"The shop has been an opportunity to raise the profile of attendance and the children love it. It's that opportunity for children to understand it does matter and if you come to school you will get the opportunity to celebrate that.

"As well as the [attendance] figures because they fluctuate, we have seen some really personal evidence in terms of children and families where it has changed them.

"Children who may not have wanted to come to school before for wellbeing reasons actually say ‘I can’t wait to get my stamp’ - it has really incentivised them.”