As an academy we are not required to have LA monitoring visits.  However, as a school that values an external view of our progress, at our invitation, we welcomed Mrs Evans, an experienced Ofsted inspector & LA advisor,  to see us in action.  You may have seen Mrs Evans talking to parents at the gate and in the KS1 playground.  We have just received her final report and are delighted that she graded the school as GOOD overall with the aspect of pupils’ behaviour being graded as OUTSTANDING.

Some of the key headlines in her report are:

• Leaders at all levels have a good understanding of the school’s priorities and the progress they have made to date in achieving targets. They systematically monitor and track pupil progress, and use the findings from data analysis to inform school priorities and adjust provision.

   

• The teaching of phonics is very strong. The high ratio of adults mean that pupils are taught in small groups and activities are sharply focussed to their learning needs.

   

• Behaviour makes a strong contribution to learning. All lessons had a purposeful buzz. Pupils were attentive and on task. Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning. Relationships with teachers and additional adults are very good. There are high levels of trust and respect. This creates a safe learning environment where pupils feel safe to take risks because their contribution is valued.

   

• Pupils have a good understanding of what they are learning, and are clear what they need to do to improve. Response time is used effectively to enable pupils to check their work and develop their writing. 1:1 input from teachers provides further feedback opportunities and supports learning well.

   

• The curriculum makes a significant contribution to learning. The week’s theme was rights and respect week. Elements of pupils’ learning in Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural curriculum were inextricably woven into lessons. Pupils were very engaged in this theme and as a consequence the quality of their writing was high.

   

• Pupils who shared books demonstrated a love of reading. They confidently tackled new words using a range of strategies to help them. They were able to make inferences, and enjoyed the challenge of being asked 'hard questions' about the story!

   

• Handwriting is neat, and the progression from Year R is evident, as is the progression from September.

   

• The school promotes punctuality in all aspects of the school day. Lessons start on time, and children are ready to start learning.

• The sample of books seen indicate that the curriculum provides a rich and relevant vehicle for learning. Photos in books show that pupils have many opportunities to learn through first-hand experience.

   

• Staff were unanimous that there is a clear vision for the school, and that the ambition to provide a good education for all pupils is at the heart of the school’s work.

   

  Thank you to every pupil and parent who has contributed to this successful report.  In partnership with you, we will continue our work towards ‘outstanding’!