Ingoldsby Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance by ensuring that:
  • leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s performance and improvement planning focus more precisely on the specific targets and actions needed to drive even more rapid improvement
  • leaders further support and develop the effectiveness of middle leaders so that they are equipped to drive up standards in their areas of responsibility
  • teaching enables pupils, including those of average ability, to make accelerated progress so that more pupils achieve at greater depth, particularly in mathematics
  • the governing body has all the skills it needs to hold the school more stringently to account for the achievement of groups of pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that all teachers:
  • check pupils’ understanding within lessons to correct errors, address misconceptions and ensure that activities are accurately matched to pupils’ abilities
  • have high expectations for the quality of pupils’ presentation of their work, the accuracy of their spelling and the use of punctuation in all subjects
  • make sure that pupils understand and use mathematical vocabulary more accurately to further improve their problem-solving and reasoning skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The associate principal is ambitious for the school. She has brought vision and direction. She is empowering staff and leading the school to instil a ‘take learning further’ ethos in which all pupils are encouraged to do their best.
• Senior leaders have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and areas that need to improve. The trust has supported the associate principal in checking standards in the school and using this information to create plans for improvement. Leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans are accurate. They are not, however, as precise as they need to be to drive more rapid improvements.
• The associate principal is developing the role of subject leaders to strengthen leadership within the school. Staff are enthusiastic and committed. This is, however, at an early stage. Senior leaders’ plans are not specific enough in making clear how these roles will be developed.
• The progress of pupils and proportions attaining greater depth in mathematics in key stage 2 were lower than the national average last year. The associate principal has ensured that standards have improved in reading, writing and mathematics. Improved teaching is improving standards. Pupils’ attainment and progress are improving across the school.
• Leaders have ensured that all staff receive training to teach the school’s phonics programme. The impact of this work is evident in pupils’ work, their application of their phonics skills in their reading and writing as well as pupils’ attainment in reading in the early years and key stage 1. The associate principal is leading the development of outdoor learning opportunities to promote pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.
• The associate principal is well supported by staff and parents. Staff say that communications are open and that they feel supported in their roles. The very large majority of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, as well as those who spoke with the inspector are happy about all aspects of the school. They say that the school is led well and that their children are happy, safe, make good progress and are taught well.
• The associate principal is the coordinator for provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has ensured that provision is strong. Pupils who have additional needs are identified rapidly and focused support is put into place. Leaders use the additional funding effectively to help pupils make good progress from their starting points. Many parents commented positively about the support provided for pupils who have additional needs.
• Leaders have ensured that the pupil premium has been used effectively to support the small number of disadvantaged pupils. They monitor the progress and attainment of pupils carefully to ensure that pupils receive academic and pastoral support appropriate to their needs. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress, similar to, and often better than, that of other pupils. Leaders also use the additional funds provided through the primary physical educational and sport premium to good effect. In addition to providing teaching and coaching skills, pupils have increased access to sporting activities.
• Leaders have ensured that the school has a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is developed well. Pupils say that they have good opportunities to develop their understanding of values and the importance of respect to help prepare them well for their life in modern Britain. School displays confirm this. Staff have ensured that the curriculum is supported by visitors coming into school. To help pupils understand the importance of respecting the lives and beliefs of others, for example, a visitor spoke about the importance of challenging stereotypes associated with Islam. Another gave pupils insight into aspects of Asian cultures and beliefs.
• The associate principal speaks highly of the support the trust provides to develop leadership skills, as well as the staff training opportunities, which include working with other schools in the trust. The trust also provides regular curricular enrichment opportunities to promote positive attitudes to learning, primarily in relation to sport and the arts. During the inspection, for example, a professional table tennis player visited the school. The trust has not ensured, however, that the local governing body fully understands its responsibilities.

Governance of the school

• The local governing body is not holding leaders to account as effectively as it should. Governors are not as clear as they need to be about their roles and functions in relation to the academy trust.
• The trust and the local governing body have an overview of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Minutes of meetings show that governors ask school leaders challenging questions. Their understanding of pupils’ attainment and progress, however, is not rigorous enough for them to be more effective in their role. This includes ensuring that additional funding such as the pupil premium is having the impact that it should.
• Members of the governing body undertake regular visits to review safeguarding arrangements or the impact of leaders’ work to improve standards, for example. Leaders do not use findings from these visits rigorously enough, however, to help drive more rapid school improvement.
• The governing body is very supportive of the associate principal and the improvements she has made in the school since she took up post.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the statutory requirements are met. Effective systems and procedures are in place. The school’s clear ethos of care is evident in the way that pupils interact with each other and in the relationships of mutual respect between pupils and adults.
• Leaders ensure that the single central register is accurate and up to date, and that recruitment checks on the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children are thorough.
• The designated leaders for safeguarding ensure that all members of staff are trained and kept up to date with the latest guidance on keeping pupils safe in education. Leaders keep precise records which show effective work with external agencies. They tenaciously pursue support for any child or family, should the need arise.
• Pupils are taught how to stay safe in a variety of situations and, by Year 6, they have a good understanding of how to stay safe online. Pupils say that they feel safe. Almost all the parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children are safe in school. Pupils say that incidents of bullying are very rare and that adults will deal with any concerns that they have.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and teaching assistants generally have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers have good subject knowledge which they use to ask questions to promote pupils’ learning and thinking skills. The use of visual imagery or apparatus is often used to good effect to support learning. Sometimes, teachers do not check or use information about pupils’ learning, however, to correct errors or misconceptions that pupils may have or to decide when to move pupils on to more challenging work.
• Teachers do not have consistently high expectations for pupils’ presentation of their work or the accuracy of spelling and punctuation in their writing, including in different subjects. Too often, errors are not corrected. This reduces the overall quality of pupils’ work.
• Teachers ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. Pupils often explain their mathematical thinking and justify their ideas. Pupils’ work in lessons and in their books shows that sometimes, however, they are not as clear in their understanding of mathematical vocabulary as they should be.
• There is an ethos of mutual respect in classrooms. Pupils behave well and concentrate on their learning. They are confident sharing their ideas, working and collaborating together. Pupils only lose focus when learning is not well matched to their needs.
• Teaching is often enthusiastic and engaging in all classes. Pupils are taught early reading skills effectively. The impact of the improved outdoor learning opportunities was shown in a mathematics lesson where pupils solved mathematical calculations chalked onto the school playground. Teachers plan lessons that use a range of strategies to stimulate pupils’ interest and curiosity.
• Teaching assistants are well deployed to support pupils’ learning needs. They are effective in delivering additional support to pupils on an individual or group basis. This helps pupils to make good progress during lessons.
• Pupils’ work shows that teachers ensure that all pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, are often given challenging work which extends their learning in different subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils understand and respect the school rules. Their conduct around the school is very good at break and lunchtimes, moving around the school and in lessons. Pupils are very well mannered and considerate.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They take increasing pride in their work. The quality of presentation of their work is, however, inconsistent. Pupils, including the very youngest, show concentration and perseverance in their work. They only lose focus if work is not challenging enough or they are unclear of the purpose of their learning.
• Overall attendance for all pupils in 2016/17 improved compared to the previous year. It has been above the national average for the last two years. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils, however, is below the national average. Leaders are aware of this and are proactive in working with the small number of families involved to improve attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The proportion of children in the early years who attained a good level of development has been above the national average for the last two years. The proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has exceeded the national averages for the last two years. The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 1 exceeded the national averages for reading, writing and mathematics.
• Last year, at the end of key stage 2, attainment was higher than that seen nationally for reading and mathematics. However, attainment in writing was lower than the national average, as was the proportion of pupils achieving greater depth in mathematics. Progress in writing and particularly mathematics was below the national averages.
• The number of pupils in each year group is small. Pupils’ work and school assessment information show that the majority of pupils in the school make at least good progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders identify pupils who may be falling behind and provide focused interventions to support them. As a result, pupils’ attainment and progress are improving rapidly in areas where they are less strong. Pupils of all abilities make progress because teachers are skilled in managing the mixed-age classes. On some occasions, however, the most able pupils are not consistently challenged to make the progress they should.
• Pupils complete work to a good standard. They have opportunities to write at length, and the content of their work is often of high quality. Their work in writing is often let down, however, by incorrect spelling or inaccurate punctuation. In mathematics, pupils are able to explain their mathematical thinking and reasoning. Pupils are making good progress. However, this is sometimes not as fast as it could be because they do not have a clear enough understanding of mathematical vocabulary.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to reading. Pupils in key stage 2 spoke with enjoyment about their new class novel. Sometimes, pupils are not as fluent as they should be in reading and predicting the meanings of unfamiliar words.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Staff quickly identify pupils who need to catch up, and intervene to ensure that they are taught what they need.
• The majority of the small numbers of disadvantaged pupils in each cohort make at least good progress over time, and this enables them to attain at least as well as pupils who are not disadvantaged and sometimes better.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is well led and managed. The early years leader’s professional knowledge, her clear vision for the high-quality learning environment and the quality of teaching of both her and other staff enable children to make good or better progress from their starting points.
• The proportions of children achieving and exceeding a good level of development have been higher than those nationally for the last two years. By the end of the Reception Year, children are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Children’s learning journey records show that all children, including those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs, make strong progress in all areas of the curriculum. Children produce a wide range of writing, and teachers provide challenging activities both indoors and outdoors. Provision for the most able children is good. However, on occasion, expectations for children’s independent writing and recording in mathematics are not high enough.
• Children thrive because the staff have an excellent and in-depth understanding of children’s individual development needs. The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths in the early years and areas for development. Improvement planning, however, is not as strategic as it could be in using this information to further improve early years provision. For example, the professional development needs of teaching assistants are not precisely identified in order to further improve the quality of teaching.
• Teaching is good. The early years leader has created stimulating learning spaces, both inside and outside, which are well planned and resourced. Activities capture children’s imaginations and enable them to explore and learn independently. Routines are quickly established and children of both Nursery and Reception age settle quickly and engage positively with tasks provided for them.
• There is a happy atmosphere in lessons, and children’s behaviour is positive. Children follow instructions quickly, enabling them to maximise their learning opportunities. Children often show high levels of concentration. A group of children were observed happily acting together ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ story, performing actions and remembering phrases from the story. Children demonstrated their developing social and language skills as well as perseverance.
• Staff check children’s progress closely. Processes for identifying additional needs are rapid. The early years leader has been proactive in involving parents in this process. Parents contribute information about their child’s achievements to the children’s records of development.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141390 Lincolnshire 10031188 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 49 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Associate Principal Telephone number Website Email address Richard Platt Melanie Capes 01476 585278 www.ingoldsbyacademy.co.uk enquiries@ingoldsbyacademy.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is the school’s first inspection since the school became part of the David Ross Educational Trust and opened in March 2015.
• The associate principal was appointed in January 2017.
• Ingoldsby Academy is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are three mixed-age classes: Nursery and Reception; Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3; and Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are below the national averages.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school runs a before- and after-school club.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning jointly with the headteacher in all classes. The inspector listened to pupils reading, talked with them about their school and looked at examples of their work.
• The inspector held meetings with the headteacher who is also the school’s designated leader for safeguarding and coordinator for provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. He met with subject leaders, members of the local governing body and the academy improvement lead. Discussions explored a wide range of subjects, including safeguarding arrangements.
• The inspector looked at a wide range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation of its current performance and its plans for improvement; information relating to the safeguarding of pupils; the school’s most recent information on the attainment and progress of pupils; minutes of meetings of the governing body; and the school’s most recent information relating to the attendance of pupils.
• The inspector spoke informally with parents at the start of the school day. Account was taken of the 24 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector