Jubilee L.E.A.D. Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance in accelerating pupils’ progress and raising their attainment by ensuring that leaders:
  • set challenging targets for the progress of different groups of pupils, including the most able pupils, disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities
  • develop the structure and responsibilities of the leadership team so that all leaders are clear on their roles and are better equipped to bring about rapid improvement in their areas of responsibility
  • provide focused programmes of training that equip all teachers to assess pupils’ learning accurately and use this information to guide their teaching.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that all teachers:
  • raise their expectations of what pupils of all abilities can and should achieve, including the most able pupils
  • check pupils’ understanding in lessons to correct errors, tackle misconceptions and make sure that activities are accurately matched to pupils’ abilities
  • have the secure subject knowledge required to teach all subjects effectively
  • have consistently high expectations of the quality of presentation of pupils’ work in all subjects and the accuracy of their spelling, grammar and punctuation
  • teach pupils the fundamental skills they need in mathematics and how to use these to solve problems.
• Improve the pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by ensuring that:
  • all staff focus on improving behaviour by reducing low-level disruption so that all pupils are engaged in their learning
  • staff better promote pupils’ cultural development by teaching them about British values and different faiths and religions to prepare pupils more effectively for life in modern Britain
  • leaders take effective action to improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Improve the effectiveness of governance by ensuring that the academy advisory body

and those responsible in the trust:

• improve their strategic grasp of the progress of different groups of pupils, including the most able, those that are disadvantaged and those that have SEN and/or disabilities, to more stringently hold leaders to account
• more effectively hold the school to account for the use and impact of additional funding, including the pupil premium and funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the use of the pupil premium should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• In the past, leaders and those responsible for governance have not been effective in accelerating pupils’ progress and raising their attainment. Rates of progress at the end of key stage 2 improved in 2017 compared to the previous year. Too many pupils, however, do not make the progress they should.
• In the past, leaders and other staff have not ensured that information about pupils’ attainment and progress is accurate. Senior leaders have recently established an accurate picture of the school’s performance by looking closely at pupils’ work. Leaders’ grasp of the progress of different groups of pupils, however, is still not sharp enough to drive more rapid improvement.
• The headteacher’s evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate and plans for improvement are realistic. Leaders have correctly identified the priority areas that will help the school to move forward. Leaders demonstrate their capacity to drive improvements through the recent and rapid improvements in standards of behaviour, the presentation of pupils’ work and arrangements for safeguarding. Leaders’ plans, however, are not linked clearly enough to targets for pupils’ progress and attainment to secure greater accountability.
• The headteacher has rightly focused on actions to improve behaviour and the quality of teaching. Inspectors observed how new systems and practices are being consistently implemented across the school.
• The headteacher and new deputy headteachers have introduced systems for checking and evaluating the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. They have given clear directions to teaching staff, for example setting higher expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work. There is evidence that the quality of presentation of pupils’ work is improving. Leaders’ work to improve the quality of teaching is, however, at an early stage and there has not yet been sufficient time evaluate the impact on pupils’ achievement. Too often, teachers set learning tasks that are not matched well enough to pupils’ needs and too few pupils make enough progress in lessons.
• Leaders have not targeted the use of the pupil premium funding well enough to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders do not check the progress of these pupils carefully enough to ensure that the funding is having the maximum impact. Those responsible for governance have not been effective in holding the school to account for the impact of this funding on pupils’ outcomes.
• Leaders understand that provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is not as strong as it should be. They have introduced new systems for assessing, identifying, supporting and checking pupils’ progress. The impact of additional funding, again, is not as effective as it should be. Leaders are developing their strategic grasp of pupils’ progress. Teachers are not, however, sufficiently well trained to meet the needs of pupils in lessons.
• Leaders make sound use of the additional funding for physical education and sports. They do not, however, check the impact of the funding carefully enough. They do not, for example, set focused, measurable targets.
• Leaders understand that the school’s curriculum does not fully meet the needs of pupils. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is not strong enough. Pupils’ understanding of different beliefs, faiths and religions is not secure enough. Their grasp of British values is weak. Consequently, pupils are not sufficiently well equipped for life in modern Britain. Leaders have recently purchased a curricular programme which has ensured that there is sufficient breadth of the curriculum. The curriculum is complemented by a range of school clubs, such as dance, football and choir, as well as a range of range of school trips and external visitors, such as a visiting theatre company.
• The trust has supported the recruitment of a largely new leadership team and team of teaching staff following a period of high turnover in staff. It has appointed two interim deputy headteachers, an assistant headteacher and an interim school business manager which has strengthened leadership and management. The support of leading practitioner teachers is supporting teachers to improve the quality of their planning of lessons and teaching. These actions are beginning to bring about the improvements needed. Over time, however, the trust has not ensured that the school has improved rapidly enough.
• The new headteacher is bringing ambition, drive and clear direction to the school. She has ensured that many positive changes have been made in the short time since she joined the school. Many necessary new systems and initiatives have been rapidly put into place. She is building an increasingly cohesive leadership and teaching team. She has introduced a new structure for checking standards, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, revised the school’s safeguarding arrangements and taken actions to tackle poor behaviour. Leaders show that they are able to identify the most important areas for improvement and successfully address them together. While these changes are having some impact, more time is needed to evaluate the impact on pupils’ achievement.
• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, have very mixed views about all aspects of the school. Many parents who spoke to inspectors, however, were very positive about the changes in the school since the appointment of the new headteacher.

Governance of the school

• Governance at the school is led by the academy trust with the support of an academy advisory body. Prior to the arrival of the new headteacher, those responsible for governance at the school presided over a period of unsatisfactory pupil outcomes for a number of years. The trust and the academy advisory body did not challenge weak teaching, unusually high levels of physical intervention in response to pupils’ behaviour and ineffective use of additional funding with sufficient rigour.
• Those responsible for governance do not have a strong grasp of information about pupils’ progress. The information is available but they have not ensured that it is accurate. They have not held leaders stringently to account about the progress of different groups of pupils.
• The trust and those responsible for governance have supported the recent recruitment of new leaders and teaching staff. They are now helping to create an effective and cohesive leadership team. The work of the trust is beginning to have an impact in supporting improvements to the quality of teaching and learning. The trust has taken too long to do this.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The new headteacher has rapidly and decisively revised the school’s systems and processes to ensure that pupils are safe. She has introduced new systems for reporting concerns. Record-keeping and recording of concerns are now rigorous. A parent told an inspector that she had informed the school of an incident and had been pleased with the school’s timely and effective response. She commented that ‘This would not have happened previously.’ Leaders analyse information effectively and take appropriate actions.
• The headteacher has ensured that the school’s renewed approach to the use of physical intervention with pupils is clear and understood by staff. She is changing the culture of behaviour management in the school. She has made clear to staff the importance of using a range of ways of stopping behaviour getting out of hand before using physical restraint. Inspectors observed a member of staff effectively use strategies to calm a pupil who was upset.
• Leaders ensure that statutory safeguarding requirements are met. The school’s recruitment processes and checks are thorough. The school has four designated leaders for safeguarding. All staff have received safeguarding training and are aware of their responsibilities and procedures for reporting any concerns they have. Leaders respond quickly to concerns raised and are tenacious in securing the involvement of outside agencies where appropriate.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• Teachers in all year groups do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, too many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, the most able and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, do not make the progress they should. Teachers do not challenge pupils or stretch their thinking and too many pupils make unsatisfactory progress.
• Teachers in all year groups do not use assessment information well to match activities to pupils’ abilities or adapt their teaching. Teachers too often give pupils the same activities or do not move them on to more challenging work quickly enough. Teachers are not sharp enough in identifying pupils’ emerging learning needs during lessons. As a result, pupils of different abilities, particularly the most able, do not make the progress they should.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is not consistently secure. Often, teachers do not deal with pupils’ misconceptions effectively or ensure that errors are corrected. This further slows pupils’ progress.
• Teachers’ expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ spelling, punctuation and use of grammar are too low. This slows pupils’ progress in improving their writing. The quality of pupils’ presentation of their work shows some signs of improvement. This is inconsistent, however, in different classes and subjects. Too many pupils do not take enough pride in their work.
• A clear structure has recently been put into place to improve the teaching of early reading skills. Teachers, however, do not consistently ensure that pupils are challenged to make the progress they could in improving their reading skills. Teachers do not use assessment information accurately to ensure that phonics teaching matches the abilities of some pupils.
• Teachers in all classes are working to provide pupils with an increasingly positive approach to learning, which is rooted in mutual respect. They are trying to improve standards of behaviour by being more consistent in making clear what they expect. They are also working to apply the school’s new system of rewards and sanctions consistently. Relationships are positive. Classroom routines are generally well organised. Pupils apply themselves diligently to tasks and work well together. Pupils often lose focus, however, when they finish their work or work is too easy. Low-level disruption means that pupils are not as engaged with their work as they should be.
• Some teachers use questioning, resources, apparatus and visual imagery effectively to promote pupils’ understanding. Inspectors observed practitioners working alongside teachers in lessons to develop approaches to teaching and learning.
• In 2017, the trust’s leading practitioners worked effectively with teaching assistants as part of its work to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Teaching assistants are often deployed well and provide effective support for pupils’ learning, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• Pupils’ personal development and welfare require improvement. Leaders and other staff do not promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education strongly enough. Pupils do not have a secure enough understanding of British values to help prepare them for life in modern Britain. Their understanding of a range of beliefs and religions is not secure.
• Pupils and parents say that, in the past, bullying has not been consistently and thoroughly dealt with. They say that some bullying still happens. Leaders are aware of this and have introduced rigorous new systems for reporting concerns and the actions taken. Leaders’ efforts to tackle bullying, however, are not yet reflected in the perceptions of pupils.
• Pupils in all classes are confident and explain their ideas and opinions well. They are often reflective and listen to the views of others. Pupils in key stage 2 who spoke with inspectors were very straightforward in their appraisal of the school, commenting that ‘we’d like a push’, and ‘the school isn’t great, but it’s alright’.
• Pupils enjoy the roles and responsibilities the school offers, such as playtime leaders, membership of the school council and participation in various charity events.
• Pupils say they feel safe. While not all parents agreed, the majority who responded to Parent View or who spoke with inspectors said their children were safe. Recent measures have ensured that the site is secure. Pupils show sound knowledge about how the school teaches them to keep safe online. They understand the importance of road safety.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. School leaders have introduced new systems to promote higher standards of behaviour and some pupils say there has been an improvement in behaviour since the beginning of this school year. Pupils spoke about assemblies in which staff had spoken with them about behaviour. They recognise that leaders and staff are working to bring about further improvement. Inspectors observed, however, instances of low-level disruption. Pupils often lose focus when teachers do not match work well to their ability or learning needs.
• Pupils’ attendance is below the national average. At the end of 2017, absence rates increased compared with those from the previous year, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have put measures in place to promote higher attendance by following up absences and working closely with families of pupils who are persistently absent. While there are some signs of improvement, leaders are aware that further work is needed to improve overall rates of attendance.
• Pupils move around the buildings in an orderly and respectful manner. They are courteous, polite and inquisitive towards adults and each other.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Pupils have achieved low standards for too long. At the end of 2017, the proportion of children in the early years who attained a good level of development improved slightly but was well below the national average. The proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was lower than the previous year and well below that seen nationally. The proportions of pupils reaching the standard expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stages 1 and 2 were lower than the national averages.
• At the end of 2017, pupils in Year 6 made average progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points. This was an improvement compared to the previous year. This does not, however, represent the achievement of pupils generally. The school’s internal assessment information shows that in most year groups, less than half of pupils achieve the standard expected for their age in reading, writing or mathematics. Often, significantly fewer pupils achieve this. Very few pupils throughout the school, particularly among the most able pupils, make the progress they should to attain greater depth in reading, writing or mathematics. Too many pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable across subjects.
• Disadvantaged pupils have made slow progress for too long. Leaders have not targeted the additional funds from the pupil premium well enough at the learning needs of disadvantaged pupils. Teachers are only now beginning to identify how much progress disadvantaged pupils need to make to catch up with their non-disadvantaged peers.
• The quality of pupils’ writing is let down by poor grammar, incorrect spelling and inaccurate punctuation. In mathematics, work is often too easy for pupils. Too few pupils, particularly the most able, are being challenged to explain their mathematical thinking and reasoning.
• The achievement of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is unclear because leaders have not been effective enough in establishing systems to check pupils’ progress accurately. Pupils’ work shows that, with more careful targeting and focused reviews, greater progress is possible.
• In 2017, the proportions of pupils reaching the expected standards at the end of key stage 1 improved in reading and slightly improved for writing and mathematics compared to the previous year. These, however, were still below national averages.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The school’s available on-entry assessment information shows that children enter the school with skills that are generally below those typical for their age. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of 2017 improved compared to the previous year. This was still well below the national average. Children’s progress in the early years has not been rapid enough.
• Leaders’ systems to check and analyse children’s progress are not yet sufficiently refined to ensure that teaching promotes good progress. Leaders are aware that they are not precise enough in their understanding of how much progress individuals or different groups of children make. These include disadvantaged children, the most able children, and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• The new early years leader has taken swift action to review and improve provision in the early years. She has a good understanding of how children learn and has rapidly established a sense of direction for the early years. She has accurately identified priorities for improvement. Plans for improvement, however, are not rigorously linked to information about children’s developmental needs or their current attainment and progress. This means they cannot be used effectively to drive more rapid progress. Systems for tracking children’s progress are being developed. Leaders are aware that their evidence of children’s learning is not yet strong enough to plan effectively to meet children’s needs.
• Teachers do not consistently deal with children’s misconceptions or errors. This means they are not able to extend children’s knowledge, skills and understanding so that they make more rapid progress.
• Leaders recognise that transition arrangements between the Nursery and Reception Year are not as strong as they should be. The early years leader is also working to improve liaison between home and school.
• The early years leader has improved the indoor and outdoor learning spaces to ensure that children have a wider variety of opportunities to learn across all areas of learning. She has worked with staff to promote an environment to help children gain independence in their learning. Children have positive attitudes. They often work cooperatively and play together well. They understand routines and follow instructions. The early years leader has quickly established the early years as a positive place to learn. It is, however, too early to evaluate the impact of this work on accelerating pupils’ progress.
• Staff have established effective routines and there is a good balance between adult-led tasks and activities chosen by children. Teachers and staff encourage children’s communication and language development well. Inspectors observed pupils playing with a pumpkin and a member of staff encouraging children to describe the texture. This promoted children’s vocabulary and language skills. Teachers in the early years have recently had training in teaching mathematics and phonics. Staff are positive.
• Most parents say they are happy with the start their children have made in the early years.
• The early years leader has completed relevant risk assessments and children are safe, and the early years welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number 141334 Local authority Nottingham Inspection number 10035952 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 410 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Alan Puckey Headteacher Nicola McIntyre Telephone number 0115 915 5720 Website www.jubilee.nottingham.sch.uk/ Email address admin@jubilee.nottingham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• This is the school’s first inspection since opening as an academy in December 2014, when it joined the L.E.A.D. multi-academy trust.
• There have been considerable changes in staff and leadership since the school opened. The headteacher took up a permanent post in September 2017. A significant number of teaching staff and new leaders joined the school in September 2017.
• Jubilee L.E.A.D. is much larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school has a Nursery provision.
• The school runs a before-school club.
• The proportion of pupils of White British heritage is close to the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is close to that seen nationally. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below that seen nationally.
• The proportions of disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are higher than the national averages.
• 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.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in 27 lessons covering all classes. Some were observed jointly with the headteacher and/or deputy headteachers. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work with school leaders, observed the teaching of early reading, listened to pupils read and spoke with pupils to evaluate the quality of their learning.
• Inspectors also examined the school’s most recent information on pupils’ achievement and progress. They scrutinised a variety of documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and staff performance. A range of plans for improvement were evaluated as well as the school’s self-evaluation of its performance. Inspectors also considered documents relating to the work of those responsible for governance.
• Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. They took account of the 20 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the 18 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, middle leaders, the inclusion manager, who is the coordinator for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, directors from the L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, and the chair of the academy advisory body. Discussions explored a wide range of subjects, including safeguarding arrangements.

Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Caroline Evans Ofsted Inspector Karen Lewis Ofsted Inspector