Middlethorpe Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to implement school plans to improve outcomes in reading, with a particular focus on:
  • challenging the most able pupils to reach even higher standards
  • improving pupils’ understanding of vocabulary
  • ensuring that systems for the teaching of reading for older pupils enable next steps in fluency and understanding to be accurately identified.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders have created a culture of positivity and high expectations, which is apparent as soon as you step through the door of the school.
• The new principal’s enthusiasm and dedication to her role are palpable. Great respect has been given to the successful work of previous leaders, with careful attention to sustaining previously successful work. Consequently, new vigour and strategies for improvement are built upon strong foundations. Staff share the new principal’s clear vision for excellence and ambition to create ‘extraordinary people’.
• The very strong partnership between the trust, the governing body and the school has led to a highly accurate understanding of key priorities. Staff and pupils know trust representatives well. Challenge, through the school improvement procedures, is a very positive and thorough process and consequently any area for development is immediately and rigorously addressed. This is a team that does not rest on its laurels!
• Senior and middle leaders have strong subject knowledge and a clear understanding of how to identify areas for improvement. Their frequent checks on learning and progress, and subsequent support for teachers, have brought about improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.
• There is clear ambition to enable pupils to become the very best people they can be. There is a focus on mutual respect, working together, developing curiosity, building highly successful relationships and making excellent progress academically. Each pupil spoken to by inspectors demonstrated that this ambition is being realised, for pupils of all ages. This contributes to their developing understanding of British values.
• It is not only the pupils who are getting a great deal. Support for staff is excellent. The positive culture creates a sense of value and pride. Training and professional development is high on the agenda and the management of teachers’ performance is rigorous, but highly supportive. This has a direct impact on the quality of teaching and hence, the progress pupils are making.
• Great thought has been given to designing a curriculum that will encourage life-long learning. Purposeful learning encourages pupils to delve into their prior knowledge and skills and apply these to new situations, developing their enquiry and reasoning skills. This vibrant and engaging curriculum ensures that all pupils develop strong knowledge, understanding and skills across all aspects of the curriculum.
• The leader for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is passionate about her role. She has excellent subject knowledge. Assessment and identification procedures are robust and ensure that her work is rightly directed to pupils who have particular needs rather than those who may be underperforming. Individual programmes of work are planned carefully with teachers and teaching assistants who provide excellent support for pupils in class. The government funding for pupils who have special needs and/or disabilities is well spent: these pupils make the same strong progress as their peers.
• The leader for disadvantaged pupils has a thorough understanding of the progress of these pupils and the next steps they need to take. Plans are tightly focused on pupils’ needs, and as a result, disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, make strong progress across their time in school.
• Plans for the spending of the sports premium have recently been adapted to ensure maximum impact on outcomes for pupils. These changes are providing further opportunities for staff development, a focus on developing pupils’ skills and extending the range of activities available.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly dedicated to their role. They talk about the ‘Middlethorpeness’ and the care, nurture and high expectations that make this such an excellent place to learn. They have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and also those areas that need to be further developed. Work with school leaders is open and honest and governors are confident to challenge when necessary.
• There has been a focus on recruiting governors who have a wide variety of different skills: this is enabling effective challenge and support across academic, financial and welfare arrangements in school.
• Governors keep close checks to ensure that the primary school physical education and sport funding and the pupil premium funding are spent successfully to improve provision and outcomes for pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have ensured that policies and practices are robust and that everyone is well informed and updated about these procedures. Everyone knows what to do if they have any concerns.
• Leaders ensure that risk assessments take place regularly for the school site and events. They encourage pupils to have an awareness of potential dangers but teach them about how to avoid or address these. Leaders listen carefully to any concerns and tackle these as appropriate. For example, the school has secured funding from the trust to put in place a higher fence around the early years and key stage 1 outdoor area.
• Leaders work effectively with parents and other agencies to ensure that the safeguarding culture is understood by all.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The high quality of teaching, learning and assessment have a positive impact on the progress that pupils make, which is outstanding.
• Adults are relentless in their drive to continue to improve learning and outcomes for pupils. Very clear aims, structures and systems ensure that practices such as ‘BLP’ (building learning power) are firmly embedded across every class. Adults constantly model positive learning behaviours effectively, with the result that pupils expect and want to learn.
• Teachers show careful attention to learners of all abilities in their class and plan support that will effectively challenge each child. This is particularly strong in writing and mathematics across school.
• Teachers’ strong focus on further improving reading, particularly at key stage 2, is evident when speaking to pupils and when listening to, and looking at, their work. A wide range of initiatives are in place in classrooms to increase enjoyment and build skills effectively. Pupils said that they loved reading and it helped them ‘chill out’. Attitudes to reading are very positive.
• For some of the older pupils, who have not had the rigours of the phonics and new English curriculum earlier in school, language is not always as well developed. High-level vocabulary is being used, but the meaning sometimes is not understood. The most able pupils read with superb fluency, but are not always as confident in articulating their understanding.
• The support that teachers and teaching assistants give in the classroom, addressing any uncertainties about tasks and challenging pupils with open questioning, has a very positive impact on their progress.
• The introduction of the outdoor learning environment has brought an added dimension to pupils’ learning. The leader for this provision makes sure that activities are planned to successfully support project-based learning through purposeful challenges in the outdoors. This work is effectively supporting pupils in developing collaborative and listening skills. Pupils are encouraged to use appropriate equipment safely, such as wood saws and pincers, within a carefully supported environment.
• Pupils who have special needs and/or disabilities take part in activities alongside their peers with confidence and enthusiasm. The school’s efforts to ensure that provision is inclusive and accessible to all have paid off.
• Homework is regular and supports the learning which takes place in the classroom. Pupils are clear about the purpose of homework and the basic skills it encourages them to practise.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders have created an environment which is purposeful and industrious, but also calm and relaxed. The school feels a very comfortable place to be. Pupils feel safe and cared for. They are confident in the support they will be given and are not worried about sharing their ideas or making mistakes. As one pupil said, ‘There are no mistakes, only opportunities to learn.’
• The nurturing and industrious environment is maintained at all times of the day. The breakfast club, for example, provides a calm and positive start to the day.
• Assembly is one of the times the whole school comes together. A very calm, respectful atmosphere is created: this time feels special.
• Support for pupils’ social and emotional learning is excellent. The leader for this aspect of the school’s work is spoken highly about by everyone because of the large amount of support she gives to promoting well-being. Pupils are eager to speak to her and work with her in the nurture room, for both regular work and one-off visits. Families value this support highly and say that it makes a difference to life at home.
• There is a strong desire to ensure that pupils have a voice in school improvement. For example, the learning council meets regularly with senior leaders to check lessons, resources and pupils’ work, giving teachers their feedback positively about what is working well and what pupils think could be better.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are highly motivated. They know that learning is important and are keen to learn more.
• Attendance overall is consistently in line with, or better than, national averages over time. Where any persistent absence occurs, close work with families and other agencies takes place to effectively bring about improvement.
• Pupils speak convincingly about the kindness, care and mutual respect between pupils and adults. They are confident that when any issues of bullying or worry occur, adults support them in resolving this effectively.
• The learning behaviours are embedded firmly throughout school and give pupils an excellent start to their education. These positive attitudes equip them with skills that prepare them well for secondary school.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Outcomes for pupils, in attainment and progress, are often better than those of other pupils nationally. Across school and the wider curriculum, current pupils have made substantial progress. High expectations and a whole-school uncompromising commitment to improvement have ensured that these outcomes are sustained.
• From strong progress in Reception, pupils make accelerated progress through key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics, with a higher than average proportion reaching standards of greater depth by the end of Year 2. Pupils’ current work shows that pupils of all abilities are making strong progress across key stage 1.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the Year 1 phonics standard has been better than that of other pupils nationally for the past three years. Pupils’ current reading and writing demonstrates that this strong progress continues as they move up the school.
• Leaders were disappointed that the reading attainment and progress results at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 were not as strong as those of writing and mathematics. Leaders immediately undertook a thorough analysis of reasons for this and have implemented a wealth of strategies to both inspire a love of reading and improve academic skills. The impact of leaders can already be seen: reading is promoted positively and very obviously around school. Innovative strategies are engaging more pupils. For example, the ‘Paws for Reading’ session alongside dogs in school each week is eagerly attended. Reward tokens motivate pupils to read more widely and share their choices, and a focus on deepening reasoning skills is improving understanding of texts.
• The progress that disadvantaged pupils make is excellent, with many making better progress than other pupils nationally, across the school. This is due to highly effective support carefully matched to pupils’ needs and rigour around how this support is checked and adapted accordingly over time.
• The most able pupils are challenged well. In 2016, the most able pupils in key stage 1 made excellent progress, with a higher proportion than nationally achieving standards of greater depth. In key stage 2 the most able pupils performed similarly to those nationally in writing and mathematics, though less well in reading. Current school assessment and pupils’ work show that this is improving.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress socially, emotionally and academically from their very varied starting points. These pupils leave school very well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children get an exciting, engaging, safe and positive start to school life.
• Children make strong progress from their starting points and a higher than national proportion reach a good level of development by the end of their time in Reception. Work of current children supports leaders’ views that this proportion will be even higher this year. An increasing proportion of children are developing skills that are exceeding those typical for their age.
• Leaders and adults work tirelessly to create an environment which is enticing and appropriately challenging to promote learning across all aspects of the early years curriculum.
• It is here that the school’s systems, strategies and routines to encourage great learning behaviours begin. Children in the Reception class are very keen to share their ‘learning powers’ and confidently report back on their own learning and that of others. While this is at a more basic level than later in school, the seeds are sown, and children are building solid foundations for the powerful learning behaviours that have such a high profile at Middlethorpe. As a result, children are very well prepared for Year 1.
• Activities are purposeful and focused on using skills to solve problems and deepen learning. Adults look for innovative opportunities to inspire children and improve their learning experiences. For example, work about fairy tales this term has included visiting a local company to take part in bricklaying to support their work about ‘The three little pigs’. It has also involved making boats and testing them on the local stream to see which would be most effective in helping the gingerbread man to cross the river safely.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Adults work hard to find ways to involve parents in their child’s learning. For example, parents can access and contribute to children’s learning records. Communication is effective through a number of media as well as the parents’ noticeboard. Parents take part in events such as a teddy bears’ picnic, stay and play, and reading activities.
• Disadvantaged pupils are supported well in their learning. The early years pupil premium funding is targeted carefully to their needs and these pupils make strong progress.
• Children move confidently about their work, in the indoor and outdoor environment. Adult modelling and support is highly effective in moving learning forward very effectively. Adults know each child’s next steps well and direct their support accordingly. As a result, progress seen in children’s work is excellent. Expectations are high and children rise to challenges set.
• Keeping children safe and teaching them to keep safe is high priority. There is a strong focus on encouraging independence and children sustain concentration very well in all areas of learning. Children enjoy their work and cooperate well with each other.

School details

Unique reference number 137996 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 10023878 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 217 Appropriate authority Enquire Academy Trust Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Jack Harrison Emma Beveridge 01472 698185 www.middlethorpeblogs.net beveridgee@middlethorpeprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Middlethorpe Primary Academy converted to become part of Enquire multi-academy trust on 4 October 2013. It is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.
• The school has a smaller than average proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is below average.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is below the national average.
• The school operates a breakfast club and an 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

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in a range of lessons, some alongside the principal.
• Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work across the curriculum; much of this took place with middle or senior leaders.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including: assessment information; school improvement planning; school self-evaluation; minutes of meetings of the governing body; information about the performance of teachers; documents relating to behaviour and safety; and documents relating to safeguarding.
• Meetings took place with the principal, senior and middle leaders, staff, representatives from the governing body, representatives from the multi-academy trust and groups of pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors spoke to parents at the school. They also considered the 33 parent responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s inspection questionnaire, and the six staff responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaires.

Inspection team

Kate Rowley, lead inspector Victoria Johnson Rajinder Harrison

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector