Tiverton Academy

Tiverton Academy Tiverton Road, Birmingham, B29 6BW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The Principal provides outstanding leadership and has been relentless in her quest to ensure that pupils receive only the very best teaching. As a result the academy has improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement considerably in the short time that it has been open.  The Principal has been well supported in this work by the Vice-Principal and other leaders who share her commitment to providing the very best for pupils at the academy.  From low starting points pupils make outstanding progress, and leave the academy with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics that is at least in line with national averages.  The way the academy cares for pupils is exceptional, particularly for the large number of pupils that join and leave other than at the usual transition points. Even though the way the data on these pupils’ achievement is set out is not always quite as clear as it could be, teachers’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

prompt assessments and well-planned support programmes, ensure that these pupils settle in well and quickly start to make good progress.  Teachers have been provided with excellent support and training by leaders and the academy trust, which has led to considerable improvements in the quality of teaching.  Pupils at the academy behave impeccably. They are engrossed in their learning during lessons. At break times they conduct themselves with care and consideration to others.  The curriculum is a real strength of the academy and is enriched by an extensive programme of art and sporting activities. The curriculum places a strong emphasis on values and this is the reason for pupils’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Consequently pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their education and for life in modern Britain.  The academy goes above and beyond what is required to ensure that pupils are safe.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors share the Principal’s high aspirations for pupils and are strong advocates for the academy. They are knowledgeable about the academy and are rigorous in holding its leaders to account.  The youngest children get off to an excellent start in the Nursery and Reception classes as a result of outstanding teaching, strong leadership and the effective support the setting provides for both children and families.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 14 lessons, four of which were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Shorter visits were also made to classrooms to check on aspects of the academy’s work, and inspectors looked at how pupils behave around the academy and at break times.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, teachers, representatives of the governing body and the academy trust.  A range of academy documentation was reviewed, including safeguarding information, behaviour records, information about the progress that pupils make, the academy’s self-evaluation statement and improvement plan and records of the work of the governing body.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their work, heard them read and looked in detail at their books and other examples of work.  Over 40 parents had responded to Parent View, the Ofsted online questionnaire, and these responses were considered alongside the academy’s own recent survey of parents’ views. Inspectors also spoke with

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Information about this inspection

parents as they collected their children at the end of the academy day.  Questionnaires returned from 15 members of staff were taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Mitchell Moore, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charalambos Loizou Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Tiverton Academy is slightly smaller than the averaged-sized primary school.  This was the first inspection since the school was sponsored by the Elliot Foundation and became an academy, in May 2013.  The proportion of pupils who join and leave the academy other than at the usual transition points is much higher than in most schools.  Over 80% of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the academy receives the pupil premium (additional funding for particular groups, which in this academy applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority) is higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is higher than the national average.  Some three-year old children attend the Nursery class part-time, others full-time. All children attend full-

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Information about this school

time when they enter the Reception class.  The academy meets the current government floor standards which set out the minimum expectations for the progress and attainment of pupils by the end of Year 6.  The academy has recently been awarded Artsmark Gold.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sustain the rise in pupils’ achievement by:  presenting the achievement data for pupils who join the academy other than at the usual points, in a way that shows their rates of progress more clearly.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The Principal, Vice Principal and governors have been highly effective in working together to ensure that pupils achieve the highest standards of academic and personal progress. Their commitment to excellence has resulted in the development of a fully-inclusive and vibrant learning community where pupils behave exceptionally well and are keen to learn.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy has a very high turnover of pupils. Leaders have ensured that, whenever pupils join the academy, there are systems in place to identify their needs and make immediate provision for them. As a result of this the whole academy is very welcoming of new pupils and celebrates the wide range of nationalities and languages represented in their community.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders have placed a very strong priority on improving the quality of teaching since the academy opened. Teachers have benefited from a wide range of high quality training courses and there is a strong culture of coaching in the academy. Senior leaders check very carefully that the quality of teaching and the performance of pupils are continually improving. Where relative weaknesses are identified leaders are prompt in raising this with staff and working with them to bring about the required improvements. Teachers told inspectors that they felt very well supported by leaders in improving their teaching and were happy that expectations of them were high.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders of Key Stages 1 and 2 have been provided with high quality training and fully understand their role in helping the academy improve. They keep a careful check on the effectiveness of the aspects of academy life that they are responsible for. The records of their monitoring are comprehensive and where areas for improvement have been identified, these have been quickly followed up and remedied.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The pupil premium grant is used very effectively to ensure that the needs of disadvantaged pupils are identified precisely and that appropriate interventions are provided. Additional teachers and teaching assistants are timetabled flexibly to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils. The grant is also used to ensure that this group of pupils has a breadth of opportunities, such as taking part in educational visits and working with a dance coach.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy has made very effective use of the primary physical education and sports grant. A sports coach and three sports apprentices provide a good range of activities for pupils to participate in during lessons and at break times. The number of pupils taking part in physical activities outside of lessons has more than doubled in the last year. Dance is particularly popular, and a group of pupils has recently been successful in reaching the finals of a national competition.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy’s curriculum is outstanding. Pupils find the programme of cross-curricular themes and topics relevant and enjoyable and they engage pupils’ interest very well. These themes have a strong focus on language development and many are built around key pieces of children’s literature. This is helping to develop a love of reading across the academy. Interwoven with these themes is the set of values and key ideas that are integral to the British way of life and also to the work of the academy; it is through these that pupils learn about all major faiths, beliefs and cultures. The curriculum as a whole promotes outstanding progress in all subjects and also supports pupils’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Consequently pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The multi-academy trust has developed a very effective partnership with the academy. The trust has provided academy staff with opportunities to take part in high quality training and development sessions. The regular visits of the ‘progress partner’, commissioned by the trust, provide leaders with an accurate external evaluation of the effectiveness of the academy.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body shares with academy leaders the highest of aspirations for pupils and is very effective in providing support and challenge to ensure that these aspirations result in outstanding outcomes for pupils.  Governors are well informed about the work of the academy from the excellent reports that they receive from staff and also from their regular and focused visits to the academy. Consequently they have an accurate knowledge of the quality of teaching and the progress being made by pupils. Governors use this information to provide very effective challenge to senior leaders.  Arrangements to monitor the performance of teachers are rigorous. Governors have ensured that decisions about the pay of teachers are closely aligned to how well their pupils are making progress. Where there has been poor performance by teachers in the past, the governors have worked closely

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The leadership and management are outstanding

with senior leaders to ensure that this is rectified swiftly.  Governors and senior leaders place a high emphasis on ensuring that the academy provides all pupils with the opportunities that they need to be successful. As a result the academy has a highly inclusive ethos underpinned by good relationships.  Together with senior leaders, governors have ensured that all statutory requirements for keeping pupils safe are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.

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Behaviour

 Pupils display a consistently positive attitude to their academy and behave impeccably in classrooms, around the building and on the playground. Pupils demonstrate respect and courtesy to adults and each other, responding to the high expectations that teachers have of them. As one pupil told the inspection team ‘we know what’s expected of us’.

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Behaviour

 Incidents of inappropriate behaviour and bullying are very rare. When they do occur, they are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Leaders record incidents carefully and these records are analysed to identify whether further actions need to be taken. An example of this was the move that academy leaders made to stagger break and lunchtimes for pupils of different ages, which has reduced playground incidents dramatically.

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Behaviour

 Exclusions are very rare and when they do occur, records show that leaders have first used a number of other strategies to support pupils and their families over a period of time.

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Behaviour

 Since the academy opened attendance has improved rapidly and is now close to the national average. Academy leaders have developed excellent systems to monitor attendance and ensure the consistent application of the attendance policy.

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Behaviour

 Pupils, parents and staff are unanimous in their belief that behaviour is excellent at the academy.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. This is because leaders and governors place a very high priority on ensuring that systems and processes are robust.

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Safety

 The academy is highly effective at teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are very well aware of different types of bullying and say, what little there has been, has been swiftly and effectively dealt with by teachers.

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Safety

 Following recent lessons on e-safety, pupils are knowledgeable about the risks that they could face when using the internet. They can describe confidently what they should do to avoid these risks and deal with any incident that may arise.

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Safety

 Staff and governors have undertaken extensive safeguarding training, including training which has ensured that they are well informed about how to protect pupils from risks, including those of extremism.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in the academy is never less than good and very often it is outstanding. As a result pupils make outstanding progress. The work in pupils’ books is of the highest quality and shows pupils’ breadth of learning across the curriculum, including in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils display very positive attitudes to learning in lessons. Teachers use their detailed knowledge of the pupils to plan learning activities that are well matched to what they need to learn. Pupils show high levels of engagement and productivity because they are enthused by what they are learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The academy ensures pupils are skilled in working together collaboratively. Pupils enjoy working in these groups and it is evident that this is teaching them how to evaluate and improve their own work. Teachers are very effective in providing the most-able pupils with opportunities to apply and demonstrate what they have learnt in other subjects and contexts. This is particularly true in mathematics and writing. At the same time, they are careful to check that activities are always accessible to pupils who have not yet fully grasped the key learning points they need to master.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils who have recently joined the academy, including those who speak English as an additional language, receive very good support from teachers and teaching assistants. Through the use of well- chosen resources, such as word banks, along with carefully-phrased questions and instructions by adults, pupils at the early stages of speaking English soon settle in lessons and develop confidence. They, like other pupils, consistently make very good progress in their reading because of the high quality of the support they receive, and the simulating resources and reading material teachers provide for them.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers develop activities within lessons skilfully so that pupils build up the skills and knowledge that they need to be successful in their learning. Support for reading and writing is very good and frequently leads to outstanding achievement. In a Year 6 English lesson, for example, pupils used tablet computers to identify interesting vocabulary that could be used to develop balanced arguments. Subsequently, they were able to post these words on the main electronic white board. There was a real buzz in the room as pupils saw their contributions appearing, which encouraged them to seek even more adventurous words and phrases. Pupils went on to analyse examples of balanced arguments by a range of established authors before writing their own arguments. Finally, they tested out their arguments on each other in a ‘conscience alley’ drama activity. The perceptive way the teacher had linked the various parts of the lesson

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

together ensured pupils made exceptional progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and accurately providing helpful comments that guide pupils in how to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage teaching is consistently at least good. It is strongest in the Reception class where children have the opportunity to take part in very well-planned and imaginative learning activities which are highly relevant to them. Children respond very well to the challenges presented to them and sustain their concentration on the task in hand.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and other pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable, receive well focused support from additional teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers and assistants are highly skilled in helping these pupils to overcome barriers to learning and to catch up with their peers.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to teaching across the academy. Academy leaders have provided teaching assistants with comprehensive training, and this is used very effectively to guide pupils in their learning and gives pupils the confidence to attempt challenging activities.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most three and four-year-old children start at the academy with little knowledge of language, communication and just a basic understanding of number. During their time at the academy they make outstanding progress. By the time that pupils leave the academy at age 11 they reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are at least in line with those found nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 In 2014, the attainment of a high proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics was above the expected level. An increased number of pupils achieved the higher levels in these subjects. This is the result of consistently strong teaching and carefully targeted additional support and intervention.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The proportion of pupils achieving both the expected and higher levels at the end of Year 2 increased significantly from 2013 to 2014 and is now in line with the national averages. This is because the good start that pupils make in the early years is now being built on effectively in Key Stage 1 where the quality of teaching has rapidly improved in the past year.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The large number of pupils that join the academy at points other than the traditional ones make at least good progress, and many make outstanding progress while attending the academy. Teachers quickly identify their learning needs when they start at the academy and provide appropriate interventions. The large turnover of pupils the academy sees means that the published data for the academy does not always give an accurate reflection of the achievement of pupils currently attending it. The academy has developed systems to record and report the achievement of transient pupils but this could be further developed so that the achievement of both stable and transient pupils can be compared and presented with more clarity.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The proportion of pupils that reached the required standard in the national screening check of phonics (the sounds that letters make) at the end of Year 1 in 2014 was almost twice as high as in 2013. This is still below the national figure. However inspection evidence confirms that attainment in phonics continues to improve across the academy. A high proportion of the pupils that were re-screened at the end of Year 2 achieved the required standard in 2014. Current pupils in Year 1 are on track to be at least in line with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disadvantaged pupils make excellent progress in the academy. In writing in particular they make better progress and achieve higher standards than non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. This is because academy leaders use the pupil premium funding to provide focused teaching and mentoring for these pupils to accelerate their progress and fill any gaps in their learning. Disadvantaged pupils were one term ahead of other pupils nationally in writing, and in line with other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics in 2014. They were in line with other pupils in the academy in all three subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The progress made by disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is outstanding. Equally good is the achievement of pupils whose first language is not English or who are from ethnic minorities. Rigorous and regular assessments are made of these groups of pupils and this information is used to identify precisely the additional support and intervention that is required. The leader with responsibility for overseeing the provision of these pupils checks very carefully that the support provided is having the desired impact.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The most-able pupils make outstanding progress which is reflected in the increasing proportions of pupils attaining the higher levels at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Teachers provide many opportunities for most-able pupils to deepen their understanding and apply their learning in extended writing opportunities and through mathematical investigations.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Outstanding teaching, strong leadership and effective support for both children and families in the Nursery and Reception classes enable the youngest children to get off to an excellent start. They are very well prepared for Year 1 by the time they finish the Reception year.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Stimulating indoor and outdoor resources enable the children to settle quickly. Some children in the Nursery class find it difficult to settle to tasks during those times when they choose activities for themselves. Adults encourage and support these children well and, by the time they leave the early years, they have settled into the setting’s routines very well.  In both classes, resources are accessible to the children and the outdoor areas provide stimulating environments for play and learning. These resources, and the excellent care offered by staff, provide the children with the right environment to improve their physical and emotional development in safe and secure surroundings. As a consequence children are kept safe and are well cared for.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 The children behave very well. They cooperate with each other, although some find it difficult to articulate answers to questions or explain what they are doing, reflecting their limited vocabulary and speech. Adults intervene and support children’s development of speech to help them to think and organise their ideas and responses.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Teachers and support staff in both classes use their assessments and records of children’s progress (learning journeys) to plan interesting and varied activities for the children. Workbooks, observations and assessments show that the teaching and support provided for children is usually of good or outstanding quality, and enables the vast majority to achieve very well.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Adults work closely with parents and carers so that the academy’s relationships with families quickly become strong and trusting. Leaders and staff carry out home visits prior to children joining the Nursery or Reception classes. This helps to settle children quickly into the academy so that their first experience of the early years is positive, enjoyable and productive.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Bi-lingual support provided by adults in both classes is helping children who speak both English and other home languages to settle quickly, and this is also reassuring for those particular parents and carers.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 In Reception, there is consistently good or outstanding practice. For example, the children were observed outdoors investigating the early signs of spring. The children were competent at using checklists and computer tablets to observe, record and photograph flowers, blossoming buds and other evidence of the early arrival of spring. This activity resulted in an excellent range of well-formed drawings and accurate writing, demonstrating how well the children are taught to read and write. They also made good progress in science, showing good understanding of plant growth as well as demonstrating competency in using computer tablets.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 There is strong leadership of the early years provision. The monitoring and support provided for staff by the academy’s leaders is highly effective in helping the staff to continually improve their practice. The current focus on moderating assessments across the Nursery and Reception is ensuring greater consistency in the way teachers measure and gauge the children’s progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 139439 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 449916

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 225 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Selvey Principal Lisa Matthews Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0121 464 3125 Fax number 0121 464 3126 Email address enquiry@tiverton.bham.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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