Keelby Primary Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Annabel Cowling Principal Keelby Primary Academy Manor Street Keelby Grimsby Lincolnshire DN41 8EF

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Following my visit to the school on 23 January 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since your predecessor school was judged to be good in June 2012.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You joined the school in September 2013, and in 2015 the school became an academy with the Enquire Learning Trust. Much has happened to develop and improve the school and you have successfully built a positive environment in which pupils can ‘spread their wings and fly high’.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Leaders have ensured that pupils’ interests are excited by a stimulating environment in which to learn. The school is immaculate. Many displays, learning walls and resources are magnificent. Classrooms positively ‘buzz’ with pupils whose interests are being stimulated and whose efforts are regularly celebrated. As a result, pupils are ambitious, enthusiastic and confident learners. Year 6 pupils told the inspector that they appreciate the efforts of all their teachers and relish the opportunities to ‘share, discuss and confidently ask questions’. They said that they feel ‘really lucky to attend this school’.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Many parents and carers said that their children feel happy and safe in school and are achieving well. Parents are invited into the school to partake in the first learning activity of the day with their child. Parents told the inspector that this is ‘such a positive way’ to meet with teachers and learn alongside their child. The majority of parents spoken with and those who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school to others. You are proud of the positive relationships built with parents and the local community. However, you recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that communication is as good as is needed in order to keep parents well informed.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

You now have a senior leadership team of skilled and highly talented leaders. A new chair of the governing body joined the school in September 2017. Leadership capacity to ensure that the school continually develops and improves is strong. We discussed the importance of developing middle leadership in the school. You are keen to develop the talents of your staff and ensure that leadership at all levels is effective. Rightly, this is a critical focus of your school improvement planning.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Leaders have recognised the importance of ensuring that pupils make the progress they should. The key improvement priority is to ensure that pupils have the literacy and numeracy skills required to successfully move to the next stage in their education. The whole-school focus on writing and mastery in mathematics is bearing fruit. You are pleased that a greater proportion of pupils in all key stages are achieving as they should in these important areas.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

A range of factors out of the control of the school led to a fall in pupils’ attendance in 2017. This was an unusual year. In this smaller-than-average school, small pupil numbers can skew the percentage information. Nevertheless, the proportion of pupils that regularly failed to attend school rose to levels above the national average. Leaders have responded promptly and effectively to this dip in pupils’ attendance. Currently, the proportion of pupils that are persistently absent from school has reduced and is currently well below the national average. The most recent information indicates that pupils’ absence is much lower than that of other pupils nationally.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

The revised behaviour policy is effective. You are proud of the pupils that attend the school. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The pupils that the inspector spoke with were articulate, polite and passionate about their school and their teachers.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Pupils said that they feel safe in their school. They said that they have someone in school to go to if they need help. They particularly respect their teachers and said that they are ‘supportive if you struggle’.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

They said that they appreciate the opportunities to be fully involved in the life of the school. The student council shapes decisions and is active. For example, the council e-safety representatives successfully addressed some online issues relating to younger pupils, including raising the awareness of parents. Each week, the student council conducts an assembly. This is a further opportunity to inform peers about safeguarding matters and to collect their views. Pupils said that they value the student council and that it makes a positive difference to them.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

Pupils are taught how to keep safe from harm in a range of ways including in assemblies. They also receive guidance from external experts about, for example, first aid, how to ride a bike safely and how to eat healthily and keep fit. The most vulnerable pupils receive good support. The systems in place to protect children are robust. Links with external agencies are good, and actions to address critical issues happen in a timely fashion. Often, leaders and teachers go the ‘extra mile’ in order to ensure that pupils and families gain the support that they need. The school employs the ‘nurture lady’ in order to provide emotional support and therapy to identified pupils in need. Each week, the Monday evening surgery takes place so that parents have a regular point of contact if needed. Leaders are keen to adapt provision to meet demand.

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Short inspection of Keelby Primary Academy

The safeguarding policy is up to date, is regularly reviewed and is well understood. Pupils’ safety and welfare are a high priority for all who work in the school. Much successful action takes place to ensure that pupils are safe.

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Inspection findings

 Although improving, there remain inconsistencies in the progress made by pupils as they move through school. Some pupils lack specific skills in writing, particularly grammar, punctuation and spelling, and in aspects of mathematics. Some are not sufficiently challenged in subjects outside of English and mathematics. Leaders are aware of these inconsistencies and are taking action to bring improvement.  End of key stage 1 and key stage 2 assessments have been externally moderated and judged to be accurate. Teachers and leaders work with other schools within the trust to ensure that assessments are checked and are correct. You believe it is the quality of teaching that is the key to ensuring that pupils progress as they should.  There have been changes to leadership and to teaching staff. This has caused some concern for parents. It has also slowed elements of school improvement, particularly at middle leadership level.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders have adapted the whole-school attendance policy, particularly in relation to parents who take their child on holiday during term time. Leaders regularly communicate to parents via the attendance newsletter the importance of their child attending school. Pupils’ attendance information is scrutinised weekly, and parents are invited into the school if their child is failing to attend as they should. Systems are more rigorous; consequently, more pupils are attending school.  Leaders are keen to promote a positive culture in which pupils are expected to attend every day. Pupils receive class rewards and individual awards for good attendance. Pupils told the inspector that they want to come to school because they enjoy it.  A new behaviour policy is in place and implemented by all staff and by pupils. Staff have been involved in a programme of professional development. Additional activities are now planned at lunchtime and playtime so that these are more

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Inspection findings

sociable and productive aspects of the school day. Pupils’ good behaviour is celebrated with a range of individual and class rewards. Pupils said that they appreciate the rewards they receive. Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is exemplary.  The local governing body provide good support. Governors are committed to the school and ensure that their work is visible to parents. The chair of governors particularly provides effective challenge to leaders.  The school has been identified as a self-sustaining school by the leaders of the Enquire Learning Trust. This is indicative of the good quality of the school leadership. You have access to a wide range of support from the trust, including partnership working with the local ‘hub’ of schools and termly development support, which is valued highly. The support received has resulted in good improvement. However, more support is needed to develop further the middle

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils attend every day so that levels of attendance rise above the national average  those pupils who are not doing as well as others make the progress they should, particularly when they move to a new class  middle leadership in the school is fully developed and is effective  the positive work of the school is communicated successfully to parents.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Enquire Learning Multi Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, your senior leadership team, the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and representatives of the Enquire Learning Trust, including the chief executive officer. I met with a group of Year 6 pupils and spoke with parents at the start of the school day. I considered the views of 44 parents posted on Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. There were no responses to the pupils’ survey or the staff survey. We conducted a scrutiny of Year 6 pupils’ work across a range of subjects studied. I evaluated a range of documents, including leaders’ self- evaluation, development planning, safeguarding records and policies.

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