Landau Forte Academy Moorhead

Landau Forte Academy Moorhead Brackens Lane, Alvaston, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 0AN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection.  Leaders have not acted on the advice they have been given quickly enough. Recent improvements have not had enough impact.  The trust has not provided effective support for the school. Trustees have failed to hold leaders to account. They have been too accepting of information given to them by leaders.  Leaders did not ensure that teachers had accurate information about disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their needs have not been well met. These pupils have not made as much progress as they should.  Teachers do not know their pupils well enough. They have not kept accurate assessment records. Learning is not planned well. Pupils do not build effectively upon prior learning.  Teachers do not routinely set challenging work for all pupils. Expectations are too low.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are not always engaged in their learning. There is some low-level disruption when teaching is uninspiring or does not meet pupils’ needs.  The curriculum is narrow. It does not provide for pupils to learn about a wide range of subjects other than English and mathematics. Pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils’ attainment has declined. The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is too low.  The progress of pupils has declined since the last inspection.  Leadership of the early years has not been effective. The quality of teaching and learning has declined. Children do not get off to a good start in the early years.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ attendance has improved. Procedures for monitoring this are increasingly effective.  New leaders have a developing understanding of what the school needs to do to improve.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management by making sure that: – those responsible for governance secure a sustainable and strong leadership team that can improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school – leaders effectively, systematically and urgently address poor-quality teaching and learning – leaders monitor the impact of support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, to ensure that they are making good progress – senior and middle leaders’ and teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning are accurate and are used effectively to monitor the progress that pupils are making – senior and middle leaders provide pupils with a curriculum that enables them to develop knowledge, skills and understanding in a wide variety of subjects, and prepares them well for life in British society – leaders insist on the consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy, so all pupils behave well, and teaching and learning are not disrupted

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– the interim executive board (IEB) develops the role of its members in monitoring the work of school leaders.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning and thereby outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: – teachers have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve – teachers use assessment information effectively to plan learning which builds systematically on what pupils already know – teachers identify and tackle misconceptions, so pupils understand how to improve their work – teaching meets the needs of pupils with SEND, and disadvantaged pupils, so these pupils make progress that is at least good, from their different starting points – teachers provide work that challenges all pupils, including the most able pupils – pupils’ reading books are well matched to their abilities – all pupils write for a range of purposes across the curriculum.  Improve pupils’ personal development, welfare and behaviour by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that all pupils are engaged in learning and do not disrupt others’ learning.  Urgently improve the early years by: – securing high-quality, permanent leadership for this area of the school’s work – ensuring that leaders of the early years have sufficient resources to make the necessary improvements – providing professional development for teachers and staff to improve their knowledge of the curriculum and effective practice – ensuring that staff keep accurate assessments of children’s learning and use these to plan exciting and engaging learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have not responded effectively to the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They have not acted upon the advice they have been given. As a result, teaching and learning have not improved and outcomes for pupils have declined.  The trust has not secured consistent leadership. There have been many changes since the previous inspection; for example, the current leadership team has only been in place since January 2019. These changes have created significant instability and a lack of capacity to bring about improvements.  The trust has not held school leaders to account for improvements. Until recently, trustees did not recognise that standards were declining further. Their monitoring to identify weaknesses and to provide support and challenge for leaders has not been effective in helping the school to improve.  Leaders have not improved the quality of teaching and learning. Support provided for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

teachers to enable them to improve has been ineffective. Leaders have not acted quickly when the support provided for staff has failed to make a positive difference.  The school’s information for monitoring the attainment and progress of pupils has not been accurate. Leaders have been unable to hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils are making. Leaders have very recently established a new assessment system, but this is not being used to monitor the progress pupils make from their starting points at the end of the early years or key stage 1.  The school’s curriculum does not provide pupils with opportunities to learn in a wide range of subjects. Too much emphasis is placed on English and mathematics. The school’s curriculum does not develop pupils’ understanding of the world around them or develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. Consequently, pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders have not monitored the use of the pupil premium fund carefully to understand how actions are impacting on the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making. Leaders do not know which actions are effective and which are not.  The development of leadership for pupils with SEND has been too slow. Leaders have only recently begun to identify pupils with SEND, and the support they require, with some accuracy. Leaders do not routinely seek external support when required. Parents and carers are not consistently well informed about the support pupils receive. Leaders do not monitor whether the support provided is having an impact on the progress that pupils with SEND are making.  The trust has recently sourced additional support to increase the capacity of current school leaders in an effort to bring about more rapid change. This has resulted in some recent improvement. However, in some cases, this improvement has not been

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

sustained when the support has been withdrawn.  The recently appointed headteacher has a realistic view of the school. With the new leadership team, she is beginning to hold teachers to account. Some training has established a more consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour and the teaching of phonics and mathematics. However, these improvements are at an early stage of implementation and have not yet had significant impact on attainment or progress across the school.  Interim middle leaders are very new to their positions of responsibility and are keen to make a difference. They have implemented some actions but have not monitored the impact these are having on raising standards.  The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium is used effectively. Leaders have prioritised raising attainment for pupils who cannot yet swim 25 metres. Pupils appreciate active lunchtimes and the opportunities to take parts in sports, such as

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Governance of the school

 The trust disbanded the school’s local governing body in July 2018 and appointed an interim executive board. The school’s previous local governing body did not act with enough urgency to improve the school. They did not hold school leaders to account.  The interim executive board has not ensured that the school has improved since the last inspection. They have not held leaders to account with rigour. Only recently have they ensured that they have an accurate understanding of how leaders are attempting to improve the school.  Board members now check that an appropriate improvement plan is in place. This is still at an early stage of implementation. They challenge the accuracy of the information they are given by school leaders. However, they do not yet evaluate in depth all aspects of school leadership and performance.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have ensured that staff know what to do when they are concerned about a pupil. Staff have found this training helpful. Leaders have established clear procedures and make prompt referrals to external agencies when needed. They work closely with other agencies so appropriate support is available for pupils and their families.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They understand the importance of reporting upsetting comments to an adult so that action can be taken.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching and learning is poor. Teaching does not enable pupils to make the strong progress they need to reach the expected standards by the end of key stage 2. The considerable turbulence in teaching staff has resulted in a lack of consistency in approaches to developing teaching and learning.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, should be able to achieve. Teachers do not use information about what pupils already know to plan tasks which meet their needs. Teachers’ understanding of what pupils know is not accurate enough to use as a starting point for learning. Pupils complete tasks that are too easy or too hard for them.  Teachers do not recognise when pupils do not understand something. As a result, misconceptions remain. Teachers do not set tasks which clearly match the intended learning. Explanations are confused, and pupils do not know what they need to do.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The strategies in place to support pupils with SEND do not help them to make strong progress from their different starting points. Tasks are not matched closely to their ability. Leaders do not monitor the support put in place for pupils regularly to ensure that it is making a difference.  Teachers have not ensured that pupils are secure in their phonics knowledge. While recent training has improved teachers’ subject knowledge, the quality of phonics teaching is inconsistent. Teachers do not match pupils’ reading books to their abilities so, often, the books pupils read do not extend their reading skills.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to write with purpose and at length. They are too reliant on support from adults and lack the skills to write independently. The presentation of pupils’ work is improving.  There is now a more consistent approach to the teaching of mathematics across the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

school. In some classes, pupils’ fluency is increasing. However, teachers’ subject knowledge is not consistently strong. There are too few opportunities for pupils to discuss what they know through problem solving, reasoning and numeracy.  Teachers do not plan for pupils to encounter a broad range of knowledge or for them to systematically improve their understanding in subjects such as geography and science.  In some parts of the school there is more effective teaching and learning. In these classes, teachers use their subject knowledge to adapt their teaching to provide additional challenge for the most able or support for those who may need it. In these classes, pupils typically make stronger progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  There is not yet an adequate curriculum for personal, social and health education. There are too few opportunities for pupils to become self-confident and aspirational learners.  Most pupils understand about bullying. Pupils feel that when bullying happens it is generally dealt with by staff, but that some name-calling still occurs. They know to whom in the school they should report their concerns. However, some parents do not feel that concerns about bullying are fully addressed.  Pupils know it is wrong to treat someone differently based on their race. However, there are too few opportunities to explore cultural difference.  Leaders are developing activities to build pupils’ self-esteem and communication skills. Some pupils enjoy the gardening and sewing clubs.  The members of the recently appointed school council are growing in confidence.

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Personal development and welfare

Councillors spoke about presenting their favourite book in an assembly on World Book Day. Pupils were proud of their contribution.  Leaders have established a clear moral code in the school. An assembly about Ash Wednesday provided pupils with the opportunity to think about how their actions could help others through acts of kindness.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Behaviour has not improved since the last inspection. The proportion of fixed-term exclusions has risen.  Behaviour during lesson times is not always positive. When teaching is weak, pupils’ interest wanes and some low-level disruption takes place. Pupils are not consistently engaged in their learning. Conversely, when teaching is more effective, pupils have positive attitudes and are keen to do well.  Most pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They enjoy playing games in different zones of the playground at lunchtimes and are helpful in the dining hall. They wait patiently in the queue to be served.  The school has recently adopted a consistent approach to behaviour management, which is used by all staff throughout the school. Pupils told inspectors that poor behaviour is generally dealt with and they know there are now consequences for their

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Behaviour

actions.  Leaders now record and monitor the incidents that take place. They have begun to build links with external agencies to provide additional support for pupils and families.  Leaders monitor attendance more closely than previously. They work with parents so that they understand their responsibility to ensure that their children attend school every day. Attendance has improved and is now broadly average for all groups. Persistent absence has declined but remains above the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Over the past three years, the progress pupils made by the end of key stage 2 declined. Progress in reading and mathematics has been particularly weak.  Too few pupils reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. They are not well prepared for secondary school.  Pupils’ workbooks show that, too often, pupils are not set tasks that meet their needs. They are not making secure progress.  Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is weak and their attainment lower than that of their peers. Although some disadvantaged pupils are making stronger progress than before, this is not evident consistently across the school.  Leaders have only recently begun to identify accurately pupils with SEND. They have not yet begun to effectively track the progress of these pupils. Scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks shows that these pupils are not making strong progress.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils who reached the required standard in the end of Year 1

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

national phonics screening check has been consistently below the national average for the past three years. The proportion of current pupils who are working at the standard expected for their age in phonics is very low.  Attainment by the end of key stage 1 is low and few pupils attain at greater depth. Scrutiny of workbooks shows that too few pupils are currently making the progress necessary to address this.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Leaders have failed to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the early years. Currently, there is no leader for the provision. Staff have not received effective training to enable them to develop their practice.  The proportion of children who attained a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year declined in 2018 and was lower than the national figure. Too few disadvantaged children attain a good level of development.  There has been turbulence in the staffing of the early years. Recently, leaders have provided support to improve the quality of teaching and learning. However, this support did not have the impact that leaders had expected.  Teachers do not know what children can already do. Assessment information is not accurate or updated regularly. Teachers do not have a secure understanding of the early years curriculum. They do not plan activities which meet the needs of all children.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Teachers’ expectations of what children should be able to achieve are too low. New learning is limited, and children repeat tasks that they have already demonstrated they can do. Adults do not address children’s misconceptions. Current children have made little progress, including disadvantaged children.  Leaders have begun to work more closely with parents and external agencies so that additional support can be put in place for children with SEND. The impact of the support provided has not been monitored to understand its effect on the progress these children are making.  New staff have established some routines. However, these are not well understood by some children, who frequently need reminding of expectations of behaviour. The poor behaviour of some children impacts negatively upon the learning of others.  Children are developing independent toileting skills and can put on coats ready to go

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Early years provision Inadequate

out. They enjoy being in the well-equipped outdoor area. For example, inspectors observed adults developing children’s understanding of road safety within a role play about bridge building. Children generally respond well to familiar stories. Many join in with repeated refrains and copy the expression that the teacher uses.  Leaders have ensured that appropriate risk assessments are in place. Children are safe.  The school’s survey of parents indicated that they were pleased with their children’s transition into school at the beginning of the year. However, the parents who spoke with the inspector or who commented through Ofsted’s online survey felt that communication with staff was not strong. There are insufficient opportunities for parents to contribute towards records of their children’s progress. Children are not well prepared for transition to Year 1.

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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

Date of previous inspection 14–15 June 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The headteacher was appointed from the end of August 2018. The interim assistant headteacher was appointed for the spring term 2019. Two new assistant headteachers are due to take up their positions in April 2019. There have been several changes to middle leadership within the school during the current school year.  The school is part of the Landau Forte Charitable Trust. An interim executive board (IEB) was set up to replace the previous local governing body in July 2018. The current chair of the IEB took up his post in February 2019.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in all classes. Some of these observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher or the assistant headteacher designate. Inspectors heard readers from key stages 1 and 2 and spoke with groups of pupils.  Inspectors spoke with leaders in the school and scrutinised the school’s assessment information.  Inspectors spoke with parents taking their children to school and took account of the 13 responses expressed on Parent View.  Inspectors spoke with staff. They met with the subject leaders for mathematics and English.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents which the school provided, such as minutes of the IEB meetings and development plans. The lead inspector spoke with the chair of the IEB, the chief executive officer and the interim education director of Landau Forte Charitable Trust.

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Inspection team

Hazel Henson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Moira Dales Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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