King Offa Primary Academy

Inspection of King Offa Primary Academy Down Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 4HS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 15–16 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending King Offa Primary Academy. They are happy and smile a lot. Pupils report feeling safe in school and most parents agree with their children’s views.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect the school values of ‘knowledge, safety, health and equality’. Most pupils behave well, responding to staff’s high expectations. Pupils say bullying occurs very rarely. Whenever necessary, pupils are sensitively and helpfully supported by staff to resolve any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect the very best academic achievement for all pupils. They have ensured that pupils learn a wide range of subjects. Most pupils try their very best in the subjects they study.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ achievements are celebrated regularly. Pupils enjoy being named the ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ of the class. This award recognises an individual pupil’s efforts and personal success weekly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils often present or perform their work to others. For example, through termly and annual events, such as the Paragon celebrations. These are enjoyed greatly by the school and wider community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed helpful links with a number of community providers. Pupils learn how to help their own and other communities. Pupils benefit from a range of visitors to the school, including the very popular therapy dogs, Moose and Missy.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for pupils to study. They have ensured that the topics pupils learn about are sequenced in a logical order. Pupils are taught knowledge and skills that build on what they have learned before. For example, in mathematics, children in the early years use their knowledge of 2D and 3D shape to design and build rockets. Older pupils learn to name, describe and categorise increasingly complex shapes. Teachers use their subject knowledge well to teach lessons that engage most pupils. Pupils enjoy learning.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive personalised and group teaching, alongside their other lessons. These help pupils with SEND to become more independent, as well as developing other skills and subject knowledge. Pupils with SEND are very well supported.

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better?

Teachers question pupils often to check what they know and remember. For example, teachers use subject quizzes regularly to confirm what pupils know. However, some pupils do not remember what they have been taught well enough. For example, in Year 4 some pupils do not remember the history knowledge they 15–16 January 2020

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have been taught. Consequently, some pupils do not have the knowledge and skills they need before moving to the next stage of learning.

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Children get off to a good start in their education, in the early years. They play and learn together well, in a caring environment. Leaders have recently improved the way in which children learn phonics in Reception. However, some children do not know the expected sounds well enough. As a result, a few children lose focus when they are taught more difficult sounds. Nevertheless, more children than previously are remembering the sounds they need to read and write.

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Leaders have created an evident reading culture across the school. In Year 1 particularly, leaders have developed an effective daily routine where pupils are read to, read to each other and to adults. Pupils read often. The few pupils that need to catch up with reading are supported to do so. The support is personalised to their needs. Most of these pupils catch up.

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Trustees receive helpful information from school leaders, to understand how the school priorities are being achieved. Trust leaders’ work and partnerships with other trust schools benefit the school’s improvement journey. For example, trust-wide teacher exchanges with schools in the USA support teachers’ professional development. The work of trustees and trust leaders is well placed to support the school further.

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Leaders have developed a range of opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy, for example sporting clubs after school and first aid training. Pupils have a good understanding of how to look after themselves and others.

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Pupils learn about life in modern Britain. They engage in interesting debates. For example, Year 6 pupils ponder the question ‘Is marriage a choice?’ Pupils respect other people’s views and differences.

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Leaders share pupils’ achievement and successes proudly with the local community. Most parents are supportive of the school and the work it does. One parent spoke for many when they commented, ‘This is a very good school, where all pupils are happy.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed a culture where pupils’ safety is of the utmost importance. Leaders fulfil their legal safeguarding duties. They train staff to know their safeguarding responsibilities. Consequently, staff know when and how to report any concerns they have about a pupil’s safety. These concerns are followed up promptly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with other agencies to support vulnerable pupils and their families. They ensure that pupils receive the support they need. 15–16 January 2020

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Trustees work with school leaders to check regularly that the culture of safeguarding remains effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although teachers check if pupils know and remember the subject knowledge taught, some pupils do not have the knowledge and skills they need for the next steps of the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that teachers’ methods of checking what pupils know identify pupils’ gaps in knowledge fully. These gaps should be resolved in order that even more pupils are well prepared for the next steps in the subjects taught.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 15–16 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10087958 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website http://www.kingoffaprimaryacademy.org/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The head of school started in September 2018.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with senior leaders, curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the board of trustees. He met with the chief executive officer of the trust and the executive headteacher. The lead inspector met a representative group of the local academy board.  We met with parents and carers at the start of one day of the inspection. We considered the school’s parent and staff survey responses.  The lead inspector reviewed the school’s website, publicly available information on pupils’ performance and other relevant school documentation.  The lead inspector reviewed safeguarding procedures in place at the school, including checking the single central record and safeguarding policies. He met with the designated safeguarding lead. 15–16 January 2020

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 We observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, at lunchtimes and as they moved around the school.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and computing.

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Inspection team

Dylan Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanna Toulson Ofsted Inspector 15–16 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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