Springfield Academy

Inspection of Springfield Academy Lawton Drive, Bulwell Hall Estate, Bulwell, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG6 8BL

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Springfield Academy has high ambitions for every pupil. Staff care about the pupils and want them to be the best that they can be. Leaders have developed a ‘Just Like Me, Bee Like Me’ approach that encourages pupils to believe they can succeed in life. Pupils learn about inspirational people and talk about the jobs they want to do when they are older.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All adults expect pupils to behave well in lessons and around the school. The ‘Springy Family’ characters, which include ‘Good Choice Chester’ and ‘Keep Calm Claire’, help pupils to understand what good behaviour looks like. Pupils know that some of their classmates find good behaviour more difficult. However, they say that adults in school are good at helping these pupils. One child said, ‘Teachers show us how to behave properly, how to talk to people and [how to] have good manners.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They understand what bullying is and say that it does not happen very often. Every child who inspectors asked could name an adult in school who they would be happy to talk to if they had a problem.

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better?

Leaders have developed a broad curriculum. Topics have been chosen to engage pupils in their learning. Curriculum plans outline the knowledge that pupils need to remember, as well as subject-related vocabulary. While the curriculum has been developed for all subjects, leaders are reviewing the content of their existing plans for foundation subjects. This is because leaders know that some of these plans do not pay enough regard to the order in which key knowledge is taught.

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better?

In some subjects, for example English and mathematics, teachers check pupils’ learning effectively. However, in other subjects, assessment systems have not been fully developed to check how much pupils know and remember over time.

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better?

Reading is a priority in the school. Leaders are ambitious that all pupils will become fluent and enthusiastic readers. Staff read to pupils daily from a range of age- appropriate books. Teachers provide pupils with a wealth of rewards when they read independently. These rewards include ‘Red Ted’, where pupils can collect a teddy with various outfits. Pupils told inspectors that these rewards motivate them to read more.

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better?

The teaching of phonics begins at the start of early years. In nursery, pupils sing nursery rhymes and read traditional tales. Pupils begin to learn the sounds that letters make when they move into the Reception year. Teachers regularly check the sounds that pupils know. This information is used to make sure that pupils read books that match these sounds. Pupils who find phonics more difficult are given extra help to catch up quickly. 14 and 15 September 2021

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. Pupils with SEND are well known by all staff. Teachers make sure that the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils with SEND. This personalised approach is successful in enabling pupils with SEND to be included in all aspects of school life.

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Pupils have rich and varied opportunities for personal development. Leaders make sure that pupils are given life experiences that they might not otherwise have. An example of this is ‘The Djanogly Dozen’, where pupils have a chance to participate in 12 exciting events during their time at the school. These include a visit to London, learning to cook and a trip to the seaside. Diversity is celebrated at Springfield Academy. Pupils show high levels of respect for each other. One child told inspectors, ‘We’re all the same. We don’t always look the same, but we shouldn’t be treated differently.’

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Many pupils enter the early years with skills below those which are typical for their age. Staff get to know the pupils quickly. They assess their needs and plan activities which pupils find engaging. As a result, pupils were observed learning and playing together happily – even at this very early stage in the school year.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety. They check that staff and visitors to the school are suitable to work with children. Leaders make sure that staff have the training they need to spot pupils who may be at risk of harm. All staff know how to report any concerns they have. Safeguarding leaders follow up any concerns that staff raise rigorously and seek support from external agencies where needed. Leaders know their community exceptionally well. This local knowledge helps leaders to address specific safeguarding risks that pupils might face in their area.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have developed curriculum plans for every subject and for every year group, starting in early years foundation stage. As the result of a curriculum audit, leaders are now reviewing existing plans for foundation subjects. This is being completed in order to ensure that the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember is explicit and more clearly sequenced. Some of these reviewed plans are already in place, for example in science, history and geography. Leaders should ensure that the remaining curriculum reviews are completed. Leaders should also prioritise monitoring activities to check the impact these improved plans are having on the quality of pupils’ learning.  Effective assessment procedures are in place for English and mathematics. However, systems are not yet in place to check that the key knowledge that is 14 and 15 September 2021

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taught in the foundation subjects is remembered by pupils. Leaders should ensure that consistent and manageable assessment procedures are developed in these subjects. This will help teachers to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to plan for future learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 14 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200438 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Springfield Academy has been a part of Djanogly Learning Trust since June 2017.  This is the school’s first inspection since it joined Djanogly Learning Trust.  The school is an average-sized primary school.  The school provides a breakfast club for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, and other leaders, including the early years leader, the leader with responsibility for pupils with SEND and safeguarding leaders. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 Meetings were also held with representatives from Djanogly Learning Trust and three governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors considered the quality of education and looked in detail at reading, mathematics, science and history. Inspectors talked to curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, visited lessons, heard pupils read and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans for a wider range of subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and at various points in the school day. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s documents and records relating to pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors met parents at the start of the day and reviewed the seven responses from parents to the online survey. We also took account of the 21 responses to the online questionnaire for staff. There were no responses to the pupils’ survey.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors reviewed a range of documents, met with

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leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks on staff. Inspectors spoke to staff and governors about the school’s safeguarding arrangements.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Moore Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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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