Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard

Inspection of Cherry Orchard Primary Academy Cherry Orchard, Cherry Orchard Road, Ebbsfleet Valley, Ebbsfleet, Kent DA10 1AD

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 9 and 10 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The boundless ambition from everyone at Cherry Orchard is infectious. Staff are united in striving for the best education for every child. This begins right from day one in the Nursery. The academy’s curriculum, based on the International Baccalaureate, enables pupils to acquire a first-rate body of knowledge and skills that develops them into inquisitive, global citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everywhere you go, pupils smile. The impressive outdoor environment gets pupils buzzing with excitement. They enjoy running around the spacious grounds, challenging themselves on the climbing structures and playing a range of team games. Pupils are happy, and they are glad they attend Cherry Orchard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and at ease. They know that any adult would help them if they had any worries. Kindness flows between pupils and adults. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are highly motivated to learn, and focus conscientiously in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy showing off their school. They beamed with pride telling inspectors about the life-size sculptures they had made. Pupils are eager to talk about the large world map inside the building which represents the many countries that they all come from. Leaders are committed to affording experiences and opportunities that will stay in pupils’ hearts.

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better?

The academy’s highly ambitious and well-designed curriculum is carefully crafted around central ideas. Each unit of inquiry ably supports pupils to develop detailed knowledge by making strong connections between different subjects. With this excellent learning, pupils show they can think deeply about what is happening locally, nationally and globally.

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better?

To achieve their curriculum aims, leaders know that every child must be taught to read well first. They accomplish this through all pupils following a highly effective and systematic phonics programme. This starts without delay in Reception. The reading leader is steadfast in ensuring all staff follow the programme exactly. All the resources and carefully matched phonics books are in place to give children everything they need to read. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted on where some pupils are on the phonics programme currently. Leaders have acted swiftly to organise daily, additional phonics sessions to help every child catch up fast. Staff are extensively well trained to teach pupils to read.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable about the curriculum that pupils learn. In the early years, staff plan learning that is purposeful for children to learn and develop well, particularly physically and socially. Adults’ interactions with the youngest children are tip top. They exploit every opportunity to move children on in their activities and independent play. In other year groups, teachers use assessment well to identify whether pupils are secure in their understanding. If not, teachers work assiduously 9 and 10 November 2021

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so that pupils remember key content. In all year groups, pupils practise daily their recall of their learning from yesterday, last term and last year. This approach works exceptionally well.

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Pupils’ development beyond academic subjects is first class. The notable experiences the academy provides are no bolt-on. Instead, they are intricately woven into the curriculum. These opportunities enable pupils to express themselves confidently and respect different perspectives from their own. Pupils are caring, principled and open- minded. Leaders begin teaching these attributes in the early years. By the time pupils leave Year 6, they are well prepared for the next chapter of their lives.

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Many pupils join and leave at different times in the school year due to an ever- changing housing market and economic situation in and outside London. Leaders are on the ball in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who arrive. They assess precisely to ensure a child gets what they need to help them learn successfully. Leaders are ambitious for all children irrespective of circumstances. Within the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, adults provide bespoke support to help pupils achieve their potential.

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Leaders and staff benefit greatly from Leigh Academies Trust’s wealth of expertise. The extensive training programme from the trust ensures all staff develop professionally in their craft. Senior leaders offer the right support and coaching to develop new subject leaders’ knowledge. Staff are glowing in their praise for leaders’ support and care shown to them. They say the principal’s door is always open to staff if they need to talk.

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Trustees are experts in their field. They robustly hold leaders to account for the quality of pupils’ education. They leave no stone unturned. Trustees delegate certain functions of the academy’s educational performance to the local academy board. These governors perform their duties exceptionally well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Trustees describe safeguarding as the ‘bedrock’ of Cherry Orchard. It underpins all that leaders do. Staff have access to ongoing training which strengthens their safeguarding knowledge. They share concerns immediately with the designated safeguarding lead and record these on the academy’s ‘green’ forms. Leaders make swift and well considered decisions to protect children from risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

During the pandemic, leaders have been astute about more pupils working online than before. Risks of social media and technology are carefully planned into the curriculum. Pupils are knowledgeable about organisations that can help them stay safe online. 9 and 10 November 2021

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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. 9 and 10 November 2021

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Website

www.cherryorchardprimaryacademy.org. uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The academy is part of the Leigh Academies Trust. It first opened in September 2017 as a two-form entry primary school that would build cumulatively from Nursery to Year 6. In its first year of opening, it began with Nursery through to Year 2. The principal started at the time of the new academy opening. This academic year, there are Year 6 classes for the first time.  In October 2021, the academy was authorised as an International Baccalaureate World School. It teaches the Primary Years Programme.  There is a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND that caters for pupils with an education, health and care plan for speech, language and communication needs. There are 14 pupils from Years 1 to 6 attending the specially resourced provision.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 9 and 10 November 2021

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

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 Inspectors met with the senior leadership team and the academies director of the trust. The lead inspector met with the chief executive, the chair of trustees and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the academy board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, computing and modern foreign languages. This involved discussion with leaders about these subjects and the curriculum plans, visits to lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils, teachers and teaching assistants from the lessons visited about the subjects.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspection team spoke with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to examine records and actions. This included sampling case files to explore how the

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school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm. A team inspector reviewed checks on the safer recruitment of staff.  Inspectors spoke to pupils from different year groups about their learning and experiences at school.  The views of staff, including 25 responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey, were considered.  Inspectors talked to parents at the start of the day. The 108 written responses to Ofsted Parent View were taken into account.  The inspection team looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the academy’s performance agreement, policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, published information about pupils’ performance and minutes of governance.  Inspectors looked at information published on the academy’s website.

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mineza Maher Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 November 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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