Cloudside Academy

Inspection of Cloudside Academy Stanton Road, Sandiacre, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG10 5DE

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 and 12 January 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘greatness, responsibility, optimism, wisdom, tolerance and honesty’ (GROWTH) are truly lived out at Cloudside Academy. This is a happy school where pupils feel safe. They are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils’ behaviour is good. They said that bullying is rare. When it does happen, adults deal with it. They support everyone involved, so that it is less likely to happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the varied experiences and opportunities the school offers them, for example the ‘job shop’. As one pupil said, reflecting the views of others, ‘We would never be bored in school.’ Staff offer a wide range of opportunities, despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are very positive about the school. They recognise the significant improvements that have been made in recent years. They appreciate the range of clubs and activities on offer. As one parent put it, ‘Cloudside is a school that supports the emotional well-being of each child, along with high expectations of all the children.’

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better?

Leaders, teachers and support staff strive to provide the best education for pupils. Leaders have carefully designed an ambitious curriculum. They ensure that the curriculum develops key concepts. For example, in history, pupils learn about chronology across all year groups. Leaders have identified essential knowledge the pupils need to learn. The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed curriculum planning in some areas, such as religious education.

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better?

Staff have raised the profile of books and reading across the school. Pupils read widely and often. They said that they love reading. Leaders have quickly identified, and are addressing, gaps in pupils’ reading skills. They have introduced phonics to help pupils who have fallen behind in reading. Pupils in Year 3 are catching up with their reading.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. Staff are quick to notice and help when a pupil is struggling. Adults know the pupils well and give them the right support to achieve. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make progress through the curriculum. Many parents recognise improvements in the provision for pupils with SEND.

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better?

Teachers and support staff are skilled in developing pupils’ learning. They ask questions to check pupils’ understanding in lessons. Leaders are developing assessment processes that check pupils’ long-term learning in all subjects. 11 and 12 January 2022

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Pupils apply themselves well in lessons. The majority behave well. They take pride in their work. Leaders are addressing barriers to learning effectively. Staff, parents and pupils said that behaviour has improved significantly in the last two years. Exclusions are reducing. Attendance is improving. Leaders work with parents to improve pupils’ attendance.

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Pupils learn about different religions and cultures. They develop a sense of right and wrong and being fair and honest. Pupils understand the importance of respect.

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Governors and trustees fulfil their responsibilities well. Trust officers, trustees and governors have provided effective support to improve the school. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Staff know pupils well. They take swift action when they identify concerns about a pupil’s welfare. They work with external agencies to provide additional support.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are aware of potential local safeguarding risks. They have adapted the curriculum to support pupils in knowing how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are taught how to report any concerns they may have for their own or others’ safety.

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Safeguarding

The school has robust systems in place to monitor safeguarding. These systems make sure that recruitment is managed safely. Safeguarding records are thorough.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers regularly check pupils’ work. However, the effectiveness of assessment is variable in foundation subjects. Teachers do not check whether pupils have learned essential knowledge and concepts. Leaders should develop effective assessment methods in all subjects. 11 and 12 January 2022

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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. 11 and 12 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212022 Type of school Junior

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School details

Headteacher Nicola McIntyre (Executive headteacher) Jodie Milson (Interim head of school) Website www.cloudsideacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Cloudside Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Sandiacre Cloudside Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.  The school has been sponsored by L.E.A.D. Academy Trust since September 2017.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.  There have been many changes in the school’s senior leadership team since the school became an academy. The trust has managed and overseen these changes.

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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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 11 and 12 January 2022

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the interim head of school and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with members of the academy governing body, including the chair. They met with two trust officers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, history and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors visited lessons in other subjects. They looked at curriculum plans. They spoke to leaders about other subjects and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to talk about the quality of education and other aspects of school life. Inspectors met with a group of staff. They spoke with staff and pupils informally.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator. They reviewed the

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school’s SEND provision and scrutinised plans for individual pupils. Inspectors visited lessons, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with safeguarding leaders and reviewed safeguarding policies and records. They scrutinised the single central record.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents. They looked at the school’s website and the published information about the school’s performance and policies.  Inspectors observed pupils at the start of the school day, breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the 37 views of parents who completed Ofsted’s Parent View survey, as well as the 29 free-text responses received. They considered other correspondence received from parents. They reviewed 13 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2022

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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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