Inkersall Spencer Academy

Inspection of Inkersall Spencer Academy Inkersall Green Road, Inkersall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 3SE

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2022

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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 Requires improvement 15 and 16 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a rapidly improving school. Pupils say they are happy and feel safe here. They behave well. They enjoy being rewarded by receiving points and certificates in assemblies. Any rare instances of bullying are dealt with promptly. Pupils are enthusiastic. They enjoy school and work hard. Classrooms are busy and purposeful. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils who require extra care or support receive it quickly. The ‘Thrive’ programme helps pupils with social and/or emotional needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff alike know the school’s SMART values well. These encourage pupils to, for example, succeed, make every day count and be respectful. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to take on extra responsibilities. These include being office assistants, librarians, class ambassadors and members of the school and eco-councils. Staff have high expectations. One pupil said, ‘You have to have a go!’ The Year 4 ‘brilliant club’ recently visited a university. This helped to raise their aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Typical comments included, ‘My children are happy from the moment they enter the school gates’ and ‘I wouldn’t want my child to attend anywhere else.’

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better?

Leaders have built a well-sequenced ‘GROW’ curriculum in most subjects. This encourages pupils to be globally aware and develop a sense of wonder and curiosity about their world. In most subjects, leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when they want them to learn it. This knowledge ‘journey’ starts in the early years and ends in Year 6. However, precisely what pupils should learn and when in a small number of subjects is not as clear.

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better?

Pupils learn and remember more in mathematics. Teachers follow an ambitious and well thought out mathematics curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 2 enjoyed the challenge of calculating money problems. Staff have good subject knowledge. They are quick to spot pupils’ errors or misconceptions. Pupils answer daily ‘fluent in 5’ mathematics questions which they say help them to recall previous learning. Teachers use end-of-unit tests to identify any mathematical knowledge that they need to revisit.

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better?

The teaching of phonics and early reading is a strength. There is a consistent and systematic approach that starts in the early years. Staff know how to teach phonics well. They ensure that pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they are learning. These books are at the correct level of challenge. Pupils use their phonics skills to try and decode any unfamiliar words. Frequent and accurate assessments mean that pupils who need extra help get it quickly. Pupils enjoy using the well- 15 and 16 February 2022

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stocked and inviting library. Older, more confident readers say that there is a good range of challenging books for them to choose from.

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There is a range of activities to promote pupils’ talents and interests. These include sport, singing and art clubs. There are residential trips for pupils in Years 2, 4 and 6. These overnight visits help to improve pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. Pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain. They know about different faiths and cultures and that families are diverse. One pupil remarked that, ‘Diversity is what makes us unique. It is important for us to study it.’ Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of sex and relationships education.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly. Staff frequently review and update pupils’ improvement plans. Parents contribute to this process. These plans ensure that pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum and progress through it well. Staff have received effective training. There are strong links with outside agencies. These include the behaviour support team and an educational psychologist.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. The curriculum is designed well to ensure that the children receive the knowledge and skills they need. There are many opportunities for children to develop their knowledge of numbers and writing. Children improve their physical skills in the spacious and well-resourced outside area. They maintain their concentration on a wide selection of appropriate activities. Relationships are warm and positive between adults and children.

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Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are focusing on, and rapidly improving, the right things. The knowledgeable and effective governing body challenges leaders effectively.

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Staff say that leaders are sensitive to their well-being and to their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training. They are knowledgeable about peer-on-peer abuse and county lines drug trafficking. Staff know the potential signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation to look for. They know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil or an adult working at the school. Leaders keep appropriate safeguarding records. They are tenacious in seeking outside support for the pupils and families who need it.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the majority of subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when. In some subjects, this is not as clear. Teachers do not 15 and 16 February 2022

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know precisely what should be taught. Leaders should ensure that teachers know the exact content leaders want pupils to learn, so that pupils know and remember more.

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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. 15 and 16 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211653 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24-25 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal took up the role in March 2020.  The governing body has undergone significant change since the previous inspection. There is a new chair and vice-chair. A number of new governors have joined since the previous inspection.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  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. 15 and 16 February 2022

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 Inspectors held various meetings with the principal and other leaders. The lead inspector met four members of the governing body, including the chair, and with four representatives from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading; English; mathematics; history; and art. 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.  An inspector looked at curriculum plans and spoke with leaders about some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils read from key stage 1 and Year 3.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors checked staff knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding records were scrutinised.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent and staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson Her Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 February 2022

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