Salford Priors CofE Academy

Inspection of Salford Priors Church of England Academy School Road, Salford Priors, Evesham WR11 8XD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 and 11 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Salford Priors. They appreciate that staff want them to do well and thrive. Staff check on how pupils feel and bring in support to help them, when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all. Every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can follow the same broad and balanced curriculum. However, in some subjects, the quality of education is not yet good enough. In the subjects where pupils do well, the key knowledge is identified and delivered so that it builds progressively, for example in phonics and mathematics. However, in some subjects, this is not the case. Children get off to a good start in early years and are well prepared for Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pandemic has affected pupils’ attendance. Too many pupils miss school more than they should. Improvements are being made, but there is more to do to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying does not happen often. If it does, staff sort it out. Although behaviour has improved, there are some instances when behaviour makes others feel unsafe. However, most pupils are polite and behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils of all ages play happily together at lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the school’s vision of ‘rooted, growing and thriving’ and their links to the local church and community.

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better?

This is an inclusive school. All pupils, whatever their abilities or needs, are included in school life. Pupils with SEND are supported to access the full curriculum. Pupils say, ‘We are all the same on the inside.’ Leaders understand the needs of pupils with SEND and effective support is in place for those who need it.

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better?

Around school, pupils behave well. They play together and support each other in mixed-age classes. In lessons, most pupils concentrate on learning. Relationships between pupils and staff are respectful and positive.

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better?

Historically, attendance has not been good enough. Although leaders have worked to improve this, the impact of the pandemic is still being felt. Leaders know that, for some pupils, absence is too high.

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better?

Children get off to a good start in early years. They enjoy well-chosen activities. For example, children listen to stories about seeds and then plant different seeds and bulbs. They talk confidently about what plants need in order to grow. They delight in watching them grow over time.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. All staff are trained to deliver a new phonics scheme. New books have been purchased to match the letter sounds that children 10 and 11 May 2022

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are learning. As a result, pupils get off to a good start with phonics. Those who fall behind receive support to catch up. They are well prepared for reading in Year 1 and beyond.

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In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders have structured the curriculum. Teachers’ subject knowledge has been enhanced through external support and training. Consequently, most teachers deliver the curriculum well, especially in early years. Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ learning, for example place value in early years and fractions in key stage 2. They have adapted the curriculum to ensure that pupils catch up in these important areas.

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In other subjects, leaders know that there is work to do. Although the full curriculum is now taught, some subjects are not well structured. Leaders have not identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Lessons are not sequenced carefully so that pupils can build on their knowledge. As a result, pupils cannot always recall what they have learned.

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Some teachers do not consistently check what pupils already know and have remembered. This means that pupils sometimes repeat work or have work that is too easy or too hard and do not build their knowledge and understanding. Consequently, they cannot always develop their understanding of a subject over time.

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Leaders and trustees know the school well. They have consolidated the school’s strengths, for example in early years, and have begun to address weaknesses such as attendance. Governors understand previous difficulties faced by the school. They work with leaders to challenge and support them.

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There is a range of activities for pupils to develop beyond the curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to learn more about the world and their community, from forest school to spiritual leadership club. Pupils enjoy trips, for example bell boating on the River Avon. They visit the local church and find out about different faiths. As a result, pupils are tolerant and respectful.

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Staff say that leaders and governors care about workload and well-being. They feel valued and supported. They are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school is a safe place. All staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. They know the procedures to use if they have a concern and they act swiftly. Leaders follow up relentlessly with external agencies when necessary. Leaders make sure that all appropriate checks are carried out to ensure the suitability of staff. 10 and 11 May 2022

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Pupils know that they can talk to staff if they have a problem. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not clearly sequenced or organised. As a result, pupils do not build secure knowledge over time. Leaders should identify the most important knowledge that pupils need to remember. Once they have done that, they must ensure that learning is carefully sequenced, so that pupils build on what they know and remember what they have learned.  In some subjects, staff do not assess pupils’ learning effectively. This means that teachers cannot shape pupils’ subsequent learning. Leaders should ensure that learning is based on ongoing assessment and that teachers are well trained to do this. This will enable teachers to deliver learning that builds on what pupils already know and remember.  Leaders’ work on improving pupils’ attendance has not yet achieved high enough attendance rates for all pupils. As a result, not enough pupils attend school regularly. Leaders should continue to work with pupils and their families to lift

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

expectations for all pupils’ good attendance at school.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in January 2018 and is in the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, Salford Priors Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.  The headteacher took up her role in April 2021, having previously been head of school since the school joined the multi-academy trust in January 2018.  The school does not 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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives of the trust (including the chief executive) and pupils. 10 and 11 May 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and history. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at samples of work from a wider range of curriculum subjects.  Inspectors met with those responsible for governance, including members of the academy governance committee.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included improvement plans, leaders’ self-evaluation, minutes of the academy governance committee and documents relating to behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors examined safeguarding records, checked staff’s safeguarding knowledge and spoke with pupils. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors considered six responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and

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six free-text comments. They took into consideration nine responses to the staff survey and six responses to the pupil survey. They also spoke to parents and carers at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sara Arkle Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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