Paxton Academy Sports And Science

Inspection of Paxton Academy Sports And Science 843 London Road, Thornton Heath CR7 6AW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Paxton Academy, pupils are happy and enjoy learning. Leaders have worked successfully to transform all aspects of pupils’ education. They make sure that pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Leaders and staff share high expectations. They are aspirational for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have established clear routines and expectations for behaviour. The school environment is calm and orderly. In lessons, pupils are typically very focused on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is. Adults sort out any issues or worries quickly. Pupils know and understand the school’s values that spell out the word ‘respect’. These values are modelled by staff and put into practice by pupils themselves through their considerate conduct throughout the school day. For example, the value of ‘care’ was seen at playtimes, both in the nurturing relationships between adults and pupils and the role that older pupils took in supporting younger ones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in many carefully planned enrichment opportunities. For example, pupils visit different places of worship and participate in community projects. Most recently, older pupils are proud to have been involved in a ‘spoken word project’. They also created their own film about inspirational people in their community.

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better?

Leaders have created an ambitious and clearly sequenced curriculum that is broad and balanced. Curriculum goals for all subjects are coherent and well sequenced. Leaders know exactly what important knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to learn and remember. From the Reception Year through to Year 6, they make sure that pupils learn and understand this knowledge. Nevertheless, in those subjects where improvements to the curriculum are more recent, pupils’ knowledge is not as secure and deep as leaders intend. Leaders are already addressing this. Their work is tightly focused on making sure that the curriculum is well embedded in classroom practice and enables pupils to remember key ideas in the long term.

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better?

Staff consistently think about the best way to help pupils understand new subject content. Teachers plan lessons that build on what the pupils already know and can do. Pupils have regular opportunities to practise and recall prior learning. Teachers check how well pupils are learning and identify any gaps that need to be addressed. This means that pupils achieve well.

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better?

The school lives and breathes reading. Making sure that all pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers is a clear strength in leaders’ work. Reading and the use of high-quality texts are promoted at every opportunity. Children learn phonics as soon as they start school in Reception. All staff are trained and are skilled at delivering 6 and 7 December 2022

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the phonics programme. This means that children quickly begin to develop their fluency in reading. They practise with books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. As they become more fluent, staff check pupils’ understanding of what they have read. Teachers skilfully identify gaps in pupils’ learning and provide any extra support that pupils need to do well.

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Older pupils also benefit from a structured approach to the teaching of reading. This means that they fully develop all the reading skills needed to become confident and independent readers. Pupils enjoy opportunities to read for pleasure and their daily ‘talk for story’ sessions. They are enthusiastic about reading. They particularly like the wide range of books available for them to choose from, including those in the boxes of key author books that rotate between classes.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well. Leaders work well with parents and external agencies to identify pupils’ needs and to put effective support in place. Teachers and teaching assistants adapt lesson materials and resources to help these pupils to achieve well. For example, they break down tasks into small steps to make it easier for pupils to understand ideas.

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Leaders and staff are committed to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as becoming a school council member or a monitor. Equality is one of the school’s values, and pupils are taught why this is important. They learn that not all families are the same and that everyone has the right to be treated with respect. Pupils are also taught about how to keep physically and mentally healthy.

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The commitment and decision making from leaders at all levels, including the trust and the local academy committee, has resulted in rapid and sustained improvement across all areas of the school. Those responsible for governance provide the right balance of support and challenge and hold leaders to account.

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Staff are proud to work here and feel well supported by leaders, with their workload and well-being high up on the agenda.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding. All staff receive regular training to help them identify pupils who may be vulnerable or at risk. Staff report and record all concerns to leaders, who act quickly and effectively to keep pupils safe. Leaders work with external agencies if needed to get pupils and their families the help they need. Those responsible for governance are also well trained in safeguarding. Their knowledge means that they can support leaders to review and strengthen arrangements where necessary.

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Safeguarding

As part of the curriculum, pupils learn about risks and are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Checks are carried out to ensure that staff and visitors are appropriately vetted before they are allowed into school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum has not been in place for very long. As a result, pupils’ recall of some of the subject content that they have learned is not fully secure. Leaders need to continue their work to embed and strengthen the curriculum. They should maintain their focus on making sure that the curriculum enables pupils to acquire a secure and detailed understanding of the concepts and ideas identified in curriculum thinking.

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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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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10247294 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 and 6 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Wandle Learning Trust.  Following the previous section 5 inspection, the trust made significant changes to the leadership team. The headteacher joined in September 2020.  The school moved from its temporary location to a new, purpose-built building in October 2020.  Leaders make use of one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They met with a representative of the local authority and members of the local academy committee. They also met with the co-chief executive officers from the trust and the chair of trustees.  Inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, science, geography and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also listened to some pupils read.  Other subjects, such as music, art, and design and technology were also considered as part of this inspection  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to

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safeguarding, attendance, pupils’ personal development and behaviour. The views of parents and staff were also considered, including through Ofsted’s surveys.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils. They looked at records relating to safeguarding, including pre-employment checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 2022

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