Estcourt Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Estcourt Primary Academy Estcourt Street, Hull HU9 2RP

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Outcome

Estcourt Primary Academy continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Estcourt Primary Academy. Leaders are determined that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will have wide and varied opportunities to achieve well, both academically and personally. Pupils are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about their learning. Individuality is nurtured and valued. One pupil described the school as a place where ‘everyone is unique and therefore should have a voice’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Pupils say that staff listen to them and help with any worries they may have. Pupils feel safe here. Behaviour is excellent, both in lessons and at playtimes. Pupils spoken to were unanimous in saying that no form of bullying happens here. However, if it did, they are confident that staff would deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They are clear about the importance of developing pupils’ personal knowledge and wider understanding of the world. Pupils have weekly opportunities to hold debates about current issues, such as climate change or whether everyone should be taught British Sign Language in schools. Pupils’ understanding of important concepts such as respect, tolerance and equality is impressive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some parents describe the school as ‘home from home’ and ‘caring’.’ One said that they are ‘proud to be part of the Estcourt family’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have worked with the trust to construct a curriculum, in all subjects, that challenges, excites and interests pupils. Leaders encourage pupils to ‘read to learn’ through their ‘reading-enhanced’ approach. This approach puts reading tasks at the start 7 and 8 December 2022 of every lesson. In subjects such as art, this enables pupils to find out about artists’ lives, as well as learn the techniques they use to produce their work.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In all subjects, leaders have developed the curriculum to support pupils’ learning progressively and coherently. Teachers consistently follow the school’s planned approaches, such as ‘I say, you say’ in lessons. They are skilful when introducing new learning. The curriculum plans support teachers to do this in small steps. Pupils have opportunities to revisit past learning regularly. This can be seen in mathematics lessons, where pupils confidently apply past learning to solve new problems. Pupils enjoy learning. They are focused, interested and positive about challenge.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

This is an inclusive school. Leaders provide high-quality support for pupils with SEND. They work closely with parents to ensure that they know individual pupils’ needs. Curriculum leaders support teachers to make adaptations to lessons when they are needed. This supports all pupils, including pupils with SEND, to make good progress and achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is prioritised. Pupils read widely and often. Leaders take a strategic approach to ensuring that pupils progress with their reading skills. Nothing is left to chance. The curriculum is based around progressively more challenging texts, from early years to Year 6. All classes have a ‘top 30’ list of reading books for pupils to enjoy. The challenges that leaders introduce, such as ‘The World Cup of Reading’, are very popular. Pupils enthuse about how many words they can read each week to get to the final.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders plan for children’s early reading development from the first days in Nursery. Stories, songs and rhymes are an important part of each day. Children are encouraged to listen and hear sounds in the environment. They enjoy the exciting opportunities that staff plan to help them to learn, both indoors and outside the classroom. In Reception, children begin the school’s phonics programme swiftly. Staff use this programme consistently. They are well trained and knowledgeable. Children make swift progress. By the time they reach Year 2, most pupils are confident readers. Teachers use assessment effectively to identify any pupils who are finding reading more challenging. These pupils are well supported to catch up through extra daily reading or phonics lessons. Their ‘just right’ books are well matched to support them to read words containing sounds that they have learned.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders plan enrichment activities purposefully. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about residential visits and team-building activities. Leaders are determined to develop pupils’ aspirations and understanding that hard work, perseverance and determination help you to achieve. The schools’ ‘aspirational avenue’ teaches pupils about the lives of significant individuals, such as Emmeline Pankhurst or Hull’s own Jean Bishop, the ‘bee lady’. Pupils take on roles of responsibility, such as ‘buddy reading’ or being a librarian. They enjoy the wide range of clubs they can attend, including rugby, singing and sewing.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders of the trust work effectively with the school. They know the school well. Support, challenge and expertise are shared, both within the school and with schools in the locality. Leaders work together to continually identify and implement improvement. Teachers value 7 and 8 December 2022 the professional development opportunities that they are given. They feel supported and enjoy being part of the Estcourt family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take a calm and very professional approach to safeguarding pupils. They ensure that staff are knowledgeable about any risks that pupils may face. Staff are clear about the importance of reporting any concerns quickly and clearly. Leaders keep robust and effective records. They work with a range of outside agencies, such as police community support officers, to address issues in the local area or to seek help for pupils and families. The pastoral team works well with parents and carers to identify where help or support may be needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe both online and in the local area. They are confident to share any worries or anxieties with staff. The schools’ nurturing approach is valued by everyone in the school.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Estcourt Primary School, to be good in March 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 7 and 8 December 2022 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. 7 and 8 December 2022

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School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Estcourt Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in April 2014. When its predecessor school, Estcourt Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The academy is part of Delta Academy Trust.  There is a breakfast club at the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics 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. The inspector also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. 7 and 8 December 2022  The inspector held meetings with the principal and senior leaders throughout the inspection. The inspector also met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. A range of academy documents and policies were reviewed, including the leaders’ evaluation of the academy’s strengths and areas for development.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with members of the trust board as well as representatives of the trust. Some of these meetings were held virtually.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector held meetings with designated safeguarding leads in the academy. The academy’s record of checks carried out on staff was also reviewed. The inspector considered safeguarding processes and asked staff questions to establish their understanding of these procedures.  The inspector spoke with pupils about school life and observed behaviour at playtime and lunchtime.  The inspector considered the views of parents by speaking to several of them at the start of the school day. Responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, were also reviewed. Responses to staff and pupil surveys were also reviewed during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 December 2022 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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