The Forest View Academy

Inspection of The Forest View Academy Walesby Lane, New Ollerton, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG22 9RJ

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this school. They arrive on time each morning and are keen to learn. They get on very well together, helping and looking after each other. Their relationships with adults are warm and respectful. Pupils typically describe the school as being calm, safe and comforting. They agree that ‘new pupils are always welcome’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils do their best. Pupils know how staff expect them to behave and most pupils conduct themselves very well. They follow classroom routines closely and move between activities without fuss. Pupils enjoy sharing games and reading together during playtimes. They agree that bullying and the use of inappropriate words are rare. When these things happen, pupils say staff ‘definitely’ resolve them straight away. Pupils understand that some of their peers need extra help managing their emotions and feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A comprehensive programme of activities enriches the curriculum. Pupils benefit from visiting the National Holocaust Centre or taking a trip to the Yorkshire wildlife park. Some pupils enjoy playing in the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra. Sports leaders organise lunchtime activities to encourage pupils to be healthy. Pupil representatives on the junior town council make decisions that make a positive difference in the local community.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have placed a strong emphasis on improving reading. Leaders check how well pupils can read when they join the school. Trained staff provide pupils who struggle to read well with close support. Daily sessions focus on the specific sounds these pupils need to learn and their reading fluency. Most of these pupils catch up with their peers and become confident readers.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading books from different genres and authors. Well-structured activities help pupils analyse text in more detail. They often check the meaning of new words to expand their vocabulary. Pupils enjoy choosing their own books to read from the ‘VIP reading room’ or from class libraries. They listen intently during daily story times. Books shared by teachers during reading assemblies teach pupils about important topics. For instance, ‘Mixed’ by Arree Chung typically reminds pupils that ‘it is ok to be different’.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is ambitious and well thought out. Subject leaders identify precisely what they want pupils to know and when. Teachers choose suitable ways to deliver new subject knowledge. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to recap what they can remember. Pupils use ‘steps to success’ to help them build on what they already know and deepen their learning. ‘Starred steps’ provide pupils with extra challenge. 10 and 11 January 2023

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In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as well organised. Leaders do not always make sure that the planned curriculum in these subjects includes essential content. Teachers sometimes do not deliver crucial information. This leaves pupils with gaps in their knowledge. They cannot always remember, or they sometimes muddle up, key ideas.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum suits the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils benefit from close support so that they make the progress they should. Almost all parents of children with SEND say their children do well.

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Pupils show high levels of empathy for others. They learn about positive role models from different cultures, such as Mo Farah and Stormzy. They know how to look after their mental health. Pupils appreciate what it means to be an active citizen. However, work to improve pupils’ understanding of living in modern Britain is only in its infancy.

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There is a strong team spirit among the staff. They value in-school training and trust-wide subject networks to help them improve their practice. Almost all staff say that leaders are mindful of their workload.

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Leaders have responded positively to the recommendations from the previous inspection. However, their plans to keep improving the school are not always sharp enough. Trustees are knowledgeable about the school. However, they do not always hold leaders to account sufficiently well for some aspects of the provision, for example those subjects that make up the wider curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They learn about first aid and about respectful relationships. They know how to stay safe online and when there are roads nearby. Pupils say staff take their worries seriously and help them.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk of potential harm. They report any concerns promptly to leaders.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders know the pupils well. They keep detailed records of their actions to keep pupils safe. They work closely with external organisations to get the right support for pupils who need help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not made sure that the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious or logically sequenced. They do not check closely enough 10 and 11 January 2023

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that teachers implement the planned curriculum as intended. There are sometimes long periods of time before pupils revisit what they have learned previously. Pupils cannot reliably recall what they have learned about these subjects in sufficient detail or accuracy. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is planned carefully and implemented effectively so that pupils remember what they learn.  The personal development programme does not focus well enough on teaching pupils what it means to live in modern Britain. Pupils cannot easily recall significant values such as tolerance, freedom of speech or individual liberty, or say why they matter. Leaders should make sure that pupils understand the different British values and why they are important.  Trust and school leaders do not always use their checks on the quality of provision at the school carefully enough to inform their plans for improvement.

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Leaders do not always know that their actions to improve the school have had the necessary impact. Trustees cannot hold leaders to account well enough. Leaders need to ensure that their actions to improve the school focus precisely on what needs to get better. They should identify precise measures against which they will know if their actions have been successful.

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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. 10 and 11 January 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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Dates of previous inspection

1 and 2 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal has been in post since January 2019.  The school does not make use of the services of any alternative providers.

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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

 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.  Inspectors met with the principal and the chief executive officer of the trust. They met with other school leaders, including the coordinator of the provision for pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector met with two trustees, including the chair of the board of trustees. 10 and 11 January 2023

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 Inspectors did deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with pupils and teachers. They heard pupils read. On the second day of the inspection, inspectors examined the curriculum in a wider range of subjects.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from each year group. They spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks, holding discussions with safeguarding leaders, staff and pupils, and reviewing documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took note of the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors also spoke with

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some parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation audit and school improvement plan. They considered information about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and suspensions, and the wider curriculum.

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Evans Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 January 2023

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