Evergreen Primary Academy

Inspection of Evergreen Primary Academy Waverley Street, Easton, Bristol BS5 0YR

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 and 12 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this inclusive and diverse school. The Evergreen values of ‘be safe, respectful and caring’ are lived out by all members of the school community. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the education their children receive. One parent commented, ‘Evergreen Primary Academy is a school that provides a healthy environment for children to study.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what all pupils can strive towards. Pupils develop positive attitudes toward their learning. Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities beyond the curriculum. These include being members of the academy council, eco-committee and e-safety champions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils build effective and highly positive relationships with adults. They behave well in lessons. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say it can happen but that adults sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give detailed and careful consideration to pupils’ personal and emotional development. Pastoral support is highly effective. Staff work together to create an environment where all pupils feel respected and valued. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

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better?

Leaders are extremely ambitious for all pupils, including the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They lead with a strong determination that all will succeed. Over time, leaders have been highly systematic and effective in their approach to school improvement. As a result, the vast majority of pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Many pupils join the school with little knowledge of the English language. Staff adapt the phonics programme to meet pupils’ individual language needs, including visual prompts and signing. Leaders ensure staff have the expertise to support those who find the early stages of reading tricky. Staff regularly repeat new language and vocabulary to check for understanding. They ensure children read books that match the sounds they are learning. However, in key stage 2, learning provided to develop pupils’ reading does not consistently match what pupils know and can do. As a result, some pupils’ learning slows.

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better?

Pupils learn across a broad range of subjects to develop their knowledge and understanding. Subject leaders know their subjects well. In mathematics, teachers carefully check pupils’ understanding and use this information to inform their teaching. This enables pupils to make rapid progress from low starting points. In the early years, the focus on talk helps younger children to develop their language skills well. Subjects across the wider curriculum are planned to raise aspiration and reduce social disadvantage. Leaders ensure the curriculum is effectively sequenced building on pupils’ prior knowledge. For example, in history, pupils can recall what they 11 and 12 January 2023

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already know and make links to concepts such as civilisation.

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Leaders know their pupils very well, including those with SEND. Their close work with families ensures pupils’ needs are carefully identified. Staff provide tailored support, including for those pupils with social and emotional needs. This ensures pupils access learning effectively.

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Pupils understand the high expectations for behaviour. They are respectful towards each other and staff. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place to learn. Pupils understand that ‘a little kindness goes a long way’. Where some pupils struggle with their behaviour, staff deal with this calmly and place the needs of the pupil at the fore.

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Leaders provide exceptionally well for pupils’ personal development. They go above and beyond to ensure all pupils build character and self-confidence. Pupils have a personal, social and health education curriculum that enables all to develop into responsible citizens. Staff provide extensive opportunities for pupils to talk about current issues. Pupils feel confident to bring their own experiences into debates and discussions. As a result, they contribute positively to their community and the wider world.

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Trust leaders and members of the academy council are highly knowledgeable about the school’s work. They provide considered challenge and support to leaders to help maintain and continue the drive for excellence. Staff benefit greatly from the wide range of opportunities to develop their expertise. Staff appreciate this. Morale is high and decisions are always made in the best interests of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including those with governance roles, keep a meticulous check on safeguarding processes, including those when assessing the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Staff fully understand their responsibilities. A culture of vigilance exists. Staff are well trained. They are confident in reporting concerns, however small, through effective and well-known procedures. Staff record concerns well and know these are taken seriously by leaders.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They know not to talk to strangers. Pupils are taught about safety throughout the curriculum, including keeping safe online and in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For some pupils in key stage 2, planned learning for reading is not consistently tailored precisely enough. This hinders some pupils from becoming confident readers as quickly as they could. Teachers need to ensure that the reading 11 and 12 January 2023

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curriculum considers what pupils already know and can do so that learning is maximised at all times.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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School details

Chair of trust Professor Paul Olomolaiye

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School details

Website www.evergreenprimaryacademy.clf.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Evergreen Primary Academy is a smaller-than-average primary school located in the Easton area of Bristol. Pupils are organised across seven single-age classes.  The academy is part of the Cabot Learning Federation Multi-Academy Trust. The trust consists of a mix of primary, secondary, alternative provision and post-16 providers.  The current senior principal took up her post in September 2022.  The school uses one alternative provider that is located in another provision within the trust.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 Inspectors met with the senior principal and other senior leaders, the executive principal from the trust, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding leads, groups of staff, the chief education officer from the trust, representatives from the academy council and a member of the trust board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In one pupil meeting, an adult was present.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in music and physical education with subject leaders.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.

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Inspectors considered the documentation around safeguarding, including the safeguarding checks made on staff. They asked pupils how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they had concerns.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the 11 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View, 12 written surveys, eight free-text responses and 16 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Greenwood Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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