Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery

Inspection of a good school: Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery Duckett Close, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 2LR

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Outcome

Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they feel safe. Pupils appreciate that the teachers are kind to them and that at their school there are ‘no outsiders’. Everyone is welcome. Pupils play together well. They share equipment and enjoy a range of different games and activities at playtimes. They say that sometimes bullying does happen, but they know who to speak to and it gets sorted quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. In class, pupils listen carefully to each other. They talk confidently about their learning and are keen to share their ideas. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From an early age, children develop their understanding of the world around them, including the outdoors. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, visits and ‘theme days’ that extend their experience and help make their learning memorable. They are knowledgeable about different cultures and traditions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to the extra responsibilities they are given, such as being a school ambassador or representing others as a member of the school council. Older pupils are responsible role models. Pupils attend a wide range of clubs, which enable them to develop their wider interests, such as singing, book craft and cooking.

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

Leaders have designed the curriculum, so that pupils regularly revisit important learning. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. In most subjects, teachers plan lessons that help pupils make connections with what they have learned before. This helps pupils to secure their knowledge and deepen their understanding. In a small number of subjects, teachers are less confident in their subject knowledge. In these subjects, teaching does not always enable pupils to be clear about how their learning links with what they have learned before. 7 and 8 February 2023

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The curriculum is carefully adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils get the opportunity to revisit and practise using important knowledge. This helps them to remember it. Adults support pupils skilfully in lessons. Pupils with SEND access the full range of subjects and achieve well.

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Leaders have introduced a programme to teach phonics and early reading. Staff have received the training and support they need to implement this programme well. Children in the early years make a strong start to learning to read. In Nursery, children learn to listen carefully through songs and rhymes and through listening to sounds in the environment. Staff carefully check that pupils are securing their phonics knowledge. They quickly identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind with their reading and give them the help they need to catch up. Pupils in key stage 1 develop accuracy and fluency in their reading. However, some pupils are less confident in applying their phonics knowledge when they are writing independently. Older pupils read regularly and enjoy being read to in class. The curriculum supports them well to develop important reading skills, so that they deepen their understanding of the books they read. Leaders ensure

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there is a strong focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary.

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The use of the outside space is an important part of the learning at Edith Cavell. All pupils get opportunities to learn in the forest school and to grow things in the allotment. This helps all the pupils develop a sense of wonder for the natural world, as well as learning about a healthy lifestyle and working together. Pupils are polite and show care to each other.

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Leaders prioritise the well-being of pupils. They have introduced weekly sessions to help develop pupils’ resilience. The curriculum includes opportunities to explore artists and authors from different cultures. Leaders ensure that pupils can support fundraising through national events as well as local ones to help the community.

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Governors and the trust support and challenge school leaders. They carry out regular visits to make sure that pupils are kept safe and that leaders provide a good quality of education.

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Staff, including those new to teaching, feel that leaders are always available and carefully consider staff’s workload. Staff are proud to be part of the school team. They feel that the leaders, including the trust, provide effective training and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that staff are well trained, so they know how to identify and report any concerns. These are quickly followed up by leaders. Effective support from the pastoral team helps pupils and their families get the help that they need. Leaders make sure that all necessary checks are carried out before a new member of staff joins the school. Governors and the trust make regular checks on safeguarding. Through the planned curriculum, pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in the local area and online. 7 and 8 February 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to link current learning to what they have learned before. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to recall important knowledge and make connections in their learning. Leaders should ensure that across all subjects, teachers consistently plan lessons that enable pupils to revisit important knowledge and help pupils build on what they have learned before.  The programme for teaching phonics and early reading is newly implemented. Some of the younger pupils are not yet using their phonics knowledge well when they are writing independently and, as a result, pupils’ writing lacks accuracy and fluency. Leaders should ensure that the programme is fully and consistently implemented to help pupils to use their phonics knowledge in their writing.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good on 26 and 27 April 2017.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241645 Type of school Primary and Nursery

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provision

Date of previous inspection 26 and 27 April 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Broad Horizons Education Trust.  There is an alternative provision which operates on the school site. The local authority oversee admissions to this specialist resource base. It provides support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. There are currently some pupils from Edith Cavell school who attend this provision.

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, including subject leaders, and representatives from the trust and local governing body. 7 and 8 February 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and visited the school and alternative provision on the school site.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks and met with the designated safeguarding lead. The inspector scrutinised the school’s safeguarding records and spoke with pupils and with staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and at lunchtime.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, staff and parents. There were 36 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were 16 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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There were 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector considered 20 free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Heather Hann, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 February 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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