Unity Primary Academy

Inspection of Unity Primary Academy Hickory Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester, Essex CO4 3QJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from leaders’ commitment to ‘giving every child every chance, every day’ at this school. They enjoy a wide range of opportunities to enrich their lives and widen their horizons. Pupils visit local places of interest, such as Colchester Castle. They also travel further afield, visiting the Houses of Parliament or singing at The O2 arena. Pupils also delight in the memorable opportunities brought into school, such as a visiting circus.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Young children play kindly together in Nursery, learning to take turns. Older pupils encourage each other. At breaktimes, older and younger children mix happily together. Pupils understand what bullying is and why it is wrong. It happens sometimes. Pupils trust their teachers to ensure it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that leaders expect them to behave well. They like the system ‘Moving on up’ each day. Most pupils behave well in lessons, but this is not consistent across the school. Sometimes, pupils do not pay attention or are distracted by the behaviour of others. When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum for pupils. This starts in the early years and is planned to ensure that pupils are ready for the next step in their learning. Where subject leaders support teachers with how to put plans in place, pupils are well supported and learn well. This is not consistent across the whole curriculum.

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better?

In some subjects, teachers regularly check what pupils already know and whether they understand new ideas. They explain new vocabulary clearly. They teach new skills in small steps and make sure pupils get plenty of practice before moving on. In these subjects, pupils are knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

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better?

Where the curriculum is taught less well, teachers do not have the expertise to adjust lessons to meet the needs of pupils. Teachers do not explain new ideas clearly enough for pupils to understand or apply them independently. In these subjects, pupils’ written work does not match what they are capable of. Many older pupils have gaps in their learning and are not achieving as well as they should.

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better?

Staff have the training they need to teach phonics well. Decodable books give children lots of practice in their reading. Regular checks are in place to make sure pupils are developing the reading knowledge and skills they need. Adults provide extra help for pupils who fall behind to help them catch up.

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better?

Older pupils can choose from carefully selected books to build their skills. In lessons, teachers introduce pupils to ambitious texts. However, some older pupils have not learned to read well and fluently due to gaps in the previous reading curriculum. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Leaders seek out and act on the advice of external professionals to meet the needs of pupils with the most complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In the early years, leaders are quick to spot any difficulties and put extra help in place. However, as pupils get older, teachers are not planning precisely enough for the needs of pupils with SEND. They do not check how these pupils are faring and adapt their teaching accordingly.

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Pupils understand the behaviour management system. Staff feel well supported by leaders to put this in place. Children in the early years behave well. Where teachers enable pupils to succeed and manage behaviour well, pupils join in lessons with enthusiasm. This is not consistent across the school. In some lessons, teachers do not spot, or address, poor behaviour. When this happens, a few pupils disturb the learning of others.

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Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, from the early years. Throughout the school, pupils learn about respectful, positive relationships. They learn about diversity and tolerance for others. They know why this is important. Pupils can take part in a wide range of clubs and trips to develop their strengths and interests.

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Leaders provide strong, caring pastoral support for pupils and their families. There is good provision for pupils who need help to manage their feelings. This starts in the early years, where children learn to take turns and share equipment kindly. Leaders are vigorously tackling the poor attendance of a few pupils to ensure they can benefit from the opportunities in school.

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Staff and many parents are appreciative of the efforts made by current leaders to support their well-being. Staff and governors feel involved in the improvement journey of the school and understand the role they can play in this. Leaders in the trust are providing practical support to leaders as they continue to address challenges in improving learning and behaviour.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Well-trained staff understand the signs of safeguarding concerns and know how to report these.

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Safeguarding

Leaders secure extra help for vulnerable families. They seek and follow external advice and work with appropriate external agencies to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Governors and the trust check that agreed processes are in place and that appropriate pre-employment checks are in place and recorded accurately for staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to stay safe online and outside school though the carefully planned curriculum. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers have varying levels of expertise to deliver the planned curriculum. Where teachers’ subject knowledge and teaching skills are not well developed, pupils are not well supported to learn and achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have sufficient expertise to put in place, assess and adjust lessons so they are well matched to the needs of their learners.  Provision for pupils with SEND is not consistently well matched to need. Some plans do not specify what pupils need to learn or do next. Teachers do not always adapt their teaching to best support these pupils’ learning. As a result, some pupils with SEND are not accessing the curriculum or developing well. Leaders should ensure that teachers use well-chosen strategies and adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils with SEND learn and develop well.  Some subject leaders do not review how well subjects are being taught. They are

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

not strengthening teaching where it is required. Leaders should continue to build the capacity and expertise of subject leaders to ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of all learners and that teachers have the expertise to implement the curriculum as intended.  Systems to address poor behaviour and to engage and motivate learners are developing. Where they are not implemented consistently, pupils do not achieve well, and distract others. Leaders should ensure that the agreed behaviour system is consistently in place and that behavioural difficulties are addressed quickly and effectively.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders use one registered provider of off-site alternative education.  Leaders provide on-site before-school care.

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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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The inspectors met with school leaders, including representatives of the local governing board and the trust.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including the school development plan, and safeguarding and behaviour records.  The inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and other staff to discuss safeguarding.  The inspectors considered 40 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 25 free-text comments. They also considered 22 responses to the staff survey and 91 responses to the pupil survey.  The inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil at this school. They also observed the behaviour of pupils at breaktimes and around the school.

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Inspection team

Lynne Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Cloke Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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