Ackton Pastures Primary Academy

Inspection of Ackton Pastures Primary Academy College Grove, Whitwood, Castleford, West Yorkshire WF10 5NS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good 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?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils in the school. They place pupils at the heart of all that they do. Leaders want pupils to know and believe that they can achieve. Leaders have used their knowledge of the local area to inform the development of the curriculum. The school’s ‘3R’ values of being responsible, respectful and resilient support pupils to show positive attitudes towards learning. Pupils work hard in all lessons. They are cheerful, polite and courteous. Positive relationships between pupils and staff make this school a happy place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have implemented new systems to promote positive behaviour. This has led to improvements. Leaders give pupils appropriate support if they struggle with their emotions or behaviour. The school is a calm and inviting place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is. They say that bullying is very rare and that when it does happen, adults sort it out quickly. Pupils have a mature sense of equality and inclusion. One pupil commented, ‘No one should feel unhappy because they feel different, and a disability is just a different ability.’

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that identifies what pupils should know in each subject. Leaders have made sure that the content of the curriculum is well sequenced. For example, in geography, pupils learn about weather and climate in key stage 1, before moving on to more complex learning about biomes in key stage 2. Subject leaders know their subjects well. This is because leaders ensure that staff have good subject knowledge and are well trained. Teachers use consistent strategies to support pupils’ learning in most lessons. Pupils revisit what they have learned previously before starting something new. This helps them to remember prior learning.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised teaching pupils to read. Phonics teaching is effective. Staff are skilled and support pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders provide diverse and ambitious texts for pupils to read. Reading areas across school are purposeful and inviting. Leaders plan creative incentives to encourage pupils to read. For example, all staff have selected a range of books that interest them personally. Pupils are encouraged to borrow these books and talk to staff about the stories. Leaders have introduced a new, whole-class approach to teaching reading in key stage 2. This is starting to support pupils to improve their reading skills. However, this is not yet reflected in the achievement of pupils at the end of Year 6.

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better?

Children in early years are happy. Staff and children form positive relationships. Staff help children to manage their feelings and emotions. Leaders make sure that children learn to communicate with each other and use a wide range of vocabulary in their speech. The teaching of early reading and mathematics is effective. Leaders have created a curriculum that identifies what children should know by the end of 7 and 8 March 2023

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Nursery and Reception. However, this needs further clarification to ensure that planned activities support children to learn more over time.

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Teachers do not always adapt learning to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn independently. Leaders support teachers to identify pupils’ needs. However, the help identified does not always match pupils’ needs, and therefore some pupils do not do as well as they might.

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Leaders are working with families to improve attendance. As a result, the number of pupils with poor attendance is now decreasing. Where necessary, leaders are beginning more formal methods to improve attendance.

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Leaders are ambitious to support pupils’ personal development. They plan a range of opportunities to give them new experiences. As a result, pupils are becoming more prepared for life in modern-day Britain. However, pupils have a limited understanding of different religions and cultures. Leaders invite visitors into school to raise pupils’ aspirations. For example, the Royal Navy visited during mental health week and supported pupils to experience leadership roles. Pupils in Year 6 enjoyed taking part in a police Junior Cadet programme. This supported them to learn about the rule of law. Pupils have roles of responsibility, such as being school councillors or reading ambassadors.

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Trust leaders and governors are well informed about the school’s developments. They provide challenge, support and professional development opportunities to help leaders to continue to drive improvement. Staff benefit from the collaborative opportunities they are given to develop their expertise. As a result, staff morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that there is a sharp focus on safeguarding. Staff are well trained and fully understand their responsibilities. There is a culture of vigilance. Leaders ensure that there is a systematic approach to how concerns are recorded. This enables them to use data to analyse any trends or patterns that may either influence curriculum decisions or need to be considered by governors. Leaders work with a range of external agencies to make sure that pupils and families get support if they need it.

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Safeguarding

Leaders use the curriculum effectively to provide opportunities for pupils to learn about how to keep themselves safe, for example when learning about mental health and online safety. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils with SEND are not always able to complete the work given to them independently. This is because they do not always have the necessary prior knowledge to complete the task. Leaders must help teachers to check that pupils have a secure understanding of prior learning before moving on to more complex tasks and ideas.  The curriculum in early years is not detailed and precise enough. This means that some children do not have the necessary understanding or skills for the next stage in their education. Leaders must review the early years curriculum so that it is coherently planned and sequenced to prepare children for the demands in Year 1 and beyond.  Pupils do not have a good understanding of different religions and cultures. This means that they do not understand, appreciate and respect religious differences as well as they might. Leaders need to review the curriculum and develop opportunities for children to learn about and remember different religions and

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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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Date of previous inspection

28 and 29 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than an average-sized primary school. The school joined Inspire Partnership Multi Academy Trust in 2017.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with national averages.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, an inspector discussed the curriculum with the subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some 7 and 8 March 2023

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pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work, including that of pupils with SEND.  Inspectors visited lessons with leaders to look at the provision for pupils with SEND and scrutinised support plans for pupils with SEND. To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised safeguarding records, including the single central record. They also spoke to leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to governors and trust leaders.  Inspectors visited the breakfast club and observed pupils at break- and lunchtime and when moving around the school.  Inspectors spoke to leaders for personal, social, health and economic education and religious education. They looked at curriculum plans for this aspect of the school’s work.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers informally on the playground and considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online survey for parents.  Inspectors met formally with groups of pupils and spoke to others informally

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Inspection team

Becky Austwick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kris Henderson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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