Eastgate Academy

Inspection of an outstanding school: Eastgate Academy Littleport Terrace, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1QA

p.1

Outcome

Eastgate Academy continues to be an outstanding school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Eastgate Academy is a trusted, respected and loved part of the local community. Pupils are extremely proud to attend the school. Parents are supportive of the work of the school. They value the support leaders provide in equal measure to pupils and their families.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The culture of the school is one of ambition. Pupils respond positively to the high expectations leaders have for them. Pupils value the importance of knowledge. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thrive academically and socially. They learn and achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave impeccably. They are polite and considerate. They look out for one another and are keen to help those who may be feeling low. Bullying is not tolerated. The positive relationships pupils have with each other means cases of bullying are rare. Pupils feel safe, cared for and happy.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles. The Pet Squad tend to the animals the school has housed when owners were unable to keep them at home. Subject ambassadors play a role in the design and delivery of the curriculum. Pupils relish the importance of these roles. They know they have a voice, and leaders act on their opinions.

p.1

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

Leaders have designed a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum. They have broken down broad, complex learning aims into small, precise chunks. Leaders have considered what pupils need to know and the order they need to learn it from the early years onwards. This means pupils successfully layer new learning on top of existing knowledge.

p.1

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

Teachers use leaders’ curriculum planning to design high-quality lessons. They know what should be taught at any point. Teachers understand how each lesson links to the wider 11 and 12 May 2023

p.1

2

aims of the curriculum. The fine detail in their planning means that teaching is precise. Instruction is clear and explanations are accurate. Adaptations for pupils with SEND are effective. The result of this is that pupils join in with learning activities quickly. They know what they need to do and how to structure their work. They produce work of exceptional quality, accurately using subject-specific vocabulary to explain their learning and thinking.

p.2

2

Leaders have linked together knowledge that can be shared across different subjects. Teachers explain these links clearly. Pupils use what they have learned in one subject confidently to enrich and deepen their learning in another.

p.2

2

Teachers skilfully use assessment in lessons. They use well-crafted questions to determine if all pupils, including those with SEND, have secured what they need to know. Teachers spot misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge quickly and adapt their approach to address these.

p.2

2

Early years leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that enables children to make rapid gains in knowledge. Play activities are carefully linked to formal learning. This helps children learn important knowledge while developing independence and resilience. Children work together, share resources and are considerate of each other. Children are happy, polite and engaging. They speak confidently about what they are learning. Children learn and use a wide range of subject-specific language and vocabulary. They are well prepared for key stage 1

p.2

2

Pupils are enthusiastic and confident readers. They enjoy books and stories. Pupils enjoy talking about the books they are reading or have read. They love the way books stir their imagination and emotions. Children learn to read as soon as they start in Reception. Highly trained staff match books exactly to the sounds pupils know. Struggling readers are helped catch up through well-planned additional support.

p.2

2

Pupils have highly positive attitudes toward learning. The more they know, the more they want to know. They are inquisitive. They ask their teachers questions about what they have learned. They complete tasks with care and pride.

p.2

2

Pupils learn about different cultures, religions and beliefs. They understand, in an age- appropriate way, how people may be different. They are tolerant and sensitive to the issues that they and their friends may face. They care about and want the best for each other.

p.2

2

Pupils take advantage of opportunities to nurture new talents beyond the classroom. They can learn fencing or archery, or how to design characters for use in the fantasy worlds of role-playing games.

p.2

2

Leaders, governors and trustees understand how important it is that the staff remain highly motivated. Staff value that workload is well managed and that their well-being is important to leaders. Trustees and governors work with school leaders to maintain and improve all aspects of provision. 11 and 12 May 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They ensure that training means all staff know how to recognise signs that pupils may need help or support. When staff have a concern, they report it swiftly. Leaders then take rapid and decisive action to keep pupils safe from harm.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have built strong relationships with a range of external agencies. They access the support pupils and their families need promptly.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe. They understand how to spot risks online and offline. They are confident they can report worries to a trusted adult who will help them.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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 May 2023

p.3

School details

Date of previous inspection 10 and 11 January 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Eastern Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.4

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 that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with leaders, including the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator, members of the local academy council, the vice-chair of the trust board and representatives from the trust, including the chief executive officer.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult. 11 and 12 May 2023

p.4

5

 To further inspect the curriculum, the inspector reviewed curriculum documentation and held meetings with the subject leads for design technology and physical education and reviewed documentation setting out support for pupils with SEND.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to review safeguarding records and representatives from the trust’s human resources department to scrutinise the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. To further evaluate safeguarding, the inspector also spoke to governors, staff and pupils and reviewed surveys.  To gather the views of pupils and staff the inspector held discussions during the course of the inspection.  The inspector considered the 53 responses and 30 free-text responses submitted to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

p.5

Inspection team

Dave Gibson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 May 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6