Southfield Primary Academy

Inspection of Southfield Primary Academy Pastures Way, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 0PE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good 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 6 and 7 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Southfield Primary Academy are happy, feel safe and are well supported by staff. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Staff are supportive and caring in their manner with pupils. There are a variety of opportunities for the pupils to act as leaders throughout the school, which the pupils fully embrace.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high aspirations for the pupils. The pupils know that staff want them to do the very best that they can. Pupils work hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and polite. On occasion, some pupils become distracted in lessons. However, staff are very quick to respond to this. In the playground, pupils are happy to play with children from other year groups and welcome them into their games. Pupils know what bullying is and say it does not happen often. However, when it does, leaders are vigilant to act quickly to stop it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and pupils are positive about the experience that they receive from the school; many referred to the exceptional support that they have received.

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better?

The curriculum is rich and varied. In each subject, leaders have identified what they want pupils to learn each year, from the early years to Year 6. In most subjects, this knowledge is broken down and taught in small steps and set out in a logical order. This helps pupils to know and understand their learning. In subjects where the curriculum is newer and less established, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not as developed.

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better?

The reading curriculum is well thought through and taught. Leaders provide training so staff know how to teach phonics well. Lessons are clearly structured. Leaders ensure that children can keep up, with some receiving support to do this. Pupils throughout the school have a clear love of reading. They enjoy the real-life stories and books which are on offer. For example, ‘Refugee Boy’ has been a big hit with Year 6.

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better?

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced to support pupils to remember what they have learned. For example, vocabulary in history is known, remembered and applied by pupils. In physical education (PE), a new sequence of learning is being followed from the early years to Year 6. Pupils benefit from this curriculum, developing an increasingly broad and precise range of skills and can explain the importance of exercise to keep themselves healthy.

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better?

In the early years, there are planned activities to support children’s learning. Children are focused on their learning, whether it is making birthday cakes in the sand pit, colouring and talking about their pictures or singing and dancing. Adults model interactions well and extend children’s learning through careful questioning. 6 and 7 June 2023

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Leaders take time and care to ensure that pupils’ needs are accurately identified so that the right interventions can be in place. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in the classroom. Staff question pupils well to support pupils’ learning and understanding. The pastoral team assist pupils with a wide range of additional therapies to develop their motor skills, social skills, language and vocabulary.

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Classrooms are calm and orderly environments. Staff use a range of strategies to manage pupils and respond well to individual pupils’ needs. In the classrooms, there are well-established routines and clear expectations.

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Through the ambitious programme of extra-curricular opportunities, children develop their skills and interests. For example, a trip to Cambridge University showed pupils what opportunities await after they complete their compulsory education. Pupils can attend sporting and non-sporting after-school clubs. These enable them to widen their skill set. The school values have a clear link to fundamental British values. Pupils speak confidently about the values and the impact they have on them.

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The well-being of all is an important part of school life. Leaders are supportive and ensure staff workload is manageable. Leaders have an open-door policy. This ensures strong teamwork with staff, governors, parents and the trust. Leaders are aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development and have high ambition for all.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Regular and relevant staff training is completed to ensure that staff have the appropriate knowledge to act quickly and effectively. There are clear processes to report concerns that staff understand.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know who their trusted adults are or where they can go to speak to an adult if they need to.

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Safeguarding

Leaders liaise effectively with a range of agencies to ensure that they can keep pupils safe. Arrangements for checking the suitability of staff and volunteers are rigorous.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the knowledge that pupils must learn and how this builds from year to year. Where this is the case, pupils do not develop a deep understanding of these subjects. Leaders should ensure that they continue their work to improve the curriculum in these areas, specifying 6 and 7 June 2023

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what pupils are expected to be able to know at each stage of their learning.  Some teachers do not have the required knowledge to deliver the curriculum in some subjects. As a result, they do not explain or guide pupils precisely enough, which slows pupils’ progress. Leaders should ensure that they provide professional development opportunities for staff, so they can enact the curriculum as leaders intend.

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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. 6 and 7 June 2023

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School details

Website www.southfieldprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Pioneer Learning Trust.  The school make use of the alternative provision, New Horizons, at Chantry Primary Academy.

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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

 Southfield Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in January 2019. When its predecessor school, Southfield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  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 early reading, mathematics, history and PE. 6 and 7 June 2023

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 For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of work.  The curriculum in other subjects was considered as part of this inspection.  The inspectors met with members of the governing body, the chief executive officer of Pioneer Trust and trustees.  The inspectors held meetings with leaders responsible for the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Safeguarding records and pre-employment checks for staff were scrutinised. Inspectors spoke to pupils and checked staff members’ knowledge of how to keep pupils safe from harm.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys from 24 parents and 296 pupils. They spoke to parents at the gate and pupils throughout the school.  Forty-nine staff responded to the online staff survey, as well as inspectors speaking to groups of staff, including non-teaching staff.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Wilson His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 June 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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