New Ford Academy

Inspection of New Ford Academy Brownley Road, Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 1PY

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

New Ford Academy is a school that staff, pupils and governors are right to be proud of. Pupils achieve exceptionally well in many subjects. This is because leaders have set an ambitious vision and curriculum for all pupils that staff put into action.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils live up to these expectations. They are consistently respectful, polite and considerate towards everyone in school. They demonstrate a maturity towards each other, often helping each other in a sensitive and caring manner. Pupils show that they are fully committed to learning and want to be in school learning. They behave exceptionally well during lessons and at playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in an extensive range of inclusive extra-curricular activities, including computing, first aid and musical drama. A programme of carefully planned visits link to the curriculum, including a trip to Chester as part of a history topic about the Roman empire, and a geography field trip to Wales.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic to take on jobs that require them to help others. All pupils say that they would recommend the school to others. The vast majority of parents and carers share this view.

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better?

Governors are ambitious for what all pupils can achieve. They demonstrate a deep commitment to the school community. Governors visit the school regularly and make sure that leaders are held to account fully. They do this with success. Staff feel well supported, typically describing their workload as being well managed and their well- being as carefully considered.

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better?

Leaders have carefully constructed a curriculum that covers the aims of the national curriculum and is ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have made sure that staff know what needs to be taught. Staff have excellent subject knowledge. They are very skilled at checking how well pupils have learned important concepts, knowledge and vocabulary. Staff use their knowledge of individual pupils’ learning to make sure that each pupil achieves well in every subject. Leaders regularly check how well subjects are taught in a supportive way, making sure that all pupils are progressing through the curriculum as they intend. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders place a high priority on reading, and this begins in Nursery. Leaders have made sure that all staff are experts in teaching reading. Children learn to read with increasing accuracy and fluency. Highly skilled staff support a few pupils who need to catch up with reading in Year 2 and Year 3. This work is checked rigorously by leaders to make sure that pupils catch up quickly. Staff work with parents to encourage reading with their children at home. As a result, most pupils read regularly at home. Leaders understand the importance of pupils reading a wide 13 and 14 June 2023

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range of books for enjoyment. Pupils make good use of the school’s library and lunchtime reading caravan. They achieve well in reading.

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Relationships in the early years are warm and caring. The early years curriculum gives children an excellent start in developing knowledge that will help them in Year 1 and beyond. Some children begin school already needing to catch up in speaking and listening. Staff identify vocabulary gaps swiftly and make sure that very skilled staff work with children to improve their range of vocabulary. This work has a very positive impact. Children have excellent learning behaviours; they have high levels of concentration and resilience. During visits to Reception, children were developing a sense of place by creating maps of the local area using real flowers, stones and leaves. Children achieve well in the early years.

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Leaders are ambitious for what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can achieve; there is no limit. Staff identify pupils with SEND in the early years without delay. Teachers provide a range of support to meet pupils’ needs. Staff are highly skilled at adapting the curriculum for pupils with SEND when necessary. Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well.

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Leaders have designed carefully a programme for personal development that meets the needs of individual pupils. Staff regularly meet with pupils to reflect and to discuss their personal achievements. They plan further learning opportunities as a result of these discussions.

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Pupils have a strong sense of what it takes to be a good citizen. They enjoy donating to a local foodbank and choose charities to fundraise for. Staff have fostered strong links with a community and school in Kenya. Recently, pupils raised funds for a water tower and have an excellent awareness of their impact in others’ lives. In school, there are many leadership roles that pupils hold in high esteem. These include house captains, play leaders and eco monitors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff ensure that safeguarding pupils is a high priority. Leaders’ recruitment checks on staff are rigorous. Staff are well trained and know what to look for to identify any pupil who may be at risk of harm. They are exceptionally vigilant and record any concerns. Leaders take prompt action to deal with any concerns that staff raise. They work alongside external agencies and provide a range of early help through the school’s family support team. This has a very positive impact on pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe online. They have a range of strategies for staying safe online, including the three C’s of contact, conduct and content. 13 and 14 June 2023

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227532 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club.

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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

 The lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, leaders of the trust, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, the chair of the governing body and the chair of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English, geography, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, visited lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 13 and 14 June 2023

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 The lead inspector met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding leader. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. The single central record of checks on staff’s suitability to work with children was scrutinised.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school and how they learn to keep themselves safe.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarahjane Cuncannon Edwards Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Maybank Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 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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