Ankermoor Primary Academy

Inspection of Ankermoor Primary Academy Rene Road, Bolehall, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 3NW

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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 Requires improvement 20 and 21 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly and form happy memories at Ankermoor Primary Academy. They work and play with kindness and consideration for others. The school’s motto of ‘learn together, achieve together’ is clearly evidenced. Adults know pupils well and care about them. This makes the school a happy and safe place for pupils to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to build their knowledge in a broad range of subjects. Children are encouraged to read regularly, and they do. This strong focus on reading helps pupils to learn across a wide range of subjects. They build their knowledge and achieve well over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well most of the time. They know that bullying is wrong and say it rarely happens. Pupils are confident to talk to an adult if they are worried about something. They trust adults to sort problems out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school’s values of respect, trust, responsibility, perseverance, enjoyment and high expectations. These values are personified through a range of fictional characters. Pupils enjoy learning about these characters and the values they represent. Staff champion the school’s values in weekly assemblies. Pupils appreciate the recognition and rewards they receive for putting each value into action.

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better?

There have been changes in leadership since the beginning of the academic year. This has disrupted some aspects of the school’s provision and caused uncertainty for some parents. Trust executives quickly recognised the need to provide support for the school. This support has helped leaders maintain their focus on developing the school’s curriculum and ensuring that it is taught well.

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better?

Leaders have made many improvements to the school’s curriculum since the last inspection. They have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary they expect pupils to learn. They arrange this information to build pupils’ knowledge logically over time. For example, in history, pupils study the concept of ‘invasion’. In Year 3, they explore the reasons for the Roman invasion of Britain. They then deepen their understanding of ‘invasion’ when going on to learn about the Vikings and the Norman conquest. The well-planned curriculum is having a positive impact. As a result, pupils know and remember more about the subjects they study.

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better?

Leaders support teachers to develop their subject knowledge. Staff work in faculty teams to review the quality of education in specific subjects. Some collaborate with colleagues in other local schools. This is helping to develop staff subject knowledge. Teachers typically know how to teach the curriculum well. For instance, they provide clear and helpful explanations to pupils. However, on occasion, teachers do not 20 and 21 June 2023

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choose activities that match curriculum goals or pupils’ needs. This means pupils do not always have opportunity to practise using the knowledge they have learned.

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The school teaches reading well. Children benefit by learning phonics right from the beginning of Reception. Pupils use their phonics knowledge regularly. They practise reading in books that contain sounds they have already learned. This helps them build fluency. Most pupils are able readers by the time they reach Year 3.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study a broad range of subjects. Teachers make useful adaptions, so that all pupils are included. Most pupils with SEND learn well and are eager to share their answers and opinions in lessons. However, the school’s approach to identifying and meeting these pupils’ needs is not precise enough. This means that pupils with particularly complex needs do not always receive the specialist support they need. Leaders recognise this.

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Staff actively recognise pupils for doing the right things in lessons. They encourage them to talk about their feelings when things are not going right. Pupils value the rewards they receive, such as house points and celebration assemblies. All this helps pupils to develop mature attitudes to learning. Most pupils are sensible and work hard. Consequently, the school is calm. This means that pupils can concentrate in class.

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Adults promote pupils’ personal development through the curriculum, assemblies and other opportunities. Pupils learn about different cultures and a range of social and moral issues. This helps prepare them for life in modern Britain. Older pupils recognise what makes healthy relationships. They also talk maturely about the importance of equality. In addition, some pupils act as school councillors, lunchtime helpers and mental health ambassadors. This promotes their self-esteem and confidence.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff feel they have been well supported through a time of considerable change. Most parents also express positive opinions about leadership of the school, however, some parents do not share these views.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Staff understand their roles and are vigilant to protect pupils from potential harm. They raise any concerns quickly and record them accurately. Leaders respond well to such concerns. They support and challenge families if necessary. They also collaborate with external agencies to ensure that children receive help when they need it.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to speak to when they are worried and trust adults to sort out any problems. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes them studying strategies to stay safe when using the internet. 20 and 21 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not choose activities that match curriculum goals or pupils’ needs. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as leaders expect. Leaders should further develop teachers’ expertise in implementing the curriculum.  Some pupils with SEND do not have their needs identified and managed precisely enough. This limits leaders’ ability to meet these pupils’ needs. Leaders should ensure that staff understand and apply the school’s approach to identifying the needs of pupils with SEND accurately.

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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. 20 and 21 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher left the school in December 2022. An interim headteacher started in January 2023.  There has been a change in the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). A new SENCO, from within the trust, started in post in May 2023.  The school does not use unregistered alternative provision but does access specialist support provided at another school in the trust.  The school hosts a nursery and breakfast club on site. This provision is managed by a separate registered provider – ‘Our pride, our joy limited’.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 20 and 21 June 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the interim headteacher and other senior leaders.  The lead inspector met trust executives and those responsible for governance of the school. He also held a telephone discussion with a representative of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and French. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy and single central record. The lead inspector spoke to the

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designated safeguarding lead and looked at records of safeguarding incidents.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of different classes and at different times of the day.  Inspectors considered responses on Ofsted’s Parent View, including parent free- text responses. Inspectors also took account of responses to staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Bishton Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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