Lift Barton Hill

Inspection of Barton Hill Academy Barton Hill Road, Torquay, Devon TQ2 8JA

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Samantha Smith . This school is part of Academies Enterprise Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rebecca Boomer- Clark and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hall. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a significant strength of Barton Hill. These pupils have their needs well met, both in the resource base and in the mainstream classes. The school ensures they learn the same broad and balanced curriculum as their peers. The school’s pastoral team helps build strong relationships with families. They help families secure extra support when they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They are kind and tolerant. Adults manage behaviour effectively. This is because they know pupils well. As a result, in lessons there is little low-level disruption. At social times, pupils play well together. Pupils say that bullying is rare, but adults sort it out if it does occur. Staff in the early years ensure that children learn routines straightaway. This helps them to settle quickly and get off to an exceptional start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a range of cultures through the curriculum, trips and visitors. For example, pupils visit London and France. This helps them understand different points of view. Pupils develop their talents through clubs such as football, guitar and performing arts. They take on leadership roles which give them a sense of responsibility.

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better?

The school is determined not to let pupils’ backgrounds or starting points be a barrier to educational success. This permeates throughout its work. The school recognises the importance of securing the best possible start to children’s education. This is reflected by the outstanding early years provision.

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better?

Pupils’ outcomes show that they progress well through the curriculum. However, leaders have made changes to the curriculum to make these even better. They have recently introduced a new, knowledge-rich, well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. This has started to bear fruit. Pupils learn more. In some subjects, such as music and modern foreign languages, specialist teachers are used to ensure consistency and quality across the school.

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better?

The school has planned the curriculum to a high level of detail. This helps support teachers’ subject knowledge. Teachers say this also supports them with workload. However, on some occasions, teachers do not take into account what pupils can already do. They provide activities that are too easy. For example, in mathematics, some pupils say they do not feel challenged often enough. Consequently, they do not learn as much as they could.

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better?

Reading is a leading light of the curriculum. The school has carefully selected the books pupils will study from early years to Year 6. This means that pupils read a rich range of texts that they may not otherwise experience. Pupils learn to read through a systematic and rigorous approach. This starts in the early years. Through regular 26 and 27 September 2023

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checks, pupils who fall behind are identified swiftly. The school gives them the additional support they need to catch up quickly.

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Older pupils receive an equally high-quality reading curriculum. The school ensures that pupils continue to read with fluency through regular practise. Vocabulary is a cornerstone of lessons. This helps pupils to apply this to their writing.

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Many children enter the early years with skills well below what is expected for their age. The school precisely identifies where children need the most support and ensures the curriculum closely matches their needs. For example, the school has identified the need to focus on children’s physical development and ensures the curriculum reflects this. Children show impressive concentration on tasks. The language-rich environment is carefully designed to enhance learning. The school has trained adults to have high-quality interactions with children. This means they develop their communication and language exceptionally well. By the end of Reception Year, children are extremely well prepared for Year 1.

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Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about staying safe online. They know how to keep physically and mentally healthy. Pupils understand how people can suffer from discrimination. They understand what democracy is and link it to the pupil leadership group in their own school.

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The trust has an accurate view of the school. It carefully monitors the school’s work, such as the rate of attendance and suspension. The trust supports and challenges the school to improve these as necessary. However, the school’s internal checks and records on aspects of its work are not as precise as they could be. For example, checks on the curriculum do not precisely identify where pupils’ knowledge is strongest and weakest within subjects.

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The overwhelming majority of parents have positive views on the school. They feel the school nurtures pupils well. Parents are proud for their children to attend Barton Hill.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not use assessment well enough to provide pupils with tasks that build on what they already know. As a result, some pupils find the work too easy and do not learn as well as they could. The trust and the school should ensure that teachers take into account what pupils can already do and provide them with activities that deepen their knowledge fully. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 The school’s checks on some aspects of its work are not precise. As a result, the school is not clear on how effective some parts of its work are. The trust needs to ensure the school refines its checks so that they are more precise.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Website sites.google.com/aetinet.org/barton-hill- academy Date of previous inspection 28 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Academies Enterprise Trust.  The school has a local authority specially resourced provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs. This provision has space for 10 pupils from Reception to Year 2.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  Since the last inspection the school has built a new nursery building.  The principal took up her post in April 2022. 26 and 27 September 2023

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, groups of staff, groups of pupils, executive leaders from the trust and members of staff from the alternative provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in English, geography and modern

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Information about this inspection

foreign languages.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, the pupil survey and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzie Lethbridge Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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