Edlesborough Primary Academy

Inspection of Edlesborough Primary Academy High Street, Edlesborough, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 2HS

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jennifer Peel. This school is part of the Knowledge Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ian Hunter, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Suzie Hobart. 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school each day and show exemplary attitudes to learning. They meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour and learning very well. Pupils talk about what they learn confidently. They take great pride in their work and the knowledge they remember. The school values of ‘kind, inclusive, scholarly, inspired and resilient’ guide pupils well. Pupils concentrate very well in lessons, showing their ‘scholarly sitting’ and answering in ‘scholarly sentences’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love many aspects of school life, such as learning how to cook over fires safely. The increased opportunities to attend clubs has excited pupils. They particularly enjoyed a recent theme week learning about neurodiversity. Pupils understand and respect difference well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They have confidence in the school’s systems to support them. They greatly appreciate being able to sign up for ‘bubble time’ and know an adult will make time to speak to them. Pupils know that staff listen and help, and find resolutions to any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the work of the school. One parent wrote, summing up the views of many, ‘I’m very grateful for such a good school for my children to walk to, thrive in and feel that they belong to.’

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better?

The school has introduced an ambitious curriculum. This enables pupils, including those with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. The important knowledge the school wants pupils to learn in all subjects from Reception to Year 6 is precise. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to recall their prior learning and make links between different subjects. Pupils with SEND benefit from a curriculum that is as ambitious as that of their classmates. The school ensures that it identifies pupils’ needs accurately.

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better?

However, this high level of curriculum thinking is not quite as strong in the Nursery as it is in the rest of the school. The early years curriculum supports children to make independent choices and demonstrate positive attitudes. The school prioritises communication and language well. Yet, some of the knowledge that children need to secure in Nursery, including for the two-year-olds, is not always explicitly identified. As a result, children in the early years are not as fully prepared for future learning as they could be.

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better?

Pupils learn very well in most subjects. In the stronger subjects, teachers deliver lessons that tie precisely to what it is that pupils need to learn. On the whole, teachers spot misconceptions as they arise. Teachers check well that pupils are secure in their understanding of new knowledge. However, in a few subjects, the school’s clear curricular vision is not always fully realised in its delivery. Occasionally, 19 and 20 September 2023

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teachers’ subject knowledge is not as secure as it could be. This means that, sometimes, pupils are not learning consistently well across the entire curriculum.

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The school has made teaching pupils to read an absolute priority. Staff teach phonics expertly. Any pupil who falls behind with phonics is quickly identified. Staff give pupils precise additional support to keep up with the programme. Adults’ enthusiasm for reading inspires pupils. From Nursery onwards, children love listening to stories and joining in with songs and rhymes. Pupils talk about their favourite books and authors with genuine enthusiasm. They enjoy visiting the school’s brand new library. Older pupils know a range of poetry off by heart, performing them well with gestures, expression and clear intonation.

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Pupils behave impeccably well. They are polite and show kindness and respect to all. Learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils have a firm understanding of the school rules and what adults expect of them. They support each other exceedingly well.

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Pupils’ personal development is well catered for. They learn about lives and beliefs that are different to their own. They understand why fundamental British values are important in society. Pupils enjoy the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities, such as becoming school council members. Older pupils propose lunchtime club ideas that they wish to lead for younger pupils. They show great commitment in running these clubs each week.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They greatly appreciate the collaboration they have with teachers in other trust schools. Staff say that they are well supported with their workload, well-being and professional development.

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Trustees and the local governing body provide appropriate support and challenge. They do this with knowledgeable insight and rigour. Trustees make sure that all delegated responsibilities are carried out diligently. Trust leaders enable the school to drive improvements well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the school’s intentions for the curriculum are not implemented consistently well. This impacts on how well pupils deepen their knowledge in those subjects. The school should ensure that they support teachers to develop the knowledge they need to best teach the curricular aims so that pupils achieve consistently well in all areas of the curriculum. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 The Nursery curriculum is not clearly enough defined across the seven areas of learning. As a result, children do not always fully secure their understanding of some concepts in readiness for their learning in the Reception Year and beyond. The school should ensure that the Nursery curriculum is clearly defined with the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that it wishes children to benefit from, to prepare them best for future learning.

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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). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Edlesborough Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in November 2020. When its predecessor school, Edlesborough School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  Edlesborough Primary Academy is part of the Knowledge Schools Trust.  A new chair of the local governing body took over in November 2022.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The nursery provides education for children between the ages of two and four. At the time of this inspection, there were seven two-year-olds on roll.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 19 and 20 September 2023

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Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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 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 held meetings with school senior leaders, trust leaders, staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with four members of the local governing body, including the chair. She also met with the chair of the Knowledge Schools Trust and a further trustee, the chief executive officer and the director of primary education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. 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. An inspector heard pupils read to an adult from the school.

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 Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects, looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils.  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.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation of the school and school improvement plan.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day. They spoke to pupils about their views on behaviour in school. Inspectors considered how the school is supporting pupils’ personal development.  The views of parents were gathered through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the associated free-text comments. An inspector spoke with a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. They also considered the responses

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to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were very few responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils. Therefore, inspectors also looked at a recent pupil survey carried out by leaders.

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Regan Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 2023

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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