Leamington Hastings Church of England Academy

Inspection of Leamington Hastings Church of England Academy Birdingbury Road Hill, Leamington Hastings, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 8EA

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Suzanne Marson. This school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Michael Cowland, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Barry Cockcroft. 10 and 11 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leamington Hastings is a welcoming, caring school. The school vision to ‘plant, grow and flourish’ is a daily reality for pupils. Pupils say they are happy to be in school and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a high priority on developing pupils personally. Pupils enjoy a range of different clubs like rock band, cheerleading, and archery club. They talk with enthusiasm about staying safe online and the importance of the strapline ‘telling a grown up’ (TAG).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the simple rules of ‘ready, safe and respect’. They apply these rules to their behaviour particularly well during social times. Pupils play well together on the playground. They show consideration towards each other by sweeping leaves to keep the playground clean. If pupils do need support with their behaviour, restorative conversations help them to make amends and learn from their mistakes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to staff in lessons. Staff expect pupils to try their hardest and they do, even when they sometimes find it challenging. Children in the early years enjoy exploring the environment. They demonstrate the learning behaviours they need to be successful. Pupils build on these as they move through the year groups and are proud when they are ‘concentrating crocodiles’.

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better?

Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the best possible start to their educational journey. The school has worked hard to create an ambitious curriculum across all subjects and areas of learning. They have made sure that the precise knowledge they want pupils to know and remember is clear. Staff know what to teach, and when to teach it.

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better?

The school ensures that it works closely with parents and carers, as well as with external agencies, to accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum. Together with extra support from other adults, this enables pupils with SEND to access the curriculum and make progress.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. Staff want pupils to learn to read and to love reading. In early years, the teachers read to children in a way that engages and excites them. They explore opportunities to widen pupils’ vocabulary when sharing stories and poems. Children in early years start learning to read by following a structured phonics programme. This programme continues in Year 1 and includes regular reading practice sessions. These sessions give adults the opportunity to discuss pupils’ understanding of what they have read. Informal assessment in lessons helps to identify when a pupil might need additional help to secure their learning. Using a simple system, all staff can identify which pupil might need more support. Staff maximise opportunities to provide that extra support throughout the day. A small 10 and 11 October 2023

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number of pupils have additional interventions. These approaches are helping pupils to read with increased fluency and confidence.

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Pupils engage in a range of different activities to support their learning in other areas of the curriculum. In early years, effective questioning and visual prompts help children to develop a good understanding of number. For example, in religious education (RE) pupils look at religious art to help them understand some of the ways Christians view God. On occasion, however, the work pupils complete does not enable them to demonstrate or secure a deeper understanding of some key concepts. This means that some pupils do not remember some of the important knowledge they have been taught.

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The school provides a calm and purposeful learning environment. In most lessons pupils can learn without interruption. The school has high expectations of pupils, and they are proud to rise to this challenge. When pupils find this more challenging, they are well supported to regulate their emotions.

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The school ensures that there is a clear focus on academic progress. However, there is an equal emphasis on developing pupils’ character and interests. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities such as being a health and safety monitor or a school councillor, or being in the eco team. Pupils are proud of their courageous advocacy work. Their efforts to save the bees through fundraising and distributing bee bombs are impressive. The school wants to prepare pupils for life beyond their immediate experiences. This includes learning about a wide range of other cultures and faiths. The school’s work in this area is exemplary.

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Leaders engage well with staff and are very mindful of their workload and the challenges they face. Staff feel well supported and are rightly proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the work pupils are asked to do does not support them to demonstrate a deep understanding of some of the key concepts across the curriculum. As a result, pupils sometimes find it hard to recall key knowledge that they have been taught. The school should ensure that staff further develop their knowledge to support pupils to deepen and recall key learning. 10 and 11 October 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’ 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). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Website www.leamingtonhastings.covmat.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school is part of the Church of England Diocese of Coventry. The school’s last section 48 inspection was in March 2023. The school’s next inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.

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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, and other leaders. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke to the chief executive of the trust, the chair of the trust board, other members of the trust board, the chair of the academy governor committee and other members of the academy governor committee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and RE. 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. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum in physical education and visited a lesson.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Helen Forrest, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Khalid Din Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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