Mayflower Academy

Inspection of an outstanding school: Mayflower Academy 41 Ham Drive, Plymouth, Devon PL2 2NJ

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Outcome

Mayflower Academy continues to be an outstanding school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is David Sammels. The school is part of Learning Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Simon Spry, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Butcher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy when they arrive at school. They feel nurtured and welcomed. As pupils enter the school, staff warmly greet them. The school values of ‘together we can’ are intrinsic throughout school life. The school is ambitious for pupils. The outcomes for pupils are high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful of one another. When they fall out, staff help them to resolve their differences. In lessons, pupils are calm and very focused. Staff use chimes when they want pupils to stop and listen. Pupils respond promptly. Pupils with behavioural needs are well supported. During breaktimes, pupils play well together. When it is wet, pupils enjoy different structured activities, such as craft and dance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through the many pupil councils, such as the safe council, pupils share their views. They take an active role in contributing to the school. At the end of the day, the school buzzes with activity. Many pupils attend after-school reading and numeracy classes. There are a wide range of clubs. Many pupils sing in the school choirs or produce media podcasts. The school is ambitious for pupils to perform, through music, the arts or sport. One parent described it as ‘a bit of magic.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has embedded a broad and rich curriculum. Over time, the school has developed each subject with precision. This means pupils systematically build on what they have learned. This helps them to retain their learning well. In mathematics, pupils learn a tightly structured curriculum. This begins in early years, where numeracy is abundant in children’s learning. Pupils develop their fluency through practice. They apply 6 and 7 December 2023

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their mathematical knowledge accurately to problem solving. Pupils who need extra help, are pre-taught the mathematics they need before the lesson. In lessons, they have prompt support from staff when they need it. Pupils who are confident, move quickly to extending their knowledge. As a result, the published outcomes in mathematics are high. The school is ambitious to support parents to help their children with learning. Regular classes, such as ‘mums who maths’ supports parents to develop their own education and sit qualifications.

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Together, teachers relentlessly review how well pupils are progressing. They consider every subject. This means adaptations to support pupils are immediate. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need when they need it. Teachers use information about every subject to make sure the support is appropriate. Pupils with SEND who attend the support centre have tailored and well- planned support to meet their needs. This helps them to work independently.

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The school plans staff development with precision. Teachers attend workshops to rehearse the full depth of knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. In some subjects, the school works alongside experts, such as authors and designers, to plan ambitious learning for pupils. For example, in design and technology, pupils work with a local college to design and make a bird hide for an island in Plymouth harbour. Pupils plan every stage of the design process in careful detail. Pupils produce high quality work.

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The school ensures pupils learn to read systematically. Pupils learn the sounds they need to know in an orderly way. The school prioritises reading through early morning sessions or reading after school. Many volunteers sit in the library to listen and talk to pupils about their books. Pupils relish the many opportunities for numeracy and reading. Pupils are highly positive about reading and mathematics.

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The school is an exceptional community school in every sense. Groups for parents, such as developing culinary skills, mathematics or wellbeing run alongside classes for pupils and parents. The school ensures there is a culture of diversity, respect and tolerance. This is implicit in the values of the school. Pupils know the importance of respecting and understanding different faiths, beliefs and cultures. For example, pupils and parents value the wide choice of books representing the community.

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Leaders are relentless in their high expectations for pupils. They share a well-established, ambitious vision for the school and the community. A majority of parents enthuse about the school, and the work of staff to nurture their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 December 2023

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in September 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 6 and 7 December 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Learning Academies Trust. The school joined the trust in 2018.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. 6 and 7 December 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector held discussions with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, the chair of the local governing body, the chair of trustees, the CEO and trust leaders.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their experiences of school. She met with groups of pupils, as well as speaking to them in lessons and during social times.  The inspector spoke with several parents at the school gate and reviewed the communications and letters sent during the inspection.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. She also viewed the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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