Scawby Academy

Inspection of a good school: Scawby Academy West Street, Scawby, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 9AN

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2023

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Outcome

Scawby Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Mrs Zoe Birchall. This school is part of St Hybald’s Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the executive headteacher, Mrs Zoe Birchall, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mr Stuart Bontoft. There is also the executive deputy headteacher, Mr Anthony Wells, who is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what it is to be part of ‘TEAM Scawby’. They celebrate being part of a class, a school and a community. Pupils know staff care about them. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. This makes pupils feel welcome and safe. Pupils are happy in school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ academic achievement. Pupils are interested in their learning because lessons are fun. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well in classrooms and around the school. Learning time is not disrupted and pupils listen attentively to each other and their teachers. Pupils thoroughly enjoy playtimes because of the range of activities that are available. Pupils from different age groups play together harmoniously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides an extensive programme of wider curriculum opportunities. Pupils welcome the opportunity to attend the many clubs and tournaments available to them. They are keen to develop their talents and interests. One pupil said, ‘Winning the badminton tournament may make me consider playing this sport in the future.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils receive opportunities to become leaders within the school. They talked about leading play with the younger pupils or becoming digital leaders. 22 and 23 November 2023

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for all of its pupils, including those with SEND. For most subjects, the key knowledge and concepts that pupils need to learn has been identified. Teachers from the early years through to Year 6 know the important information that should be taught and when. This means pupils are carefully building on their knowledge each year. However, in a few subjects the school has not broken down the most important content in the same detail. This means that pupils do not have the same depth of knowledge and understanding that they do in other subjects.

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

Teachers have been well trained to deliver the curriculum effectively. Their subject knowledge is strong and they present information clearly. Lessons are carefully sequenced. Teachers include regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning. This helps pupils retain essential knowledge. In mathematics, some pupils, who have demonstrated accurate mathematical understanding, do not receive the opportunities that are required to deepen their understanding further.

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

The school has effective systems in place to identify those pupils with SEND. Teachers skilfully adapt their lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

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

Reading is a strength of the school. The teaching of phonics commences as soon as the children start school. Staff make regular checks that pupils are keeping up. Those at risk of falling behind are supported to catch up quickly. Pupils take home reading books which are well matched to the sounds they know. This helps them to become fluent and confident readers. The school fosters a love a reading and pupils read daily. There are a wide range of books available for pupils to read. One pupil said he had been inspired to read.

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

The school sets high expectations for behaviour. Routines are used to teach the positive behaviour expected from all pupils. This starts in the early years, where children learn to take turns and share. Pupils behave exceptionally well in all areas of school life.

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

The school ensures that pupils benefit from a well-planned personal development programme. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to keep safe in a range of ways, including when playing and working online. However, pupils have a limited understanding of different faiths and religions. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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

Trustees are ambitious for the pupils in the school. They have a secure knowledge of the strengths and areas for further development. Trustees use their own checks and assurances from others, to hold leaders to account for the quality of education that the school provides.

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

Staff have very positive views of leadership in the school. They feel leaders consider their well-being and support the reduction of workload. Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school. 22 and 23 November 2023

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Parents are very positive of the provision that the school provides.

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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 subjects, leaders have not identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn in each year group. This means pupils do not build on their prior knowledge progressively. Leaders need to review these subjects and decide what knowledge should be taught and when so that pupils can achieve as well as they can.  In some mathematics lessons, teachers do not provide the required problem-solving or reasoning activities that some require. As a consequence, these pupils, who have demonstrated secure mathematical understanding, are not given the opportunity to apply their conditional knowledge to abstract or real world problems. Therefore, these pupils miss the opportunity to deepen their understanding further. Leaders need to train the teachers to utilise appropriate problem-solving activities and recognise when these need to be introduced.  Pupils do not have a secure understanding of different faiths and religions. This means

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders need to review the religious education curriculum to ensure that knowledge is built up progressively and revisited regularly. This will ensure pupils are fully aware and accepting of religious differences.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2018. 22 and 23 November 2023

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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 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). 22 and 23 November 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Scawby Academy converted to become an Academy in 2012.  This school is part of the St Hybald’s Trust.  The school does not make any use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 the evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, the executive deputy headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  The lead inspector met with 3 representatives from the board of trustees.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke with parents before school to gather their views and opinions about the school. 22 and 23 November 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and modern foreign languages. She met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. The inspector spoke with pupils and looked at examples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector examined a range of safeguarding documents. She made checks on staff recruitment. She spoke with staff to check how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  The inspector explored the staff’s views about their workload and well-being.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around school and in lessons. She spoke with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding in their school.

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Inspection team

Bev Dolman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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