Curledge Street Academy

Inspection of a good school: Curledge Street Academy Curledge Street, Paignton, Devon TQ4 5BA

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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Outcome

Curledge Street Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The school’s headteacher is Jessica Humphrey. This school is part of The Thinking Schools 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, Stuart Gardner, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gerard Newman.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders, staff and the trust have high expectations for all pupils. This aspirational culture is embedded across the school, and as a result leaders and teachers work together effectively to teach a broad and ambitious curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of Curledge Street Academy. Pupils’ behaviour is informed by the school’s motto to ‘be safe, be kind, be ready’ and the value of respect. Older pupils act as role models. As a result, pupils are kind to each other and low-level disruption is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. Due to the close relationships pupils form with staff, pupils are confident to ask staff for help. The school rightly prides itself on its nurturing culture. Those pupils who need extra support have the opportunity to spend time in ‘the nest’. This nurture support helps pupils to manage their feelings and build resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular experiences, such as ukulele club, line dancing club and cookery club. The school choir enjoys performing at a local retirement home. These experiences help to develop pupils’ character and confidence.

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

The reading curriculum begins when children start nursery. The curriculum is ambitious. It builds progressively as pupils move through the school. Children learn the phonics sounds they need to succeed. Those children who struggle or are at the early stages of reading, including children who speak English as an additional language, receive extra support. Pupils read books that are well matched to their ability. Reading is central to the school’s 13 and 14 December 2023

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curriculum and the school has ensured staff are trained well to teach reading. As a result, pupils learn to be confident and fluent readers.

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The school has set out the essential knowledge and skills it wants its pupils to know and remember. The curriculum is coherently planned with clear end points. Pupils practise what they learn to ensure they remember knowledge long term. For example, in mathematics, teachers adjust the curriculum and provide extension activities so that pupils secure their knowledge before they move on to learn new content. However, in a minority of subjects, teachers do not use assessment effectively to check pupils understanding. This means some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are involved in all aspects of school life. The school works closely with families of children with SEND to ensure learning is well matched to the needs of the children. When necessary, teachers make adaptations that help pupils with SEND to learn effectively. Pupils with SEND have positive attitudes to learning.

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Pupils in the early years get off to a flying start. The school is acutely aware of the importance of developing pupils’ communication and language. As a result, the curriculum in the early years is deliberately designed to enrich children’s knowledge of words. The early years environment is rich in experiences. Activities are designed to be stimulating, as well as providing the appropriate level of challenge. Staff give clear messages to children about the importance of self-care. For example, each day all children learn to brush their teeth during the school day.

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Relationships between staff and pupils are a strength. All staff model behaviour expectations consistently. Pupils understand these expectations. As a result, pupils’ conduct in school is calm and polite. In lessons, pupils are engaged and motivated. Throughout the school, pupils treat each other and staff with respect.

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The school also has high expectations for pupils’ attendance. Staff work with parents and carers to identify how the school can support families in getting their children to school. As a result, rates of attendance have risen.

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The school provides a comprehensive curriculum to support pupils’ wider development. Pupils know what it means to stay safe online. They also understand risk and risky behaviour. This includes knowing how to stay safe in the community. When issues arise that affect pupils, the school pro-actively changes the curriculum so it is relevant to what pupils need to know.

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Staff feel supported by the trust. They know that their workload and well-being are considered. As a result, staff are happy and proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 December 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, teachers do not always use assessment effectively to check pupils’ understanding. As a result, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. The trust needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively so that teachers know when to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils.

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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 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2014.

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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). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined The Thinking Schools Academy Trust in September 2023.  The head of school is Hannah Wilkinson.  The school uses one alternative provision.  There is an on-site breakfast and after-school club run by the school.  The school operates its own nursery provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 13 and 14 December 2023

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with teachers, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before and after school. The inspectors also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Geller His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 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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