Glenleigh Park Primary Academy

Inspection of Glenleigh Park Primary Academy Gunters Lane, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 4ED

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Laylee Pocock. This school is part of the Aurora 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, James Freeston, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Martha Burnige. 13 and 14 December 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a well-established, welcoming and inclusive community ethos. This is reflected in the warm, trusting relationships between staff, pupils and parents. As one parent states, ‘Glenleigh Park feels like a family’. These relationships can be seen in all aspects of school life. Consequently, staff support pupils highly effectively in their learning and development.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school and eagerly rise to the high expectations that staff have of them. They cherish the rewards they receive to celebrate their successes. These rewards include ‘star of the week’, ‘pom pom recognition’ and ‘millionaire reader’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know how they should behave. Pupils are polite and respectful towards staff and their peers. Older pupils have opportunities to ‘apply’ for job roles across the school, which develops their leadership skills. These include roles such as ‘midday supervisors’, ‘office helpers’ and ‘librarians’, which pupils take great pride in carrying out.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff deeply care about pupils’ well-being and provide bespoke support to enable them to thrive. Pupils have access to pastoral care and enjoy their time with the school dog, Maeve. Staff teach pupils to manage their emotions. Pupils become self- assured and confident individuals as they progress through school. Pupils receive regular praise and encouragement. This helps them to feel happy, confident and safe.

p.2

better?

Staff are resolute in ensuring that all pupils achieve their fullest potential. There are high ambitions for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The expertly planned curriculum is well constructed and takes into account what pupils should learn right from the early years. Important knowledge and skills have been carefully identified and broken down into small steps of learning. This helps pupils to access the intended learning and achieve well. The school ensures that any additional needs that pupils may have are identified as early as possible. Pupils are then quickly supported to avoid any wasted opportunities in their learning.

p.2

better?

Currently, leaders recognise that, in some subjects that have more recently been developed, teaching is not yet consistently helping pupils to achieve as highly. Some activities in lessons do not always enable pupils to learn the identified content as well as they could. This means that pupils can sometimes find it more difficult to link and apply their knowledge. School and trust leaders are working together and investing time in developing the knowledge and skills of staff. This is already helping to improve the consistency in how well pupils are taught the well-considered curriculum. 13 and 14 December 2023

p.2

3

Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils’ progress and ability to read are checked regularly and systematically. There is a passion for reading across the school held by staff and pupils. This is achieved through daily supported reading sessions and regular story time in class. Pupils immerse themselves in high-quality books readily available in the school fiction and non-fiction libraries. Pupils talk fondly about their favourite books, which they keenly read.

p.3

3

Pupils from Reception onwards follow the school’s phonics programme daily. In Nursery, children use rhymes and songs and begin to identify important sounds. They are encouraged to enjoy stories and books. In Reception, teachers check pupils’ phonics knowledge carefully. They use this information to provide extra support for those pupils who may need it. Pupils receive rewards for their regular reading practice, which they greatly value. Different texts are identified to help pupils develop their understanding of the world around them and to support their learning in different subjects.

p.3

3

Pupils talk about their learning confidently and are engaged in lessons. Positive behaviours exist across the school, and pupils are ready to learn and try their best. Children in early years mostly maintain concentration and engagement. They work well in small groups, where staff help to support children, including those with more complex SEND.

p.3

3

The school is focused on ensuring that pupils’ regular attendance at school is a priority. Staff use different strategies to engage the wider school community to support high attendance. These are available to pupils and their families when needed. As a result, the attendance of pupils is improving, but there continues to be a minority of pupils who are absent too often. These pupils miss vital learning, which may result in them not achieving as well as they could.

p.3

3

Pupils develop a secure understanding of diversity through a well-planned personal development curriculum. They have a strong awareness of the importance of equality and hold respectful attitudes towards their peers. They show high levels of acceptance towards different cultures. Pupils understand difficult concepts such as stereotyping and prejudicial beliefs. They can challenge opinions and views comfortably. Pupils recognise their role in creating a friendly community and are happy to belong to their school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The full implementation of the curriculum in some areas is not yet fully consistent. Some teachers do not always design tasks that deepen pupils’ knowledge and learning over time. The school should continue to carefully monitor the impact of 13 and 14 December 2023

p.3

4

its curriculum improvements to ensure that pupils’ long-term knowledge is secure across all areas, including in the early years.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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

p.4

School details

Website www.glenleighparkprimaryacademy.org

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Aurora Academies Trust and first opened in September 2012.  The school has a nursery provision for two-year-old and three-year-old children.  The school currently does not use any alternative providers.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

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. 13 and 14 December 2023

p.5

6

 During this inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and with members of the trust board. She also had a meeting with the chief executive officer and other leaders from the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, design and technology, and science. In each subject, inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to adults. Other aspects of the school’s curriculum were also considered.  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

p.6

6

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspection team took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and the minutes of governor and trustee meetings.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Numera Anwar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Anne Allen Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7