Emneth Academy

Inspection of Emneth Academy Hollycroft Road, Emneth, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE14 8AY

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Elaine Huntington. This school is part of Eastern 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 (CEO), Paul Shanks, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Julie Perry. 7 and 8 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this friendly school. Staff know the pupils very well. Older play leaders help younger pupils to play well. They help to solve any issues that arise. Pupils appreciate this guidance. They feel safe at school. If pupils have any worries, they know that adults will help them. There is effective support for pupils’ well- being. This helps to build their confidence and independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff set high expectations for behaviour. Pupils respond well to these. The school has made changes to pupil rewards and responsibilities. This motivates pupils to behave well. Pupils have noticed that recently, behaviour has improved. The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils learn to show respect. They talk positively about disabilities and different lifestyles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about caring for the environment and living things. They understand how this affects human life. For example, the eco-council achieved the Ocean- Friendly Schools Award. This taught them how waste plastic affects the food chain. Younger members are responsible for checking that litter is contained around the school. This helps to prevent harm to wildlife.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a multitude of opportunities that are skilfully woven into the curriculum. Examples include making decorations in forest lessons from recycled materials and visits from the planetarium.

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better?

The school has carefully designed a well-sequenced curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. It is new since the previous inspection. It sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. The early years curriculum is particularly effective.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum successfully. Staff benefit from the additional training in SEND provided by the school and trust. They carefully consider the needs of all pupils. Subjects and lessons are well thought out. Pupils follow the same structure in each lesson. This helps them to make connections between the different subjects.

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better?

Children learn to read using phonics from the start of early years. This helps them to read and write well as they move into Year 1. Staff have the expertise to teach reading effectively. They quickly spot pupils who need more support. These pupils receive timely and effective help. Adults ensure that pupils’ reading books match the sounds they are learning. This helps them to develop their independence. Pupils are fond of reading. Teachers choose books to captivate pupils’ interest. As a result, pupils become confident and fluent readers.

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better?

The curriculum is now designed to ensure that pupils can revise and recall key learning. This helps them to build on what they know. However, some pupils who 7 and 8 February 2024

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have not fully benefited from this new curriculum have gaps in their knowledge. The school ensures that support is in place to help them.

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Children get off to a flying start in early years. Staff teach them to develop their independence. Children in the Reception class demonstrate the high expectations that permeate through the school. In class and at social times, children share the resources readily. They show great care for one another. Adults introduce very ambitious vocabulary. Children enthusiastically use this, talking in sentences. Well- trained adults expertly extend talk further through carefully selected activities. This helps children, including those with SEND, to learn very well. Consequently, children are very well prepared for Year 1.

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The school ensures that pupils behave well. Pupils learn to cooperate well at social times. They are rewarded for their good manners. They show courtesy. Pupils are rarely distracted in lessons as the curriculum is so engaging.

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The leaders’ vision is that this school will be ‘too good to miss’. They have new initiatives to encourage pupils to attend school frequently. There has been some increased support for these pupils and their families. However, for some pupils, these initiatives are not yet working well enough. Their attendance is too low.

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The trust works with the school to ensure that pupils experience stimulating ways to learn, by meeting the local MP, for example. Pupils learn to be respectful and to take responsibility. There are opportunities to become librarians, sports leaders, school council and play leaders. The school draws on the suggestions of pupils to decide which clubs to offer.

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The trust and local board challenge and support the school effectively. Leaders are mindful of staff well-being when planning change. There are opportunities for staff to learn with other schools and from trust staff. Parents and carers recognise the recent positive changes. They praise the care that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils who have been at the school longer have not benefited fully from the current curriculum. These pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should continue to check that important knowledge and skills are secure for all pupils in each year group. They should continue to ensure that teachers address these gaps in learning so that all pupils progress as well as they can.  Some pupils do not attend school as frequently as they should. Therefore, they are not benefiting from the planned curriculum. The school should continue to 7 and 8 February 2024

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use the new systems and processes with those pupils and families who find frequent attendance a challenge so that their attendance improves.

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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). 7 and 8 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Eastern Multi Academy Trust.  The school appointed a new executive principal in September 2021.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 had 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. 7 and 8 February 2024

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 Inspectors met with members of the school’s senior leadership team, and a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with those responsible for governance, including two representatives of the board of trustees, the CEO of the trust and two further representatives of the trust.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The views of pupils and staff were considered through discussions and scrutinising information collected from Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors considered 45 free-text comments from the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Pamela Finch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Hughes Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 February 2024

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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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