Ark Byron Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Ark Byron Primary Academy The Vale, Acton, London W3 7JT

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of the school is Daniela Grasso. This school is part of Ark Schools, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Lucy Heller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sir Paul Marshall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and harmonious school. Pupils and staff are proud to be part of the school community. Pupils feel safe and work hard. Staff support all pupils well. The schools’ ethos inspires pupils to be ambitious. Pupils enjoy their learning and benefit from a wide range of opportunities. Parents and carers are very positive about the education their children receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. They are respectful and kind and respond positively to the high expectations the school sets. In lessons, pupils are actively focused on their learning. The school ensures that pupils achieve highly, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers deliver learning skilfully because they plan and adapt learning carefully. This helps pupils to develop their knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Pupils develop into confident learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is committed to delivering high-quality pupil experiences. Pupils enjoy an extensive variety of clubs and trips. Pupils are taught about the importance of being healthy and active, alongside how to keep themselves safe. The school encourages all pupils to be responsible citizens through leadership opportunities and buddying schemes. 20 and 21 February 2024

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

Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum, including pupils with SEND and those pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding. This is because the curriculum is meticulously planned and carefully adapted. The school is explicit about what pupils must know, remember and be able to do. This begins in the early years, where staff nurture positive interactions and the development of children’s language and communication. Learning is carefully sequenced and linked across the curriculum. This helps pupils to be highly secure in subject-specific knowledge and skills. As a result, pupils access more complex concepts and make connections across their learning with confidence. For example, in mathematics, pupils learn how to analyse data in a range of ways which helps pupils interpret information in science and geography.

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

Teachers’ subject knowledge is a strength because the school and the trust prioritise subject leadership and staff development. Teachers think carefully about how pupils learn best. They use resources that support and challenge pupils in their learning. For example, in history, pupils in Year 6 analysed news articles when studying bias in the Second World War. Staff developed pupils’ wider understanding through a visit to the RAF Museum. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding of the subject content they are taught. Lessons are carefully designed and adapted so that pupils recall and use important knowledge. Teachers check pupils’ understanding continuously and effectively. For example, skilful questioning helps to identify any misconceptions so that these are addressed quickly.

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

The school places a sharp focus on the teaching of early reading. This begins highly effectively in the early years. The teaching of phonics is led by experts within the school and from the trust. Over time, pupils are well supported to become fluent readers. This includes pupils who join the school at different times of the year and pupils who require additional support to catch up. The well-resourced library provides pupils with a rich range of challenging texts that support learning across the curriculum.

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

Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. Working relationships are strong because the school nurtures pupils to be kind and respectful. This motivates pupils to attend school regularly. The school works closely with families where attendance does not meet the high expectations set. Governors know the school well and support leaders to be ambitious for all.

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

The school is highly ambitious in nurturing pupils’ wider development. Pupils are taught how to be safe online, to be healthy and to travel safely. Pupils enjoy events that celebrate diversity. All pupils access a range of experiences that include opportunities to explore their own well-being, the arts, active citizenship and enterprise. There are many curriculum-based outings and clubs that pupils enjoy such as skateboarding and coding.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 and 21 February 2024

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2018.

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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 met with a range of staff, including the principal, teaching staff and support staff.  The inspector met with the chair of the governing body, as well as representatives from the trust, including the regional director.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited 20 and 21 February 2024

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a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in other subject areas.  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 looked at documents such as the school’s wider curriculum offer and how leaders support staff with their workload.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Sophie Cavanagh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 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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