Dove CofE Academy

Inspection of Dove C of E Academy Ashbourne Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5PB

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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 Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jacqui Brian. This school is part of the Staffordshire University 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 Capper, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mary Walker. 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Dove C of E Academy is a small school with a big heart. The school motto of ‘roots to grow and wings to fly’ is embraced by all staff, who are committed to helping each pupil to be as successful as they can be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school day, staff take every opportunity to interact positively with pupils. Parents really appreciate this and recognise that it helps their children to settle well in school and to develop confidence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic and behave well in school. This helps them learn the curriculum. In class they listen carefully and try their best. They are positive about their learning and keen to share their work with visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The family feel of the school continues at lunchtime when older pupils help the younger ones with their trays. Pupils play happily together in the playground. They feel that school is safe and they know they can share any worries with a trusted adult, who will help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities that enrich the curriculum. These opportunities promote pupils’ confidence and sense of responsibility. For instance, some pupils act as digital leaders or school councillors.

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better?

Over the past few years, the school has seen a number of changes, but there is now stability across the school. The new headteacher is providing clear direction for the school. Staff speak highly about school and trust leaders, who are providing them with support and development opportunities.

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better?

The school has recently refined the curriculum. It is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school have ensured that the curriculum for all subjects is clearly sequenced so that teachers know what to teach and when. Leaders have also recently invested in additional resources to help teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively. The school has a good overview of how well pupils are learning overall. However, as some subject leaders are still developing in their roles, they do not have a full understanding of how well pupils are learning in their subjects.

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better?

The teaching of phonics and reading is a strength of the school. Activities in the early years promote a love of reading. Staff introduce children to a wide range of stories and rhymes as soon as they start in school. This helps to develop their speech and language. In Reception, daily phonics sessions help children to learn their sounds quickly. All staff have had training in the teaching of phonics so that they can support pupils effectively with their reading. The books pupils take home are well matched to the phonics sounds they know. Staff quickly identify pupils who 5 and 6 March 2024

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need support and put in place focused interventions to help them keep up. All of this means that most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1.

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The school has recently strengthened its identification of and provision for pupils with SEND. These are effective. Staff are quick to note when a child needs extra help. Leaders and teachers work with parents to put suitable plans in place. Staff provide extra support, resources and adapt activities so that all pupils can access the full curriculum.

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Pupils behave well in this school. Staff have consistent expectations of behaviour, both in the classroom and beyond. As a result, poor behaviour is infrequent and low- level disruption is rare. Leaders have ensured that pupils have opportunities for regular check-ins with adults to talk about how they are feeling. Pupils value this.

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The school provides some opportunities to help pupils prepare for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils enjoy whole-school trips to the pantomime, and they learn about different faiths through their religious education lessons. A residential trip in Year 4 helps pupils to work together, build resilience and become confident away from home. However, pupils are less clear about their knowledge of fundamental British values.

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Trustees, governors, staff and parents are part of a close and caring community. They are united in wanting the best for all the pupils. Leaders at all levels have a shared strategic vision. They know the school well and understand what needs working on to improve it further. Staff know that leaders consider their workload and do not add to it unnecessarily.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The evaluation and monitoring of some subjects is still at an early stage. As a result, subject leaders do not always have a full understanding of how well pupils learn in these subjects. The school should continue to develop the expertise and capacity of subject leaders to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the curriculum.  Teachers have not been explicit enough in enabling pupils to have a deep understanding of fundamental British values. Therefore, some pupils do not fully understand them. The school should ensure that pupils consistently have a deep understanding and knowledge of fundamental British values. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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 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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provisions.  The school has a breakfast and an after-school club.  The school is in the Diocese of Lichfield. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place on June 2019. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of the previous one.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and design and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Ray Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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