Ingoldmells Academy

Inspection of a good school: Ingoldmells Academy Simpson Court, Ingoldmells, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE25 1QE

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Outcome

Ingoldmells Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Neil Mitchell. This school is part of Greenwood 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, Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike Hamlin.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ingoldmells Academy is a caring and inclusive school. Everyone is extended a warm welcome as they walk through the door. Relationships between adults and pupils are built on respect and kindness. Pupils trust the adults in school to take good care of them. They have fun together and care for each other. One pupil enjoyed telling jokes to his friends and a member of staff as he ate his lunch. Another pupil said: ‘There are loads of people to comfort you if you are feeling down’. Pupils behave well. At social times they play together happily. On a wet day, their good behaviour continues during indoor playtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for pupils’ futures. They strive to ensure that every pupil will acquire the knowledge and skills they need to help them succeed during the next stage in their education. Pupils’ personal development is also prioritised. The school’s ambition is that every pupil will leave the school with a sense of their own self-worth and an understanding of the potential their future lives have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents appreciate the support the school offers to their children. One parent’s comment reflected the view of others: ‘I would wholeheartedly recommend Ingoldmells Academy to anyone.’

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

The school has designed a curriculum with the needs of all pupils in mind. It is broad and balanced. It sets out the knowledge and skills that will be taught at each stage, including the early years. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not get left behind. Their needs are identified and well understood by staff. Staff receive 21 February 2024

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additional training so that they can provide the right support. These well-considered adaptations enable pupils with SEND to access the curriculum successfully.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. The school’s decision to extend their early years provision to two-year-olds and three-year-olds since the previous inspection has been a resounding success. Children develop the skills and attributes they need to learn well. Developing children’s communication and language skills has underpinned this work. Staff identify children who need extra help at this early stage in their education.

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In most lessons staff explain new learning clearly to pupils. Year 5 pupils learn to use a protractor with accuracy because this is modelled to them effectively. On some occasions, the curriculum is not delivered with the same degree of skill.

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There are regular opportunities for pupils to recall prior learning. For example, in history each class has a ‘history box’. Staff use artefacts, pictures and other prompts to remind pupils of the important knowledge taught in previous lessons. Year 6 pupils recall their understanding of the Mayan civilisation, the Vikings, the Tudor period and World War II.

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Early reading is a priority for the school. They know it is the key that unlocks successful learning. From the very start of school children in nursery learn to listen for sounds. In the Reception Year children successfully apply their phonic knowledge to read and write. Staff make regular checks to identify pupils who need further help with reading. This extra support is prompt. Pupils learn to read with every increasing confidence and fluency. They discuss the books they have read and enjoy with enthusiasm. The school is full of carefully chosen books that pupils can access. The love of reading is promoted and celebrated.

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In English and mathematics regular assessment enables teachers to identify pupils who have gaps in, or misconceptions about their learning. These checks are not as well developed in the foundation subjects.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ wider personal development is well thought out. Pupils learn about current affairs. They discuss their own ideas and opinions and consider the ideas of others with respect, even when they do not agree. Pupil voice is valued. Pupils are consulted about the clubs they want the school to run. They learn how to keep themselves safe. There are opportunities to be involved in local projects. They visit a nearby ‘warm space’ to play games with local residents who use this facility and participate in the annual Lincolnshire Show.

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The trust works closely with the school. They have an ‘on the ground’ knowledge of the school. They are well placed to offer the right support and challenge when needed. Staff speak positively about the opportunities they have as a part of the trust. They say they feel well supported and trained. Their unanimous view is that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability in the delivery of the school’s curriculum. This leads to inconsistencies in how well pupils learn and recall knowledge. The school must ensure that they closely monitor how successfully the curriculum is delivered by staff and understood by pupils.  The school’s assessment systems for foundation subjects are at an early stage of development. Staff are not yet able to fully identify where pupils may have gaps in their learning, or misconceptions, in these subjects. The school must ensure that these systems are developed fully, well embedded and used successfully by staff to support pupils’ learning.

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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 ungraded 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 21 February 2024

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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). 21 February 2024

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CEO

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

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Greenwood Academies Trust.  The principal has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school organises and manages a breakfast club.  The school operates a nursery for two-year-old and three-year-old children.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 February 2024

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 Inspectors met with the principal, assistant principal and the leader for special educational needs and/or disabilities. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the vice-chair of the board of trustees and met with two representatives of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics 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 the learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a member of staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; 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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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including trust quality assurance reports, attendance records, behaviour logs and the academy improvement plan.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text messages that were submitted. They also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Hawkes Ofsted Inspector 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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