Charter Academy

Inspection of Charter Academy 314 Mitchell Avenue, Coventry, West Midlands CV4 8DW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher is Louise Stewart. This school is part of the Castle Phoenix Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Michele Marr, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Freeth. 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Charter Academy and enjoy coming to school. Staff have created a safe and respectful learning environment. Pupils learn to be kind and polite. They know that school is always a fair place and that all are included and welcomed. From a very young age, pupils start to develop confidence, resilience and independence. They know that it is ‘okay to get things wrong’ and that you have to keep trying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to learn and to improve their knowledge and skills. The school has high expectations for them. Pupils do their best to meet these aspirations. Pupils understand the need to behave well and do so. They feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Oracy is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils’ skills and understanding of language have developed from the teaching of oracy, where you learn ‘to talk through talk’ and ‘to listen’. Pupils’ learning in all subject areas benefits from the development of these skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of learning opportunities outside the classroom. All look forward to their forest school lessons and visits to places of interest. The school ensures that all school trips have links to classroom learning. All benefit from taking part in pupil leadership lessons.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn. Pupils make connections between new learning and what they already know. This means that they build their knowledge successfully over time. However, a few pupils sometimes need longer to consolidate their understanding of new content.

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better?

Teachers’ subject knowledge is generally good. Some staff are less confident when teaching curriculum areas they are less familiar with. This results in teachers sometimes not being as responsive to the immediate learning needs of pupils. In most subjects, teachers check carefully what pupils understand. However, in a small number of subjects, the assessment and checks of pupils’ work are less effective. Consequently, staff do not always have the information they need to improve pupils’ learning.

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better?

The school knows its pupils well and there are strong and trusting relationships in place. Well-established classroom routines make sure that learning is maximised, and pupils are safe in all areas of the school. The school works closely with the families of pupils with SEND and with specialists to ensure that there is appropriate and strong support in place. Teachers adapt their lessons so that all pupils can participate. 12 and 13 March 2024

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Reading is a priority for the school. Staff deliver phonics effectively. They carefully check progress so that any pupils who fall behind can receive additional help and catch up quickly. Pupils are keen to become fluent and confident readers. High- quality reading material inspires pupils to develop a love of reading. One pupil commented, ‘Reading helps you immerse yourself in another world.’

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The development and impact of oracy in the school have been exceptional. It has transformed the way pupils communicate. They are able to reflect, reason and listen carefully to what is being said. Staff model how younger children are expected to talk and listen. In group discussions, pupils talk things through with learning partners and reflect on their learning. They then put forward their points of view and consider those of others. Pupils commented that, ‘We are more respectful now,’ and ‘This has changed how we speak and are spoken to at home.’

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The personal development programme provides many opportunities for pupils. These include pupil leadership lessons, enrichment activities, trips and a range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils can explain fundamental British values in some depth because the school makes practical connections to their everyday lives. Pupils say that equality and respect are central to school life. Pupils encounter a wide range of cultural experiences, including visiting musicians, food tasting, bread making and taking part in culture days.

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Early years children play and work happily together. They develop strong friendships. Warm and positive relationships exist between children and staff. In the early years, children’s language development is supported exceptionally well. Children learn to manage their emotions and feelings. They leave Reception well prepared for Year 1.

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Governors, trustees, the chief executive officer and other trust leaders know the school, its staff, pupils and community well. They have all helped and supported the school on its journey of improvement. Charter Academy ensures that staff are well looked after and are supported in the management of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, monitoring and assessment processes do not provide sufficient information that will help teachers plan the next steps in learning effectively. This means that pupils sometimes do not make the progress they could. The school should ensure that teachers use effective assessment strategies in all subjects to identify and plan what needs to be taught next in a sequence of learning. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 A few teachers are not as confident in teaching some areas of the curriculum as they are in others. The teaching is not always responsive enough to the needs of all pupils. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and understanding do not improve as much as they could. The school should ensure that all relevant staff have the required knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Charter Academy became an academy school in April 2021 when it joined the Castle Phoenix Trust. When its predecessor school, Charter Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school clubs which are open to all pupils.  At the time of the inspection, the school was not using any 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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the 12 and 13 March 2024

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector spoke with members of the local governing board, including the chair, and executive leaders from the trust. The lead inspector also spoke to representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. 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 pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to familiar adults.  The inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects, including science and geography. They discussed the school’s curriculum, the early years curriculum and the provision with leaders.

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 The inspectors observed pupils during breaktimes and lunchtimes and spoke with pupils and leaders about personal, social and health education and opportunities for pupils’ personal development.  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.  The inspection team took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and governors’ minutes.  The lead inspector considered the online responses to Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the responses to the survey for staff.

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Inspection team

David Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Tibbits Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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