St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy

Inspection of St Andrew’s CofE Primary Academy Chardstock, Axminster, Devon EX13 7BJ

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 March, and 23 April 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The head of this school is Donna Butler. This school is part of the Acorn 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, Andrea Rice, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Brian Impey. 12 and 13 March and 23 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew’s is a welcoming and friendly school. Pupils enjoy attending school and are keen to learn. Pupils and parents value the support and care that school staff provide. Pupils know there are adults to talk to if they have a worry. As a result, pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The trust has supported the school to begin to address some of the weaknesses in provision that are evident in the most recent published outcomes. The school has made some headway towards improvement. Nonetheless, the quality of education is not yet good.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has successfully implemented a new behaviour policy. Pupils understand the expectations well. As a result, the school is calm and orderly. Pupils enjoy the rewards they receive for positive behaviour, such as house points. These help to motivate them to do well. Pupils are polite and well mannered and show consideration of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ understanding of the school values is evident in how they treat one another. They learn about friendship, equality and difference. As a result, pupils understand the importance of treating everyone fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of leadership opportunities. These include the school council, the eco-group, well-being ambassadors and school librarians. These roles help pupils to develop a strong sense of responsibility.

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better?

The school, with support of the trust, has developed a curriculum that sets out the knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember. However, the design and implementation of the curriculum does not ensure that all pupils learn the knowledge they need. The design of some subject curriculums does not ensure pupils learn content in sufficient depth. While the school’s vision is ambitious for all pupils, this ambition is not yet fully realised in the impact of the curriculum. This means that some pupils are not well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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better?

The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ language. The school has considered the essential vocabulary that it wants pupils to learn. Adults model this well. This starts in the early years where Reception-age children learn to express their thoughts and ideas.

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better?

The school places a strong focus on early reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. In the nursery, children enjoy listening to stories and poems, and singing songs. Older pupils talk with interest about the books they like to read and their favourite authors. Staff support pupils well to learn to read. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them to develop fluency and confidence. Where pupils fall behind, they are provided with support to help them to 12 and 13 March and 23 April 2024

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catch up. However, some pupils find it tricky to apply what they have learned in phonics to their independent writing.

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The school has developed its curriculum in core subjects. For example, the mathematics curriculum is well sequenced. Teaching presents new information clearly to help pupils to learn new content. However, in the wider curriculum, some pupils do not recall what they have learned securely. This means they do not build their knowledge well over time. Some of the changes to the curriculum are new. The trust does not yet have a well-informed view of the effectiveness of the curriculum and the impact of these changes. As a result, some children have gaps in their understanding and some pupils’ needs are not well met.

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Assessment in core subjects is developing so that teachers check what pupils know and remember. Mostly this is used to identify where there are gaps. However, in some areas of the curriculum, assessment is not used effectively. The school does not use assessment to identify the root causes of why gaps in knowledge persist. As a result, some pupils continue to have gaps in their learning. Where this occurs, they do not recall what they have learned previously so are not able to build on what they already know.

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The trust has supported the school with strengthening its provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that pupils’ needs are quickly identified and that support plans set appropriate targets. They help pupils to learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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The school’s personal development curriculum helps to extend pupils’ learning beyond the academic. The school helps pupils to learn to become active and responsible citizens. For example, through charity fundraising events and taking part in the local community eco-projects. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of the fundamental British values. They recognise that voting is a democratic and fair process. The school strives to ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through a range of trips and visits, such as a trip to London for older pupils.

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Staff are positive about the school. They appreciate the care and support that they receive from the trust and the head of school. Trustees are committed to improving the school and share the school’s vision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The design and implementation of the curriculum does not always support pupils to develop a secure understanding. Some subject curriculums need further 12 and 13 March and 23 April 2024

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refinement to ensure pupils learn content in sufficient depth. Consequently, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time. The trust needs to continue to develop the curriculum, ensuring that it is effectively implemented so that pupils learn it well and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.  Assessment is not used effectively to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, it is not used to identify why gaps in knowledge persist. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely. The trust needs to ensure assessment is used well to identify where and why gaps in knowledge occur, and check that pupils catch up in their learning, so that they know more and remember more in the long term.  There is insufficient oversight of the curriculum and its impact. As a result, the trust is not aware how effectively the curriculum is being implemented to ensure

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the needs of all pupils are met. The trust needs to ensure that there are effective systems in place to establish an accurate and well-informed view of the school in order to drive forward further improvements.

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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 and 23 April 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Acorn Multi Academy Trust.  St Andrew’s Primary Academy is part of the Diocese of Exeter. The school had its last denominational education inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2017.  A new head of school has taken up post since the last inspection.  The school runs a nursery for children aged two to four years.  The school does not use any registered alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club and after-school club run by the school for pupils who attend the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 12 and 13 March and 23 April 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection started on 12 March 2024. Inspectors returned on 23 April 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  Inspectors held meetings with the head of school, curriculum leads, the chief executive officer, the school improvement lead for the trust, the inclusion lead for the trust and a group of teachers.  Inspectors held meetings with trustees, including the chair of the trust, and a group of governors, including the chair of the local governing board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics,

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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 subject curriculums in the wider curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the view 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.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View online survey. An inspector also spoke with parents at the end of the school day. Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted online staff survey.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Edge His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 March and 23 April 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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