Delce Academy

Inspection of Delce Academy The Tideway, Rochester, Kent ME1 2NJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management 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 of this school is Loni Stevens. This school is part of the Inspire Partnership 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 (CEO), Rob Carpenter, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Lawrence. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are openly proud of their school and what they describe as the ‘massive’ progress it has made of late. Their own progress in classrooms is also now clearly much better than it was in the past. Older pupils in particular have positive views about the many changes for the better in recent times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations of pupils’ behaviour and engagement in learning have been raised considerably. The school now expects much more of all learners, no matter what their backgrounds or barriers. As a result, pupils are stepping up to the mark and most are forging ahead, including those who attend the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision).

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is no doubt that the behaviour of some pupils got in the way of learning in the past. However, the current situation is quite different, and incidents of poor behaviour or bullying have reduced dramatically. If bullying, aggression, discrimination or derogatory language occur, they are dealt with quickly and effectively and are not allowed to spread. Pupils feel safe, are learning well and disapprove of what they describe as ‘small dramas’. The tide has turned at Delce, and the school is moving forward at a great rate of knots.

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better?

This is a good and improving school. Leaders at all levels, including those in positions of governance, know the school well. They know the school’s emerging strengths. They also know that there is more work to do to secure their vision for the school and its pupils going forward.

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better?

New leadership and the support of the multi-academy trust have been the catalyst for the school’s current position. Sensible decisions have been taken to create capacity for staff to drive improvement forward. The school’s curriculum is based on that used across others in the trust, though adapted to ensure it meets the needs of pupils here. Curriculum leadership is developing with the support of leaders from the trust and in partnership with other trust schools.

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better?

The school’s specially resourced provision, known as the DEC, provides well for pupils with complex needs. Other pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities across the wider school also do well because teachers understand their needs and adapt the curriculum accordingly.

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better?

The school’s work to improve pupils’ achievements by the end of Year 6 has been a high priority. Current pupils, the majority of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds, are better prepared for their move to secondary school than in the past. This is partly due to the school’s work to raise the profile of reading, which is beginning to bear fruit, though still needs time to embed. Current pupils benefit from a well-planned and sequenced reading curriculum. Those pupils who join in 8 and 9 May 2024

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Year 3 are carefully assessed on joining the school. A wide range of additional support is also available for pupils who need it.

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Pupils enjoy mathematics. Again, those joining the school in Year 3 are benefiting from a renewed focus on making sure the basics are sound before moving on. Pupils also enjoy studying a range of other subjects and were quite happy to discuss their favourites and preferences when asked by inspectors.

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The school’s personal development offer is also evolving as the wider curriculum strengthens over time. Staff are committed to developing enrichment opportunities and are passionate about this aspect of their work. A structured programme linking seven key areas enables them to promote the school’s values while addressing gaps in pupils’ own understanding of what it means to live in modern Britain. Because of this, they have an increasing knowledge of equality and diversity and how to make a positive contribution to their community.

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Pupils are pleased with their own role in breaking down barriers and building friendships. Their improved attendance partly reflects this, though persistent absence remains too high. The school’s junior leadership team feel that they have a voice and care very much about what visitors to their school think. Their animated discussion about a recent visit to the London Eye (linked to a set text they were reading) and a past visit to the Houses of Parliament, highlighted some of the many experiences they shared when asked about the best things their school had to offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Outcomes in reading at the end of Year 6 are not as good as they could be. The trust needs to redouble the focus on ensuring that the school’s work to support pupils to read is as strong as it can be. The impact of this will enable pupils to access the wider curriculum with increasing confidence, as well as develop a love of reading and the written word.  Leadership of the curriculum is developing. Oversight of some subjects is well established, but some leaders are less clear about how well their subjects are being taught across the school. This means that they are less certain about what is working well and what could be better. The trust should continue to prioritise the development of subject leadership so that the curriculum continues to improve and pupils are better prepared for their next steps in education.  The number of pupils who are persistently absent is too high. This is particularly

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the case for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. While there have been welcome improvements in overall attendance figures in recent times, more needs 8 and 9 May 2024

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to be done to reduce persistent absence so that more pupils benefit from the good and improving quality of education the school now offers.

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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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Inspire Partnership Academy Trust as an academy converter in March 2020.  The headteacher took up her substantive position in September 2023.  The school has a specially resourced provision, known as the DEC, for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils registered at the DEC have education, health and care plans.  Although registered as a primary school, at the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in Reception or Year 1 and few pupils in Year 2. The trust intends that the school will become a junior school for Years 3 to 6 from September 2024.  The school does not use 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. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 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.  Inspectors held a wide range of meetings with leaders at all levels, as well as teaching and support staff. The lead inspector met with the vice-chair of the local governing body accompanied by one other governor. He also held separate meetings with the CEO of the multi-academy trust and the chair of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing 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. The lead inspector

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heard some pupils read to a known adult. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of parents, 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.  I nspectors gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour, the school’s wider curriculum offer and how leaders support staff with their workload.  Pupils were talked to throughout the inspection to gain their views about the school. Inspectors also talked formally to two representative groups of pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of parents submitted through Ofsted Parent View. The views of staff were also considered through Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Clive Close, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Frances Nation Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 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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