Leigh Academy Peninsula East

Inspection of Peninsula East Primary Academy Avery Way, Allhallows, Rochester ME3 9HR

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Lorna Rimmer. The school is part of Leigh Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by chief executive officer, Simon Beamish, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Frank Green. There is also an Academies Director, Emma Elwin, who is responsible for this school and 12 others. 21 and 22 May 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Peninsula East are eager to learn. They are highly engaged in their lessons and are flourishing in an environment where independence is promoted. Staff have high expectations for all pupils to achieve, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are keen to live up to these expectations.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour across the school is exemplary. Pupils with responsibilities such as the head boy and head girl lead by example. The ‘10 learner attributes’ are at the heart of the curriculum, promoting confidence and resilience for every pupil from the moment they start school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They understand how to keep physically and mentally healthy. There is an emphasis on every pupil becoming a ‘digital citizen’. Pupils have access to individual technology to support their learning. As a result, the school has prioritised pupils’ learning about how to stay safe online.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has thoughtfully considered the wider curriculum opportunities. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, benefit the most from this offer. Trips and visitors are designed to reinforce learning, alongside an extensive range of clubs and activities. Community links are at the centre of this offer and the links with local business has resulted in an annual careers fair to promote pupils’ future aspirations.

p.2

better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that incorporates the full range of traditional curriculum subjects. This is well sequenced from the early years through to Year 6. In the majority of subjects, pupils confidently remember their learning and teachers know how to check this. In a small number of subjects, such as history, there is still work to do. In these subjects, the way that pupils are taught is not precise enough and the checks to see if pupils remember their learning are not specific enough. This means that not all pupils are learning as well as they could. The school has already identified a wide range of appropriate training and support from within the school and across the trust to address this.

p.2

better?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well. This includes pupils with SEND. This does not reflect some of the previous published outcomes. Pupils’ engagement in lessons and as demonstrated in their work over time show clear evidence of these high expectations. This starts right from the early years, where children independently sustain concentration in activities across all areas of learning for extended periods of time.

p.2

better?

There is a sharp focus on early reading. A love of reading is promoted from the very start of Nursery, where books and stories are cherished by staff and children. The book vending machine has inspired pupils across the school to read a wider variety of texts. The phonics programme is used effectively to support all pupils, including 21 and 22 May 2024

p.2

3

those with SEND, and is followed consistently by all teachers. As a result, the majority of pupils confidently read well-matched books by applying the sounds that they know. Pupils who lack confidence or fluency with reading are quickly identified. The school provides tailored support to enable pupils to catch up and then keep up with their peers. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge overall and have benefited from high-quality, focused training.

p.3

3

Pupils behave with high levels of respect for each other, starting in the early years. Tolerance is taught explicitly and pupils talk knowledgeably about their school being welcoming and supportive to everyone in the local community. Attendance is a high priority. The school regularly scrutinises the attendance of individuals and groups of pupils to identify ways to support improvements effectively.

p.3

3

The extensive range of planned, wider curriculum opportunities is a very strong aspect of the school’s work. Pupils make key decisions around the clubs that are on offer. They talk positively about the importance of having a voice in the school’s decisions. Pupils’ leadership roles, that include school council and ‘eco-ambassadors’, support pupils’ independence effectively. Pupils use these roles to have a positive impact on the local community, for example during a recent litter pick in the local holiday park. The engagement of the local community is a high priority for the whole school and the wider trust.

p.3

3

The school, ably supported by the trust, has prioritised a programme of highly targeted training. Staff well-being is regularly reviewed. Leaders ensure that staff workload is managed very effectively so that staff can focus on doing their very best for pupils. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive. Governors and trustees provide well considered support and challenge for the school. This includes regular opportunities to engage with staff and pupils.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the way that pupils are taught is not precise enough. This means that some pupils are not learning as successfully as they could. The school should continue to provide high-quality training to ensure that all staff’s pedagogical knowledge supports pupils to know more and remember more. 21 and 22 May 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 21 and 22 May 2024

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of Leigh Academies Trust.  The academy is authorised as an International Baccalaureate World School. It teaches the Primary Years Programme.  The school was previously two schools which merged in 2021. The two previous schools were Stoke Primary Academy and All Hallows Primary Academy. This is the first inspection since the schools merged and became Peninsula East Primary Academy.  The school offers breakfast club and after-school provision, which is run by the school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision. 21 and 22 May 2024

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, modern foreign languages and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also heard pupils read to a trusted member of staff.  The inspectors met with leaders, staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the governing body and members of the board of trustees.  The inspectors observed break and lunchtimes and the start and end of the

p.6

Information about this inspection

school day.  The inspectors scrutinised minutes of the local governing board meetings and trustee meetings.  The inspectors met leaders to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND. They visited lessons to look at the support these pupils were receiving.  The inspectors considered the responses to the confidential staff surveys. They took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ free-text comments.  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.

p.6

Inspection team

Emma Law, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 May 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7