Littletown Primary Academy

Inspection of Littletown Primary Academy Honiton Bottom Road, Honiton, Devon EX14 2EG

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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 Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is David Perkins. This school is part of the Honiton Littletown Primary Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is a single-academy trust overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tina Silitoe. 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘live, love, learn’ are at the heart of Littletown Primary Academy. Pupils embody these values in all they do. The school encourages pupils to be self- motivated to achieve success. Trusted and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils are evident across the school. As a result, pupils strive to meet the expectations staff have of them in their learning and in their behaviour. Pupils are enthusiastic and talk about their learning with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally well prepared to become active participants in communities. The school prioritises well-being and mental health so that pupils are increasingly confident and reflective. Plentiful leadership opportunities, participation in public speaking projects and success in sporting events are just some examples of how the school promotes pupils’ development beyond the academic. Pupils show care and support for each other in the many opportunities they have to interact and socialise. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place in which to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers have confidence in the impact the school has on their children. They are particularly complimentary about the wider development and inclusivity of the school. One parent captures these views in their comment about what their child said: ‘I feel like I can be my true self at this school.’

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better?

The school has worked to overhaul its curriculum. It has been guided in this by a clear rationale and extensive research to provide a well-considered, ambitious curriculum for pupils right from the start. The youngest children in the school are excited about learning. In Nursery and Reception, staff encourage children to explore and be curious about the world around them. Children’s language skills are developed effectively through well-considered support. As a result, children are well prepared for learning in key stage 1.

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better?

Across the curriculum, staff have secure subject knowledge and the skills that they need to deliver learning that pupils can articulate and recall successfully. The school’s floor books support this and enable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to focus on subject-specific learning. This is strengthened further by pupils’ access to individual technology devices, which they use competently and safely. Teachers address misconceptions in lessons. However, the systems for assessment beyond this, in some subjects, lack rigour and the specificity needed to enable the school to make the most effective use of information being captured. Consequently, in these subjects, curriculum development and implementation are not as effective as they are in others.

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better?

Reading is a priority. The school has strengthened how well pupils learn to read. Furthermore, the school has developed pupils’ love of reading and awareness of the world around them through a range of carefully considered, diverse texts. Pupils read regularly. They enjoy a range of different authors and text types, as well as 11 and 12 June 2024

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books from different subjects in the curriculum. Children in early years develop phonics knowledge well. Teachers identify misconceptions quickly. When pupils fall behind the pace of the programme, teachers help them to keep up.

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Pupils want to be in school and attendance is strong. This is monitored effectively. Appropriate actions are taken to address the very small number of pupils who are not in school as often as they should be. Pupils behave and conduct themselves well. The majority of pupils have a positive view of the behaviour of their peers. However, despite the records that the school keeps about behaviour, there is insufficient analysis of this information to support a fully accurate view of behaviour. This results in a lack of rigour in the challenge from those responsible for governance, so they do not gain the necessary assurances about the effectiveness of leaders’ decisions. This is more secure in other areas, where they have the information needed to hold leaders to account for the quality of provision.

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This is an inclusive school. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are valued members of the school community. The school evaluates the impact of additional funding. The school is strengthening its work to identify and support pupils with SEND. Part of this work is ensuring that staff have the necessary training to adapt learning to support pupils to overcome any barriers.

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Pupils’ wider development is exceptional. The school has a very well thought-out and established offer to ensure that pupils are aspirational about where their education may take them. The school is tenacious in seeking out and making the most of opportunities that are available. They ensure these have a significant impact on pupils’ awareness of and ability to have an active role in the world around them. Pupils are highly self-aware and secure in their views, while respecting the views of others.

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Leaders are acutely aware of the need to prioritise staff’s well-being and workload. Staff appreciate that their well-being is a school priority. This enables them to be the best version of themselves to model this to pupils and to get the best from them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is a lack of rigour in how assessment information is gathered and how it is used to inform curriculum development in some subjects. As a result, curriculum improvement and implementation are not as effective as they could be. The trust should ensure that assessment systems provide the necessary and precise information needed to make the most impact on pupils’ learning. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 Those responsible for governance do not always have sufficient information to challenge and hold leaders to account. Consequently, in some areas, they do not gain the assurances they need to get the most informed view of the school. Those responsible for governance must ensure that they hold leaders to account for the precise information that they need to impact fully on the effectiveness of the school’s work.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a single-academy trust.  This school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has provision for children from three years old in the Nursery.

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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 school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, the vice-principal, the special educational needs coordinator, other senior leaders and subject leaders. In addition, an inspector 11 and 12 June 2024

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met with the chair and vice-chair of the board of trustees, along with other trustees, and held a telephone conversation with the school’s improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and trust leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at the curriculum design, assessment and floor books in science and geography.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement. Inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum, SEND, safeguarding and behaviour.  An inspector listened to the views of parents at the beginning of the second day of the inspection. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments.  Inspectors evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jyotsna Paranjape Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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