Fosse Mead Primary Academy

Inspection of Fosse Mead Primary Academy Balfour Street, Leicester, Leicestershire LE3 5EA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good 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 principal of this school is Jay Virk. This school is part of The Mead Educational 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), Sarah Ridley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Glover. 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Fosse Mead Primary Academy is thriving. The school has been on a rapid journey of improvement. Leaders have put ambitious sequences of learning in place in all subjects. They have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. These changes are now having an impact. Pupils are learning the curriculum well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They say the adults at Fosse Mead Academy make them feel safe. Pupils know that they can share their worries and they will get the help they need. The school has tailored its curriculum to reflect its community and the needs of its pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Older pupils recognise how behaviour at the school has improved. There are warm relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils appreciate the support they are given. They say, ‘Even if we do something wrong, the staff take the time to explain what we have done and how to make it better, so we learn for next time.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined to raise pupils’ aspirations and broaden their horizons. Pupils’ education is enriched by ‘Fosse’s Fantastic 50’ and the inspirational murals that adorn the school. Pupils say, ‘The staff here want a better future for us.’

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better?

There have been significant improvements to the curriculum since the school joined The Mead Educational Trust. The school has ensured that staff teach the curriculum well. There are frequent checks to ensure that pupils keep up. Support is provided straight away for any pupil who does not. However, these changes did not have sufficient time to impact on the outcomes of previous cohorts. Therefore, published results do not reflect the quality of education in the school now.

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better?

Staff explain and model new learning clearly. In English lessons, for instance, staff take pupils through the writing process, showing them how to construct complex sentence structures that are grammatically accurate and punctuated correctly. However, staff do not systematically revisit and build on prior learning as effectively as they could in all areas of the curriculum. This is because, although the school has put clear sequences of learning in place for each subject, it has not identified the most important content in some subjects that pupils need to remember and use again. As a result, some pupils do not gain the depth of understanding that they could in some subjects.

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better?

There is a sharp focus on building pupils’ vocabulary in all lessons. Visual aids help pupils to remember the meaning of new words. This approach is very effective in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The support for pupils with SEND is well matched to their individual needs. Staff adapt lessons skilfully to ensure that pupils with SEND can learn the curriculum. 2 and 3 July 2024

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There is a vibrant reading culture at the school. Pupils are captivated by the stories they listen to. Pupils enjoy reading and recognise its value. They say, ‘Books take you into a new world where you can imagine what it is like to be other people and live in other places.’ Staff check closely on how well pupils are learning phonics. There is additional support for any pupil with gaps in their phonic knowledge.

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The early years environment is warm and nurturing. Children access activities confidently and independently. However, during free-choice activities, children do not always benefit from the high-quality interactions with staff that are needed to develop their communication and language skills.

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The school sets high standards for pupils’ attitudes and conduct. Although some pupils can lose focus quite quickly, most pupils concentrate well in lessons.

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The school does everything it can to reduce absence. It works closely with families to understand and overcome the cause of any low attendance. This approach has seen a significant reduction in the amount of time pupils have off school.

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Personal development sits at the heart of Fosse Mead Academy. As well as a comprehensive programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE), there are many curriculum-linked trips. There are numerous leadership roles for pupils, as well as an extensive range of clubs which are free to access. Pupils also have opportunities to contribute to the community, including collecting litter and fundraising for local charities. Pupils understand the importance of equality and they are respectful of difference, although their knowledge of world faiths is less secure.

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Staff in the early stages of their teaching career are flourishing. Staff appreciate the consideration that is given to their professional development, well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not clearly identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to remember and use again in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils do not always build on their prior learning and gain the depth of understanding that they could. The school should ensure that the key curriculum content pupils need to remember is clearly identified in all subjects. Staff should check that this important prior learning has been retained.  During free-choice time in the early years, children do not always benefit from high-quality interactions with staff. Staff do not reliably build children’s vocabulary as well as they could. Consequently, some children do not develop their 2 and 3 July 2024

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communication and language skills as well as they might. The school must ensure that all staff develop children’s communication and language throughout the early years provision.

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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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Fosse Mead Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2021 as part of The Mead Educational Trust. When its predecessor school, Fosse Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The principal took up her role in September 2021. There have been several staffing changes since the school converted to become an academy.  The school uses one registered 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. 2 and 3 July 2024

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 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 reading, mathematics, science, history, and design and technology. For the deep dives, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in English, computing, physical education and PSHE.  The inspectors met with the principal and the vice principals, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. Inspectors met with the leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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 inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation and the school improvement plan, as well as documentation relating to behaviour, attendance and governance.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read. The inspectors met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The lead inspector met with executive leaders from The Mead Educational Trust, as well as members of the academy council and a member of the trust board.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andy Lakatos Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 July 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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