St Luke's CofE Academy Endon

Inspection of St Luke's CofE Academy Endon Leek Road, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST9 9EB

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Nicola Danylyk. This school is part of the Staffordshire University 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, James Capper, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mary Walker. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto ‘helping lights shine for all’ permeates across every area of school life. All pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across the curriculum as well as personally and socially. Parents are extremely appreciative of all the school’s work. One comment is typical of many when they stated, ‘the teachers work their socks off to make sure the children feel supported and encouraged and always go the extra mile’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love school and thrive. They live and breathe the school’s ‘5B values’. Pupils advocate for these and, as a result, there is a particularly harmonious atmosphere across the school. Pupils have a thirst for learning and there is no disruption in lessons. They behave exceptionally well in and around school. Pupils have faith that staff will sort out any problems when they very rarely occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

By the time they leave, nearly all pupils have had a leadership role. They wear these badges with pride. These roles include being a health and well-being ambassador, charity co-ordinator or first aider. Pupils understand how these roles help make the school ‘better than it is already’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has a meticulously designed and well-ordered curriculum that is broad and vibrant. From the start of Reception Year, the curriculum identifies the precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils should learn. The school has considered carefully the important content that pupils should revisit to help them to build on their learning over time. For example, in science, pupils use their previous knowledge about electrical circuits when making a torch in design and technology.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers are experts in delivering the curriculum. The school has made sure that they are very well trained and there is a consistency of approach. Teachers use a range of strategies successfully to check that pupils have firmly understood earlier concepts and ideas. Any gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed. The school uses the most recent educational research to inform the approaches that teachers use. This helps pupils to learn and achieve extremely well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises reading and pupils’ vocabulary development. A language-rich environment immerses children in the early years. Across key stages, pupils benefit from a diverse range of texts from different cultures and from a range of authors. Pupils look forward to author visits. Pupil librarians enthuse other pupils to read widely and often.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff deliver the phonics programme expertly and with fidelity. Pupils read books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they already know. Further work in key stage two on fluency and comprehension has strengthened and improved pupils’ reading ability. Staff act quickly to support pupils who struggle with reading. This enables all pupils to read fluently and accurately. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well. The school identifies the needs of these pupils at an early stage. Staff are highly skilled in providing the support they need to learn alongside their peers.

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Pupils’ attendance is high. They want to attend school because they do not want to miss out on the exciting curriculum provided. The school strives to support the very small number of pupils who do not attend as often as they should.

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The school makes sure that pupils learn about, and contribute, to life in modern Britain. Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It is at the heart of all its work. Pupils are empowered to make a tangible difference to the school and its community. The curriculum is enriched through a plethora of experiences. For example, pupils explain with maturity about how a visit to a museum enables them to understand how death was addressed in Egyptian times and the mumification process. Pupils’ mental health and well- being is extremely well supported through the use of ‘positivity pets’, books and access to specific mental health support if needed. Nearly all pupils attend at least one of a wide range of extra-curricular clubs on offer. These include mindfulness, spiritual garden, sports, drama, reading, construction and choir, to name but a few. This work ensures pupils are well-rounded and ready for the next stage in their education.

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The trust and a skilled local academy council support the school effectively to continually strive to be the best that it can be. Staff are unanimously proud of the school and appreciate all its work to support their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

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, 22 and 23 October 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Website www.st-lukes-endon.staffs.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 and 3 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school operates a before and after-school.  The school is part of the Staffordshire University Academy Trust, which consists of 21 schools.  The school is a Church of England school, within the Diocese of Lichfield. Its latest section 48 inspection was in November 2016. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within one year.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and 22 and 23 October 2024

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher,deputy headteacher, subject leaders, groups of staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met withmembers of the local academy council, including the chair and a trustee, including the chair of the council. The lead inspector held a meeting with the chief executive officer and director of education of the trust.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and music. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and viewed examples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read to a trusted adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys. An inspector spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Adele Mills Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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