Silvertrees Academy

Inspection of Silvertrees Academy Silvertrees Road, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 8NH

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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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The headteacher of this school is Ruth Turvey. This school is part of Silvertrees Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Reena Rai Aheer . 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families are warmly greeted at Silvertrees Academy. Everyone is valued. Diversity is celebrated. The school sets high expectations for all pupils’ achievement, particularly in reading. Pupils meet these expectations. Each day they live the school motto ‘Be the best you can be’. There is a strong culture of safeguarding and well-being across the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Staff ensure pupils follow the ‘golden rules’. During lessons, pupils listen attentively and engage highly in learning. Established routines and expectations make for harmonious social times. Pupil play leaders support younger pupils to play kindly together, which they do. Staff deal with rare incidents of poor behaviour effectively. They encourage pupils to reflect on the impact of their behaviour on others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An exceptional personal development offer broadens pupils’ experiences. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as school councillors and eco leaders. Trips and visits deepen learning of the curriculum. A wide range of clubs are popular and well attended by pupils. For example, board games, gardening, art and sports clubs. These help pupils to develop new talents and interests.

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

Leaders, including trustees, are highly ambitious that all pupils will achieve well. They have created an effective, ambitious ‘head, hand, heart’ curriculum for all pupils. It is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build over time. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Workshops help parents to support home learning. Staff are well supported by leaders to manage their workload and well-being. Rigorous checks on the school’s performance are effective. However, the school has not yet evaluated the impact of recent work to improve pupil attendance, and considered where future improvements need to be made, so that all pupils attend school regularly.

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

Teachers are well supported in teaching the curriculum. New learning is presented in exciting ways that engage pupils. Pupils enjoy the ‘Ready Eddy’ toolkit. It helps to develop skills such as independence and resilience. Opportunities to enrich scientific, technology, art and mathematical (STEAM) knowledge and skills strengthen learning. These include working with a poet, an artist, student doctors, a local business and a university. Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning in lessons and over time. Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit and recap on learning. Staff address misconceptions swiftly, particularly in mathematics. At times, pupils are not effectively supported to correct errors when writing. Hence, some pupils do not make the progress they could.

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

The school’s early reading offer is highly effective. It is well taught by skilled staff. Pupils practise the sounds they learn when reading books that match these sounds. This helps 8 and 9 October 2024

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them to build confidence in reading. Library visits, a summer reading challenge and a tea party reading award, promote a love of reading. Any pupil who falls behind is quickly ‘caught’. They receive targeted support to help them catch up quickly. Most do. Pupils learn to read with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age.

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Children in the early years settle well into school life. Staff plan learning based on what children know, can do and enjoy. They meet the differing needs of two, three and four- year-olds. Staff encourage conversation to develop language and communication. Children listen to stories. They engage in singing songs and rhymes. Healthy food and the importance of good oral hygiene are promoted. Social skills are encouraged. For instance, children learn to share and take turns when mark-making. ‘Colour Monsters’ help pupils to recognise and regulate their emotions. By the time they are five, children can read and write simple sentences, and count objects and numbers to 10 and beyond. All this means that children get off to a great start.

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Any pupil with additional needs is swiftly identified. They receive the support they need to be successful in school. For example, adaptions to work in lessons or support from a speech and language therapist. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well in school.

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Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn about different faiths including Christianity, Sikhism and Islam. They know about the importance of different celebrations to different cultures. For example, Eid, Easter and Holi. This helps them to value and respect difference. Pupils learn about democracy by voting for favourite books or school councillors. By collecting food for the local food bank or recycling fruit waste in school, pupils are active citizens within their community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This means they miss out on important learning. The school should evaluate the impact of recent work to improve attendance, and consider where future improvements need to be made, so that all pupils attend well.  On occasion, pupils are not supported to check and correct their work when writing. This means that mistakes go unchecked, or errors are not corrected swiftly enough. The school should make sure that staff consistently apply the school's approach to 8 and 9 October 2024

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checking and correcting written work when writing, so that all pupils, particularly those who need to catch up, make the progress they should.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Silvertrees academy is a stand-alone academy.  The headteacher and senior leadership team are new to the school since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides a two-year-old provision for its youngest pupils.  The school provides a before-and-after school provision for its pupils.

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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 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. 8 and 9 October 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, computing, and science. The inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning. The inspectors also discussed the geography, history, art and music curriculum with leaders.  The inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  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 observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors held meetings with head teacher and other senior leaders; teachers, support staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with trustees and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority. The inspectors also talked informally to pupils, staff, parents and carers to gather information about school life.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Brown Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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