Offley Primary Academy

Inspection of Offley Primary Academy Offley Road, Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 1GY

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

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The principal of this school is Helen Hewitt. This school is part of St. Bart’s Multi-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, Lisa Sarikaya, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Johnny Anderson. 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Offley Primary Academy. They told inspectors that their teachers help them to, ‘Always aspire to be our best.’ Pupils benefit from an array of activities that the school organises for them. They love the chance to compete in the many different sports clubs on offer. These clubs help pupils build their resilience and understand the importance of working as a team.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know their pupils well. Pupils feel listened to. They say that they can approach any trusted adult in the school if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Until recently, these expectations were not always realised as well as they could be. However, the school has worked hard to ensure that achievement in the school is now much higher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and show great respect for their peers. They embody the school’s values. Children learn what excellent behaviour looks like as soon as they enter the Nursery Year. This results in the strong learning behaviours that are displayed across the school. Pupils speak positively about the school’s new approach to behaviour. They are highly motivated by the rewards that their hard work earns them, such as the coveted ‘gold wristband’.

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

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum. It has recently redesigned the curriculum content. The curriculum offer is now ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Staff receive regular training. They also benefit from opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from other schools within the trust. This gives staff the subject knowledge to help deliver the curriculum effectively. Pupils achieve well, particularly in English and mathematics.

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

In some subjects, pupils have gaps in their learning caused by weaknesses in previous curriculums. However, in some subjects, the checks on pupils’ learning are not consistently used. This prevents staff from being able to adapt their teaching to address this. Children in the early years achieve well. They display positive learning behaviours. Staff provide activities that enable them to practise and become proficient in new skills. However, in a small number of subjects, staff are not clear about how the learning in the early years links to key stage 1. This results in children being less well prepared for their learning in these subjects in Year 1.

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

The school ensures that reading is a priority for all its pupils. Children in the Nursery Year enjoy listening to their teachers read with enthusiasm. They like to join in with the stories that they know. Children learn the phonics programme as soon as they enter the Reception Year. Staff are well trained and deliver the programme effectively. Pupils build on their phonics knowledge with books that are carefully matched to the sounds they are learning. Staff quickly identify and successfully support any pupils who may struggle to learn their sounds. Older pupils enjoy reading. They can pick the books that they like to 8 and 9 October 2024

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read from the well-stocked school library. Pupils are enthused by the books that teachers read to them at the end of each day.

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Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. They can successfully access all aspects of school life. Staff have been well trained to adapt activities so that pupils with SEND benefit from the same curriculum as all their peers. When appropriate, staff work with external agencies to provide pupils with the specialist support that they need.

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The school focuses closely on pupils’ wider development. The programme for personal, social and health education is well thought through. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe online as well as knowing the potential dangers that can exist in the wider world. They recognise the diverse nature of modern Britain and the importance of tolerance and mutual respect. Pupils receive a wealth of leadership opportunities, including prefects, house captains and eco-warriors. They wear their responsibility badges with pride. Pupils appreciate lessons linked to mental health. As one pupil explained, ‘It helps us understand why we sometimes feel like we do.’

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Pupils’ attendance is high. They behave well throughout the school. At playtimes and lunchtimes, pupils play competitive games with respect for their opponent. They return to the classroom after breaktime in a calm and orderly fashion.

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Staff are grateful for the range of development opportunities that they receive from the trust. Trustees and governors have a range of skills that enable them to support and challenge the school appropriately. Staff are grateful for the consideration that trustees and governors show for their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment strategies are at an early stage of development. As a result, staff are not always able to identify gaps in pupils’ learning, caused by weaknesses from the previous curriculum. This, in turn, prevents them from adapting their teaching to address these gaps in knowledge. The school should ensure that staff are suitably trained to accurately check the learning that pupils know and remember.  In several subjects, staff are less clear about the links between the early years and the key stage 1 curriculum. This means that children are not able to build on their learning as effectively as they should when they enter Year 1. The school should ensure that it clearly identifies what children learn in the early years so that they can build on this knowledge as they move into key stage 1. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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 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 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new principal and two vice-principals have been appointed.  The school is part of the St. Bart’s Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision for any pupils.  The trustees manage the before- and after-school provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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.  Inspectors met with the principal and other members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also met with the CEO and trustees and governors, including the chair of the trust and the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and

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looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with staff to discuss their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys to consider.  Inspectors had discussions with groups of pupils about their experience of school. They also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times.

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Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Moira Loftus 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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