Shiphay Learning Academy

Inspection of Shiphay Learning Academy Exe Hill, Shiphay, Torquay, Devon TQ2 7NF

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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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 Requires improvement

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The Head of School is Kate Lee. This school is part of Riviera Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stewart Biddles, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jamie Parffrey. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, the school and trust have taken significant steps to improve key aspects of the school. They, alongside those responsible for governance, are determined for pupils to do well, including those who are disadvantaged. The school has improved the quality of education for all through the development of an ambitious curriculum that is working well. Staff set, and pupils reach, the high expectations of what they can achieve, starting in the early years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful. They take pleasure in greeting adults and holding doors open for their friends. Pupils are happy and rightly proud to be part of the school community. The school builds positive relationships with pupils and knows them well. This creates a nurturing place to learn where pupils grow in confidence. They benefit from high-quality pastoral support. This helps pupils to feel safe and welcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a range of opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils enjoy clubs such as the performing arts club. To widen the experiences of pupils, they attend residentials, such as to Dartmoor to learn about nature. Trips and visits enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils work with a catering company to support their learning in design and technology.

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

Across subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn with precision. This begins in early years where children get off to a strong start. Through careful checking, staff know what is working well across subjects and what needs further development. As a result, the school has a clear understanding of how well the curriculum is being implemented.

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

In a minority of subjects, the school has made recent changes to the curriculum to help pupils learn more over time. This means these subjects are in their infancy. While the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember is clear, the teaching of the new curriculum in these areas is in its early stages. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so do not yet build their knowledge well enough.

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

To support the teaching of the curriculum, the school uses regular training to strengthen staff expertise. This enables staff to teach the curriculum well. Pupils are supported to revisit what they have learned before through the daily ‘rewind’. They share how this helps them to know more and remember more. For example, pupils are secure in their knowledge of various artists that they have studied and how they use different techniques within their artwork.

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

The school has worked on its approach to checking what pupils know and remember. Teachers use these checks to identify and support gaps in knowledge. However, sometimes these checks are not precise enough. On occasions, future learning does not always build on what pupils know and can do, or some pupils embed mistakes over time. This hinders progress for these pupils. 22 and 23 October 2024

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The school has improved the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) since the previous inspection. Early identification makes sure these pupils get the help they need. For example, pupils receive a language assessment when they begin in Nursery. Staff training ensures the school makes adaptations to help pupils with SEND to be successful alongside their peers.

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Teaching pupils to learn to read and to develop a love of reading is a high priority. Reading for pleasure starts in early years where books, stories and rhymes weave through the curriculum. This extends further up the school where pupils enjoy listening to stories to build their knowledge of books and authors. As a result, they enthusiastically share their favourites with their peers. Staff receive regular training to teach the phonics programme well. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Staff are quick to spot and give pupils targeted and timely help if and when they need it. They show confidence when decoding and blending words because they are secure in their knowledge of sounds. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers quickly.

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The school promotes high expectations of behaviour through the golden rules of ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe’. This ensures that the school is calm and orderly. Pupils know how to be successful. This starts in the early years where children learn to collaborate with others during tidy up time. Pupils have high attendance. This is due to the school’s work on sharing the importance of coming to school regularly to learn well.

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The school supports pupils’ wider development successfully. ‘Riviera 70’ enhances the curriculum through a variety of planned experiences that go beyond the academic. The school supports pupils to become responsible and active citizens, for example through their leadership roles and working with local charities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of subjects are in their infancy and not taught as well as those that are more established. In these subjects, pupils do not yet build their knowledge securely. The trust needs to ensure these subjects are implemented as intended and check pupils progress well through the curriculum to know and remember more.  On some occasions, assessment is not precise and timely. This means some pupils have unknown gaps in their knowledge or develop misconceptions that are not rectified quickly enough. The trust needs to accurately understand how well pupils learn the curriculum and use this to address errors and inform future learning. 22 and 23 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 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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 April 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Shiphay Learning Academy is part of the Riviera Education Trust.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.  The school uses four unregistered alternative providers.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents, governors, the CEO of the trust and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 lead inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks 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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