St. Michael's Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St. Michael's Academy Grass Royal, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 4JW

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Outcome

St. Michael's Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Mathew Vella. This school is in a single-academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Cerwyn Pritchard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Michael’s is a happy place to be where staff nurture and look after pupils well. Because of this, pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They know adults will always help them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils are polite, respectful and courteous. They take pleasure in greeting visitors and holding doors open to show their respect for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined for pupils to achieve well through an ambitious curriculum. The school has high expectations of what pupils should learn. Pupils rise to the challenges set for them and show positive attitudes to their learning. They enjoy knowing more and strive to succeed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The wide range of opportunities the school provides to pupils is one of its key strengths. These centre on the promotion of ambition and aspiration so pupils know there are no limits to what they can achieve in life. For example, the ‘St Michael’s University’ enables pupils to develop their talents and interests beyond the curriculum, such as in animation and first aid. The school weaves its ‘pride’ values of positivity, respect, integrity, determination and expression in all aspects of school life. A focus on each value across the year broadens pupils’ knowledge of the wider world. 26 and 27 November 2024

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

The school has identified the important knowledge pupils will learn across the curriculum. Within the design of the curriculum, the school has ensured that pupils build their knowledge based on what they have learned before joining the junior school. Staff benefit from training to develop their subject knowledge. As a result, they are knowledgeable about what they teach to help pupils learn the curriculum successfully. Pupils’ positive outcomes at the end of key stage 2 reflect this.

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

To support pupils building their knowledge, teaching models new learning clearly. This is adapted to support pupils who need additional help. The school has a clear system in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils benefit from learning plans that support them to build their knowledge well across the curriculum.

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

The school makes suitable checks on how well pupils are learning. For example, teachers use questioning effectively to identify and support pupils who have gaps in knowledge. Where these checks are precise, pupils build their knowledge securely. On some occasions, these checks do not always address repeated errors in pupils’ work. Consequently, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely.

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

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils and staff value the time spent sharing books with each other. Pupil ‘reading ambassadors’ take pride in their role to promote reading across the school. The school exposes pupils to a breadth of genres and books that enhances their understanding of different cultures and diversity. This ensures all pupils can see themselves in the books they read.

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

When pupils arrive at the school, staff check how well they have grasped the basics of learning to read. The school identifies gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge and provides support to help pupils catch up. However, a small minority of pupils do not receive all the support they need to become confident and fluent readers quickly enough. The school has not secured the subject expertise needed to teach the intended phonics programme with consistency. As a result, these pupils do not learn to read fluently quickly enough and find their learning harder across the curriculum.

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

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly school. This is because staff have high expectations of pupils’ conduct and have set routines for pupils to follow. The school’s ‘pride’ values and ‘super learning powers’ underpin the school’s approach to behaviour. Pupils know these well and appreciate the certificates awarded to recognise their hard work. Pupils value the pastoral help in place, including through ‘the hive’ where they know staff will support them. Staff work hard to promote high attendance. They ensure families get the right support to enable pupils to attend well.

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

The school provides a range of opportunities and experiences to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about and celebrate difference to ensure they treat everyone equally. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain through the school’s work on the 26 and 27 November 2024

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fundamental British values. For example, pupils know the importance of the rule of law to keep everyone safe. Pupils value the many trips to enhance the curriculum, such as the trip to the River Yeo to support learning in geography.

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The school and trustees are committed to ensuring that pupils receive a high standard of education. Parents value this commitment and praise staff for the care and support provided to their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not support a small minority of pupils well enough to grasp the basics of reading. Consequently, these pupils are not becoming confident, fluent readers quickly enough. The school must ensure that staff develop their expertise to deliver the approach to the teaching of reading as intended.  On some occasions, assessment is not precise and timely. This means some pupils make repeated errors in their work that are not addressed quickly enough. The school needs to accurately identify and support misconceptions early to help pupils to build knowledge securely.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019. 26 and 27 November 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a before-school club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents and trustees.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered 26 and 27 November 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff or pupils.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 26 and 27 November 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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