Tuckswood Academy

Inspection of Tuckswood Academy Tuckswood Centre, Tuckswood, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 6BP

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 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 headteacher of this school is Emma Hoey-Smith. The school is part of the Broad Horizons 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, Owen Jenkins, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Chris Snudden. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and most achieve well at school. Standards are improving because the school has improved the curriculum. Lessons are interesting and pupils listen attentively to their teachers. When pupils are learning new information, teachers explain things well. Teachers give help when needed so pupils can improve their work. Occasionally, a small number of pupils do not have tasks that help move their learning forward. Pupils do not always take enough care with their handwriting in some lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is mainly calm and orderly. The school has strong and effective systems in place to support and manage the very small minority of pupils who find it hard to regulate their behaviour. Consequently, learning is not disrupted. Pupils know and understand the school values. They like the new behaviour system because it helps them concentrate on their work and be kind to each other. Pupils have lots of friends at school. The well-trained ‘peer mediators’ skilfully help when pupils have occasional disagreements at breaktime or lunchtime. Pupils are confident to talk to an adult if they are worried about anything.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many clubs, visits and visitors the school organises for them.

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

Since the last inspection, leaders have successfully driven rapid improvement. They have addressed the areas for improvement from the last inspection. Standards are rising because the curriculum and teaching are effective. Pupils remember what they have learned and are learning in most subjects. For example, in science, Year 4 pupils can recall the names and order of the planets learned in Year 2. They are currently learning more about the planets and can explain what the planets are like and why.

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

The school provides effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are strong systems in place to identify pupils’ needs. The school works tenaciously with external experts to ensure pupils get the best help and support. Pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points in most subjects. Teachers have received effective training. They are confident to teach most subjects well. In a few subjects, teachers need further training so learning tasks are sufficiently adapted to enable pupils, especially those who find learning more difficult and pupils with SEND, to learn their best. Teachers check how well pupils are learning the curriculum at the start of every lesson.

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

The revised phonics curriculum ensures all pupils learn to read from Reception onwards. Effective training means phonics is taught consistently well. Pupils learn to read and accurately write their sounds in every lesson. Most pupils can read simple texts by the end of Year 3. Most pupils write neatly in reading and English lessons. However, the high expectations for handwriting are not maintained in all subjects. The new reading curriculum helps pupils to understand what they are reading. Consequently, pupils rapidly develop a love of reading. Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors 19 and 20 November 2024

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and the types of books they like to read. Teachers encourage pupils to read more widely through reading time at the end of the day.

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Staff consistently apply the new behaviour policy. All adults have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the behaviour policy and value the rewards they receive for good behaviour. Most behave well in lessons and around the school. The conversations staff have with pupils if they choose not to behave well are helping pupils understand the importance of good behaviour.

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The early years curriculum is carefully designed to ensure children are ready to learn in Year 1. Children are taught phonics and number work from the start. There is a strong focus on teaching accurate speaking and careful listening, and on developing children’s personal, emotional and social skills. Children behave well in the early years because adults build positive and caring relationships. Learning activities are fun and engaging. Adults are skilled at developing children’s thinking and learning through the conversations they have and the questions they ask during learning activities.

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Pupils love the wide variety of extra-curricular activities the school provides. They are keen to achieve the ‘Tuckswood 70’ by the time they leave the school. Pupils understand and value difference. They are considerate and have genuine understanding of those who find learning and behaviour difficult.

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Teachers are proud to work at the school. They are well supported with their well-being and workload. Governance is strong. The school is held to account effectively for the quality of education by local governors and the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not adapt learning tasks sufficiently for pupils who find learning difficult and for a few pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school must ensure that tasks are designed to support all pupils to achieve their best.  Some pupils find it difficult to present work well with accurate handwriting. This can reduce the quality of the work they produce. The school must support pupils with their handwriting and presentation skills to improve their work to a higher standard. 19 and 20 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 April 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher, deputy headteacher and curriculum leader have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school’s nursery closed in July 2024.  The school does not currently use alternative 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. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed the continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers, the chair of the local governors committee, the chair of trustees and representatives from the Broad Horizons Education Trust.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and the family support worker. 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 special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised provision

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for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, history, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans, discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to some pupils about their work in English and science.  Inspectors spoke to some parents before school. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff. The inspectors considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Becky Quinn Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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