Acorn Infant Academy

Inspection of Acorn Academy Spa Road, Witham, Essex CM8 1NA

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 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 Good

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The headteacher of this school is Cheryl Noble. This school is part of the Bridge 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, Mark Farmer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Margaret Wilson. 17 and 18 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Acorn Academy. They know that the school is a safe, welcoming and happy place. Staff give every pupil the support that they need. This helps pupils to enjoy school, work hard and attend well. The school expects pupils to achieve their best. Increasingly, they do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a range of interests through many clubs, including art, gardening and several sports. They participate in musical performances, competitions and trips. Pupils learn about the importance of the community when they raise money for charity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches pupils how to stay healthy and safe. They learn, in an age-appropriate way, about topics such as personal space, road safety and healthy relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of kindness. They know that everyone, no matter how they are different, is equally important. They show this in how they treat each other and adults. They behave well in lessons. They enjoy playing with each other at breaktimes and lunchtimes. When pupils sometimes do not behave as well as they could, staff work patiently with them to help pupils better understand the impact of their actions and manage their emotions.

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

The school has worked effectively to address issues with the quality of education and leadership identified at the previous inspection.

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

Starting from Nursery, the curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge over time effectively. Staff identify what pupils need to know and the order in which it should be taught. Pupils gain secure foundations in their knowledge. At the start of lessons, teachers typically recap previous topics. This helps pupils know and remember more. Staff present new knowledge clearly. Pupils then practise using what they have learned. Well-trained staff identify and know the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff use this knowledge to adapt learning, so all pupils access it successfully.

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

Teachers often check what pupils have learned effectively. They use these checks to adjust the curriculum for pupils. Pupils move on to new learning securely and at an appropriate rate. In some lessons, teachers do not check what pupils know well enough. They do not always identify gaps and errors quickly. When this happens, pupils do not gain some important knowledge as securely as they should.

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

The school has overhauled its approach to the teaching of early reading. Published outcomes do not currently reflect the impact of this work. A new curriculum has been introduced, supported by extensive staff training. Staff now skilfully teach pupils how to blend sounds to read words, using books that match what pupils can read. If pupils need additional help, they receive it. The school works closely with parents and carers so that pupils read more often at home. Pupils enjoy reading and do so regularly. They listen to a 17 and 18 December 2024

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diverse range of rhymes, stories and poems. Consequently, pupils become increasingly fluent and accurate readers.

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The school ensures that children in Nursery and Reception get off to the best start. They take part in stimulating and well-chosen activities. These help children to learn about the world around them and who they are. Children learn how to share and play with each other. Staff use language carefully to broaden children’s vocabulary and encourage them to form longer sentences. Children in early years become increasingly independent and confident.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Routines are straightforward and usually well understood. Most pupils focus on their work quickly. When teaching is of the highest quality, pupils take part with real enthusiasm. The school has improved pupils’ attendance. The daily ‘soft start’ includes the offer of a warm, healthy breakfast for all. This means that pupils get each day off to a positive start, ready to learn.

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The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They learn about values such as tolerance, and how to look after their well-being. If pupils are worried about anything, they know an adult will listen and provide them with the help they need.

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The school has a clear understanding of its strengths and areas for development. Trustees and school leaders are aware that some subject curriculums and subject leaders are new. They understand that further training is needed to develop the leadership of some subjects to ensure that the wider curriculum is developed, checked and taught as leaders intend. The school has used training to rapidly develop the subject knowledge of staff. Staff feel very well supported and enjoy working here. Parents are very complimentary about the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that all teachers check effectively how well pupils have learned important knowledge. As a result, in some lessons, teachers do not identify what pupils know quickly enough. The school should ensure that staff know how to check knowledge effectively and use these checks to close gaps in knowledge, address errors and adjust the curriculum so that it fully meets the needs of all pupils.  The school has not made sure that all subject leaders have the necessary knowledge and skills to further develop, implement and monitor the curriculum in subjects that they lead. As a result, some areas of the curriculum are not yet fully established and delivered as leaders intend, which may prevent pupils from learning and remembering knowledge securely across the whole curriculum. The school should provide subject 17 and 18 December 2024

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leaders with the support they need so that they provide consistently high quality subject leadership.

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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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Acorn Academy has a specially resourced provision with space for 12 pupils with specific speech and language needs. These pupils are fully integrated into the mainstream classes. They receive tailored support within the classroom with trained staff to cater for their additional needs.  The school’s Sycamore Room provides additional support for pupils with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school does not currently make use of any 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 provision). Schools 17 and 18 December 2024

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receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continuing impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff.  Inspectors spoke with a trustee and the chair of the local governing committee, the chief executive officer and the director of primary education of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  The lead inspector considered the responses and free-text comments submitted during the inspection to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Steve Woodley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 December 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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