Stretton Church of England Academy

Inspection of Stretton Church of England Academy Stretton Avenue, Willenhall, Coventry, West Midlands CV3 3AE

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

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The headteacher of this school is Roberta Mainwaring. This school is part of the Diocese of Coventry 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 (CEO), Michael Cowland, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Barry Cockcroft. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and extremely inclusive school. Pupils are nurtured and well cared for. Staff know the pupils well. They understand the various barriers and challenges that pupils face when they are learning. This leads to an environment where pupils feel safe. Most pupils behave well. However, misbehaviour sometimes disrupts lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto ‘Let your light shine’ permeates throughout the school’s work and the many positive changes that have been made. This includes a complete overhaul of the school’s curriculum. There is strong ambition for all pupils to achieve the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. However, in some subjects, pupils’ achievement does not match the school’s intentions. As a result, some pupils do not have the depth of knowledge that they need to be ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wealth of trips, visitors and extra-curricular clubs. These give pupils the opportunity to develop their talents and interests and to understand the world around them. Pupils take pride in their responsibilities, including as school councillors, who help to lead the school’s community and charity work.

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

Trust leaders have worked relentlessly to improve the school during a period of instability. New leaders have already made positive improvements in several areas, for example changes to the curriculum, attendance procedures and early identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

The school has overhauled the quality of education that pupils receive. It has established an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that clearly sets out the knowledge and skills that it wants pupils to learn from early years to Year 6. The school has set high aspirations for pupils’ achievement and personal development. The school provides staff with regular, high-quality training. For the most part, this enables staff to design and deliver learning activities that support pupils to learn well. However, sometimes, the curriculum is not implemented effectively, including in the early years. Some of the learning activities do not build on prior learning or support pupils to remember their learning over time. As a result, some pupils struggle to develop the important knowledge that they need.

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

The school has ensured that learning to read is a priority. Children start to learn their phonics straight away in the Reception Year. Careful checking swiftly identifies if pupils start to fall behind. Staff give pupils the extra help they need to catch up quickly. This helps them to achieve success and builds their confidence.

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

The school has strengthened its process for identifying and assessing the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils with SEND are well supported in the school. Staff know pupils’ needs well. Pupils are helped to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Pupils who are supported in the school’s ‘Nest’ provision benefit from an environment where they feel safe and can flourish. 3 and 4 December 2024

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The school has implemented a new policy for pupils’ behaviour. It has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Carefully tailored support helps those who require additional support to manage their feelings and emotions to regulate their behaviour. Recently, incidents of poor behaviour have fallen significantly. Generally, pupils behave well and try hard in their lessons. However, there are some inconsistencies in how staff apply the behaviour policy, including in the early years. Staff do not always have high enough expectations for pupils to listen and participate. As a result, a few pupils do not focus on their learning and sometimes this disrupts the learning of others.

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Pupils understand the importance of attending school regularly. The school has worked relentlessly to improve attendance. Attendance is a high priority and the school has robust procedures in place. Staff analyse and track pupils’ absences from school thoroughly. They work well with families to overcome any barriers. This work has been successful and pupils’ attendance has improved.

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The curriculum and wide range of enrichment opportunities support pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils have a strong awareness of the school’s values. These are important to them. Pupils also demonstrate an understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils learn to respect different cultures and traditions. They have an age- appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to stay safe, including online.

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Trustees and governors provide effective support and challenge to help drive further improvements. They hold leaders to account and check that the quality of education is improving. They have a strong vision for the school’s future. The school prioritises staff’s well-being and is mindful of staff’s workload. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. The school engages well with parents and carers through curriculum workshops, coffee mornings and various community events.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers lack the expertise to plan activities that meet the ambitious aims of the curriculum. Learning activities do not always build on prior learning or support pupils to remember their learning over time. This means that some pupils do not have a firm enough understanding of important concepts and subject-specific vocabulary. The school should develop staff’s subject and pedagogical knowledge so that they support pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.  There are some incidents of low-level disruptive behaviour in lessons that are not consistently picked up by adults. This leads to some pupils remaining off task and not 3 and 4 December 2024

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completing their work. The school should ensure that all adults have consistently high expectations for behaviour and conduct and apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently to help pupils maintain attention on their learning.

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 Feb 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant staffing changes. Following an interim position, the current headteacher took up the post in September 2024. Two assistant headteachers also took up their posts in September 2024.  The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry. The school received its last section 48 inspection of church schools in November 2024. The next inspection will be within five years of the last section 48 inspection.  The school is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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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 3 and 4 December 2024

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(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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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  The lead inspector met with trustees and members of the academy governance committee. Minutes of the academy governance committee meetings were also scrutinised.  The lead inspector talked to the CEO and other trust leaders.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.

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 The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to pupils about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Cladingbowl Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 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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