Estcourt Primary Academy

Inspection of Estcourt Primary Academy Estcourt Street, Hull HU9 2RP

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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

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The principal of this school is Selina Midgley-Wright. This school is part of Delta Academies 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), Paul Tarn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Steve Hodsman. There is also an executive principal, Trudi Bartle, who is responsible for this school and others. 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Estcourt Primary Academy is a truly exceptional place. Everyone has the highest ambitions for pupils’ learning, behaviour and success. These ambitions are well understood and realised. Pupils are proud and happy to attend this school. It is a place where difference is respected and celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a feeling of belonging to the ‘Estcourt’ family here. Pupils are taught to be polite and courteous, as well as confident and independent. They shake hands with visitors and wait politely, while listening to others speak. Pupils and adults show great respect for each other. Behaviour is exemplary across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum, for both academic and personal development, is exceptionally well considered. The school ensures that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), use every moment to learn effectively. Lessons are fun and interesting. Pupils strive to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s personal development curriculum is vibrant and extensive. During their time here, pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to explore their interests, talents or future careers. The ‘Delta Stars’ initiative gives pupils opportunities to take on roles of responsibility, such as being a school buddy. Pupils try new challenges, such as ice skating, and develop their aspirations through visits to universities.

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

The school has created an environment that focuses on teaching pupils to be proud of their achievements, both academically and personally.

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

The curriculum, across all subjects, is highly ambitious. The school, together with the trust, has ensured that the curriculum contains the knowledge that it wants pupils to remember. This carefully planned knowledge is taught progressively across the school, from Nursery through to Year 6. Connections are clear within sequences of learning, as well as across the wider curriculum. For example, Year 1 pupils visit the coast as part of their geography fieldwork. This learning is then applied in a later year group as pupils learn about coastal erosion.

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

As many of the staff have been involved in developing the curriculum, they understand it extremely well. Staff have strong subject knowledge, and they use common teaching approaches consistently. For example, all lessons begin with revisiting prior learning, before moving on to new ideas. Staff regularly check pupils’ understanding. This enables them to identify and address misconceptions quickly. Pupils who are finding learning difficult are spotted swiftly and supported effectively. Resources are used effectively to ensure that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers and achieve well.

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

Reading is central to all that happens at Estcourt. In phonics lessons, all staff follow the school’s chosen programme consistently. Staff are highly skilled. This enables them to provide effective support to help pupils to blend sounds together quickly as they read 28 and 29 January 2025

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age-appropriate books. Any pupils who are finding reading difficult receive swift support. In key stage 2, the school’s ‘3 ways of reading’ approach enables pupils to hear reading being modelled by teachers, read alongside their peers and read independently. They gain fluency and confidence through this approach.

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Pupils in the early years get off to a superb start at Estcourt. Developing a sense of belonging to the school starts here, as children learn how to work and play together. The environment is exceptionally inviting for both nursery and Reception children. Staff use it well and design exciting challenges that interest and engage the children. Promoting talk and supporting the development of vocabulary run through everything. This ensures children are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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The school’s focus on supporting personal development is exceptional. Staff know the pupils well and encourage them to talk about and understand their emotions. This ensures that pupils are ready to learn. Pupils show a mature understanding of important concepts such as online safety. They demonstrate empathy, inclusion and respect as they play and learn together. Caring for others is central to learning in all areas.

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The school enhances the taught curriculum with a series of well-planned enrichment opportunities. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about taking part in ‘mini police’ activities, where they learn about keeping safe in the local area, or baking for the annual Macmillan coffee morning. The diverse intake of the school is celebrated through carefully chosen books to ensure that pupils can see themselves in their learning. Success is celebrated as pupils save ‘points’ for prizes or exchange them at the school ‘swap shop’.

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The school ensures that pupils understand the importance of attending school every day. It is extremely proactive in supporting parents if pupils’ attendance falls below its high expectations. This results in high rates of attendance across the school.

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The school and the trust work extremely closely together. There is a shared vision of excellence that is being realised in all areas. The staff value the continuous development opportunities they receive from the trust. They recognise the support the trust gives them to manage their workload. Staff say they are listened to and valued. They are proud to work in this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 December 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The academy is part of Delta Academies Trust.  The school has a nursery provision.  There is a breakfast club at the school.  The school does not use 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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, meetings were held with the principal, the senior executive principal and other senior leaders in the school. Directors of learning from the trust also attended some of these meetings. A meeting was also held with a representative from the trust, and an inspector attended a meeting virtually with representatives of the board of trustees. In these meetings, the inspectors discussed the school’s journey since the last inspection.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspectors discussed the provision for pupils with SEND. They also met with the designated safeguarding leaders and the school’s pastoral support team.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation document, safeguarding information, records and policies.  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.  Parents’ views of the school were considered through their responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The information from staff and pupil surveys was also considered.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Stout Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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