Summerside Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Summerside Primary Academy Crossway, Finchley, London N12 0QU

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Summerside Primary 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 Charlotte Trew. This school is part of the REAch2 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, Cathie Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Robert. There is also a deputy director of education, Dominic Hughes, who is responsible for this school and seven others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Summerside and engage enthusiastically in their learning. The school fosters a culture of kindness, responsibility, and collaboration for all pupils. Parents and carers appreciate the school’s clear communication, including regular updates on their children’s progress. Many parents have a high regard for the school. They value how their children are cared for and, as one parent put it, ‘encouraged to reach their full potential’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high standards for pupils and encourage them to achieve their best. Pupils respond well to these expectations, working diligently in class and behaving thoughtfully towards others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a broad range of extra-curricular activities that enrich pupils’ experiences beyond the classroom. These include creative arts, music, and drama clubs. Sports clubs are particularly popular. Pupils also take part in activities that build their confidence and life skills, such as charity fundraisers. Pupils are keen to participate in the annual ‘golden cycle’, when those with the best behaviour have the chance to set a new distance record on the school’s golden bicycle.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also participate in exciting educational trips, such as visits to cultural landmarks and museums, which deepen their understanding of the subjects they study. 21 and 22 January 2025

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and balanced. Recently, the school has revised and refined its curriculum thinking across all subjects. As a result, staff know exactly what knowledge and skills pupils will build in each subject. In addition, teachers know which knowledge is new and how it connects with pupils’ past learning. This supports all staff, including teachers who are new to the school, to deliver the curriculum effectively. In the Early Years, staff introduce pupils to the vocabulary that they need in preparation for Year 1.

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

Teachers introduce new information to pupils clearly, explaining their reasoning to help pupils learn how to solve problems independently. In a few foundation subjects, teaching does not check as carefully that pupils fully understand what has been taught. Occasionally, teaching and resources are not adapted as effectively as they could be for some pupils. This means that some pupils do not understand their learning in these subjects as effectively as they could.

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

The curriculum for learning to read is well-embedded at the school. Pupils have access to a rich range of books to read both in class and for pleasure. The school also supports children to develop their language and communication skills effectively in the early years. Any pupils who find learning to read more challenging are identified and given support to catch up with their peers. Leaders are working to further accelerate the speed at which these pupils become more confident readers.

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

The provision for pupils with SEND is well-established. Leaders swiftly identify pupils’ emerging needs in the early years. In class, pupils with SEND understand their learning and receive the support that they need. In the provision for pupils who are deaf, deaf pupils receive very effective support so that they learn the planned curriculum. For example, pupils here receive ‘pre-teaching’ of important vocabulary prior to lessons so that they understand their learning when in their mainstream classes.

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

Pupils are polite and excited about learning. They are also keen to showcase what they know and can remember about their learning. They know that any silly or unkind behaviour is dealt with properly by their teachers. In the early years, children are supported to share and become increasingly independent.

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

Recently, the school has identified that some pupils’ attendance has declined. In response, leaders have made improving this a key focus. As a result of the school’s actions, and its close work with parents, attendance rates for pupils are rising and are in line with the national average.

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

All pupils at the school experience the trust’s ‘11 experiences before 11’. These include hiking, sleeping under the stars, helping others and growing food. Pupils appreciate and enjoy these opportunities. Pupils’ leadership skills are encouraged through the student council. Here, elected pupils contribute to decisions about the school, for example by suggesting and implementing changes to the school dinner menu. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The local governing body and the trust work together to ensure that senior leaders are supported. They regularly check that the school keeps pupils safe and that pupils achieve highly. Where necessary, the trust provides expertise and training for teaching staff in specific areas. Staff are supported effectively by senior leaders and their workload is taken into account when the school makes decisions.

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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 foundation subjects, teaching does not check as carefully as it could that pupils understand and can remember what they have been taught. This means that a few pupils do not build their curriculum knowledge as securely and as swiftly as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that teaching identifies any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions that some pupils have, and ensure that appropriate adaptation is made to support these pupils to develop a secure understanding of the intended curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Website www.summersideprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the REAch2 academy trust.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school has specialist resourced provision for up to 12 pupils who are deaf. Pupils in this provision attend mainstream classes for most of each day.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ wider development.  The inspector met with representatives from the trust and from the local governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of 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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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