Glebelands Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Glebelands Primary Academy Farriers Gate, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6EZ

p.1

Outcome

Glebelands Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Angela Wood. This school is part of the Diamond Learning 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), Susannah Connell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Godfrey Smith.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place. Relationships are positive between pupils and adults. Pupils are kind to each other. They cooperate well in lessons and throughout the school. Pupils enjoy learning. They are happy and safe.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and live their day-to-day lives enacting the school’s core values. These include those of respect and responsibility. Pupils willingly take on leadership responsibilities. Pupils elect representatives to the school council and other pupils become play leaders. This successfully helps pupils to develop skills of empathy and communication that prepare them well for their adult life.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils. It wants pupils to broaden their horizons. Pupils develop a deep understanding of musical structures and performance through preparation for musical productions. They look forward to these and sporting events. Pupils benefit from the activities the teachers plan, which help them to understand and remember the curriculum. Pupils take pride in their work.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well in classrooms and around the school. On the odd occasion when they lose focus, most teachers bring them skilfully back to attention. Where there are pupils with more challenging behaviour, staff support them effectively. This successfully helps pupils to settle to their learning. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.1

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

The early years curriculum sets the foundations for future learning effectively. Teachers in Reception present new learning clearly. They are knowledgeable about the teaching of reading. The phonics programme is taught consistently well. Consequently, children make a strong start to learning to read. Teachers make sure children have opportunities to practise what they have learned. The curriculum ensures children have the opportunity to learn key knowledge in all areas of learning, including early mathematics. This ensures children gain the knowledge needed to know and remember more. Children are being well prepared for Year 1.

p.2

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

The school has responded proactively to the low outcomes in the national tests at the end of Year 6. Staff have looked closely at what is working in the curriculum and what is not as successful. The school has made sure that the curriculum is reviewed to ensure it is ambitious and aspirational for pupils. The school sets out clearly what it wants pupils to learn and remember for each subject and within each year group. Any pupils falling behind get the help they need to catch up. This is true particularly in reading and mathematics. Leaders expect outcomes for Year 6 pupils to be better this year.

p.2

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

Staff throughout the school have developed their expertise in all curriculum areas. They have secure subject knowledge and present new concepts clearly. Consequently, pupils remember their learning from previous years. For example, they talk about the continents of the world. They have a strong understanding of scientific concepts and can recall important multiplication facts. Throughout the school, teachers encourage a love of reading through the books they read with pupils. As a result, pupils read widely and often, reading is central to the school’s implemented curriculum.

p.2

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

Teachers closely check what pupils have learned. This helps the school to quickly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ individual support plans detail exactly what support pupils need. Staff use these effectively and make appropriate adaptations to ensure pupils with SEND achieve well throughout the curriculum.

p.2

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

Pupils generally have positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils sustain their concen- tration and want to do well. However, occasionally, there is too much chatter in lessons, which causes a distraction to others. This happens more frequently when staff do not consistently apply the agreed behaviour policy.

p.2

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

The school makes attendance a high priority. Staff look closely at the reasons why some pupils do not attend as well as they should. The school takes action to help these pupils attend more often.

p.2

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

The school provides a variety of opportunities to develop pupils’ personal development. All pupils take part in musical productions. Pupils also learn to play the recorder and ukelele. This increases their confidence to perform. The school makes sure pupils have the opportunity to visit areas outside the town to broaden their cultural awareness. This includes, for example, a residential visit. The school helps pupils to become responsible 11 and 12 March 2025

p.2

3

citizens, for example through fundraising for charities and being a part of the school council.

p.3

3

The school prioritises staff’s well-being. Staff at the beginning of their teaching career receive appropriate support.

p.3

3

Governors understand their roles. The trust monitors the work of the governing body. It ensures governors have the training to successfully carry out their delegated responsibilities.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are instances when staff are not applying the school’s behaviour policy as the school expects. When this occurs, there can be off-task chatter. This disrupts some pupils’ learning of the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff understand and consistently follow the school’s agreed expectations and strategies for positive behaviour.

p.3

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor, Glebelands Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2014. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 11 and 12 March 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school is part of the Diamond Learning Trust.  The current headteacher joined the school in 2022.  The school uses one registered and two unregistered alternative provisions.

p.5

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 has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the pastoral support lead, the CEO of the trust, the CEO designate of the trust, a trustee and a representative of the governing body. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.5

6

 The inspector spoke on the telephone to representatives of the alternative provisions used by the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector viewed school documentation including planning documents, support plans for individual pupils, the development plan, bullying logs and the behaviour policy.  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 responses of parents on Ofsted Parent View as well as responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Linda Allison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7