Norwich Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Norwich Primary Academy Clarkson Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 8ED

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Tanya Blake. This school is part of Inspiration 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), Gareth Stevens, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lord Theodore Agnew.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a warm welcome daily at this school. They benefit from how deeply staff care about them. The school makes time to get to know pupils’ needs and interests. This is particularly successful for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some pupils say there is no bullying at all. Others say there is some, but staff deal with it really well. As a result, pupils feel safe, happy and are ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk positively about their learning. They relish reward points for their work, attitude and effort. They are very proud of their achievements and are striving to achieve the recently introduced ‘diamond’ star. Staff support pupils to access the school’s ambitious curriculum. As a result, most pupils achieve well. They are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities to broaden their horizons. This includes visits to zoos, the local university and local areas of interest. Many pupils take up the offer of a club, such as dodgeball, choir or arts and crafts. There is an extensive range of competitive sporting events for all pupils. Leadership roles, such as house captains, peer mentors and school councillors, encourage and develop responsibility. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

The school has designed an aspirational curriculum. In all subjects, the school has carefully considered the key knowledge pupils need to learn. Typically, staff teach the curriculum as intended and check accurately what pupils know and understand.

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

The focus on raising attainment in pupils’ writing is having a positive impact. There is a clear progression of writing skills in place. Pupils are encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing. Staff use appropriate texts to explore the features of different genres. As a result, pupils use these ideas successfully in their own writing.

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

The identification of the needs of individual pupils with SEND is precise. Pupils’ support plans have appropriate and measurable targets. However, in some subjects, the school’s guidance is not sufficiently precise to help staff to adapt their teaching of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they could.

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

The school makes reading a priority. Children learn to love reading as soon as they begin in the Reception Year. A range of well-chosen books and stories are threaded through the curriculum. Readers at the early stages of learning to read receive effective additional help and opportunities to practise their reading. Over time, this helps them to catch up. Older pupils speak knowledgeably about a diversity of texts, ranging from graphic comics to ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Staff follow the school’s approach to teaching early reading well. Consequently, many pupils become confident and fluent readers by the time they leave Year 6.

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

The school’s expectations and routines for pupils’ behaviour are clear. Pupils are encouraged to make positive choices and manage their own behaviour. There are spaces for pupils around the school for those who need additional support to manage their feelings or need space to reflect. Pupils describe how this reflection time can help them to ‘get back on track’. Staff are well trained to support any pupils who require help to manage their emotions. Staff have high expectations for how all pupils should behave, while making reasonable adjustments to meet individual pupils’ needs where appropriate.

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

The strong pastoral team works together with families to ensure pupils have all they need to be ready to learn. The school makes attendance a high priority. It analyses the reasons why some pupils do not attend as well as they should. This nurturing approach in school has been particularly successful for helping pupils with SEND to thrive.

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

Pupils’ personal development is woven through school life. The school has crafted a curriculum and enrichment offer that gives pupils pride in where they live. Pupils have valuable opportunities to contribute to their community. They display tolerance and respect. Pupils learn how to stay safe and understand the importance of healthy relationships. The school’s engagement with local businesses and events inspires pupils to think about their future careers and aspirations. 18 and 19 March 2025

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Leaders at all levels, including trustees, are thoughtful and accurate about where to target future school development priorities. Trustees provide appropriate support and challenge for the school’s work. Leaders across the school balance sustained improvement with looking after staff well-being. Staff are proud to be a part of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For some pupils with SEND, the school’s guidance is not sufficiently precise to enable staff to understand these pupils’ needs and how best to support them. This means, at times, staff do not arrange learning activities that address these pupils’ needs. As a result, sometimes these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. The school should provide staff with appropriate information about the needs of pupils with SEND. It should ensure that staff are skilled at using that information to help pupils with SEND to learn as well as they could.

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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. 18 and 19 March 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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Website www.inspirationtrust.org/norwichprimary

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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 runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school uses two registered alternative provisions for pupils.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with senior leaders, teachers, the chair and vice-chair of the academy council and representatives of the trust.  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 18 and 19 March 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and parent surveys and the free- text responses.

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Inspection team

Jo Nutbeam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 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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