E-ACT Ilminster Avenue Academy

Inspection of Ilminster Avenue E-ACT Academy Ilminster Avenue, Knowle West, Avon, Bristol BS4 1BX

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

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The head of school is Samantha Kelly. This school is part of E-ACT 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), Tom Campbell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lord Jim Knight. There is also an executive headteacher, Jonathan Arthur, who is responsible for this school and one other. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, safe and well cared for. They live up to the school’s high expectations for their behaviour, known as ‘Ilminster in action’. Pupils like getting rewards for demonstrating the school’s values, such as being helpful or trying their best. They are determined to do well for their ‘house’ and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ achievement. It has started to make improvements to the quality of education. However, many positive changes are recent and need time to embed. This includes in the Reception Year, where some children do not get off to the strong start they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. All pupils learn a musical instrument. Starting with recorders, they go on to try strings or brass. Older pupils perform as an orchestra in a local church. These musical opportunities are a particularly strong feature of the school. They develop pupils’ confidence, teamwork and creativity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to discuss important ideas respectfully. ‘Talk for Tuesday’ assemblies pose them an interesting question for the week. These opportunities help pupils to reflect on moral issues and prepare them to be good citizens.

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

The school is determined to provide pupils with a good quality of education, especially the high number of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders know where improvement is required and have started the necessary work. However, much of their work is in its infancy and, therefore, limited in impact.

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

Pupils now follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, the school has ordered what pupils will learn and when, starting in the Reception Year and building to Year 6. The school has not agreed the most important knowledge and skills pupils will gain in some subjects. This is currently hindering how well pupils build on what they already know and can do.

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

Children start learning to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. The school ensures they read books matched to the sounds they are learning. Pupils show resilience when they read, but some have gaps in their phonics knowledge. Leaders have strengthened the early reading programme. They have started to ensure that teaching remedies gaps with greater precision. However, some pupils are not securing the strong foundation in reading that they need.

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

The school has prioritised staff training. This is starting to have a positive impact. Where teaching is stronger, staff present new information clearly and quickly to correct pupils’ misconceptions. However, leaders have not ensured that teachers have the expertise to implement the curriculum effectively in each subject. For example, teaching does not 11 and 12 March 2025

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always match work or activities well to pupils’ starting points. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge and understanding sufficiently.

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A significant proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has strengthened its identification and assessment of their needs and how it communicates with parents. Teachers now receive useful information about pupils’ needs. However, they do not always adapt the curriculum effectively. This hinders the learning and achievement of pupils with SEND.

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The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Pupils’ absences have reduced, meaning they can benefit from the education and wider opportunities the school provides. The school rightly continues its sharp and effective work to raise attendance further.

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Pupils appreciate the school’s calm atmosphere. Routines such as lining up for class help older pupils get off to a good start in lessons. However, leaders have not ensured that strong routines are established for the youngest children. For example, children do not have a strong understanding of how to listen to adults or participate independently in activities. As a result, they do not pay attention to new information or sustain their attention. This sometimes hinders their learning.

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Pupils follow an appropriate personal, social and health education programme. The school keeps this under close review to respond to pupils’ needs. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both offline and online. They gain an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. The school’s strong focus on understanding emotions enables pupils to reflect on their feelings and choices.

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Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as being respectful. They know they should be kind to others and not treat them differently because of their race or religion, for example. Pupils get the chance to learn about democracy by voting for members of the school council. There is a range of other leadership roles, such as student senior leaders and head student. Pupils are proud to hold these positions and to represent the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not have the subject knowledge they need to implement each subject’s curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils do not gain detailed knowledge and understanding in every subject. The trust and school must ensure that teachers have 11 and 12 March 2025

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the expertise to implement the curriculum in ways that successfully secure pupils’ knowledge and skills.  The curriculum is not adapted precisely enough for pupils with SEND. Consequently, it does not fully meet pupils’ needs and build their independence sufficiently. The trust and school must ensure that the curriculum is adapted effectively for pupils with SEND, so that they learn and achieve well.  Routines are not embedded well for children in the Reception Year. As a result, they do not learn how to engage with adults, information and activities well enough. The trust and school must ensure that they embed strong routines so that children have the foundations they need to learn the rest of the curriculum.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Headteacher Samantha Kelly (Head of School) Jonathan Arthur (Executive Headteacher) Website ilminsteravenueacademy.e-act.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the E-ACT academy trust.  The executive headteacher and head of school have changed since the last inspection.  The school currently makes use of one unregistered 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. 11 and 12 March 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held discussions with school and trust leaders. Inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement. Inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum, SEND, safeguarding and behaviour.  An inspector held discussions with the chair of trustees and CEO.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and parents’ free-text comments. An inspector met with some parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors spoke with staff to gather their views about the school and evaluated their responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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