Lincoln Carlton Academy

Inspection of Lincoln Carlton Academy Carlton Boulevard, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN2 4AG

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

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The headteacher of this school is Rebecca Malam. The school is part of Anthem Schools 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), David Moran and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jay Bhutani. There is also an associate director of education, Simon Morley, who is responsible for this school and four others.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aims to ‘create a haven in which all pupils flourish’. This ambition is realised. Pupils are expected to achieve highly and to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils rise to this challenge and live up to these high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place. Relationships between pupils and staff are consistently positive. Pupils are well-mannered and courteous. They enjoy spending social times together. They treat each other respectfully. One pupil expressed the view of many by explaining, ‘Everyone is treated fairly. It’s good to celebrate difference.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school’s values and ‘golden rules’. They know the importance of integrity, resilience, oneness, gratitude, understanding and support. They thrive on being recognised for demonstrating these values. They enjoy earning house points for, in pupils’ own words, ‘the glory.’ Pupils who struggle to live up to the school’s expectations are well- supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the many opportunities to make a positive contribution to the school. Roles such as attendance monitors, librarians, school councillors and mini police, to mention but a few, are taken seriously. Pupils understand how applying for and being interviewed for these roles helps to prepare them for the future.

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

The school’s curriculum is meticulously designed and well-ordered. It is closely aligned to the school’s values. Across all subjects, knowledge builds cumulatively over time. Important content is revisited periodically. It helps pupils to make links across different subjects, helping them to deepen and extend their knowledge. The curriculum enables pupils to learn about where they live. Pupils learn about the heritage, importance and influences of the City of Lincoln. On the whole, pupils remember what they have learned. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils recall is not as strong. In these, pupils can talk about what they are learning currently, but struggle to remember what they have learned before.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils have access to a wide range of books. They study a broad range of texts, genres and authors. Pupil librarians help their peers to read widely. Teachers routinely read to pupils and talk about the books that they enjoy. Younger pupils enjoy voting for their choice of book at the end of the school day. As a result, pupils become enthusiastic readers.

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

Teachers have the skills and understanding to deliver the phonics programme and early reading curriculum effectively. The school’s phonics programme makes clear which sounds pupils should know at each stage of their education. Teachers benefit from frequent training and support. Pupils who begin to fall behind are quickly identified and given the help that they need to catch up. The books that pupils read are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils quickly master phonics and go on to become fluent and confident readers. 23 and 24 April 2025

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The school’s mantra of ‘every student, every lesson, all the time’ is evident to see. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to learn the curriculum. The school ensures that their needs are fully understood and catered for. Pupils with SEND that learn in the ‘Explorers Room’ are as equally well supported. They are well-cared for and nurtured.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The environment, both indoors and outside, helps them to explore, learn and to develop their independence. The early years curriculum is expertly designed. Teachers design activities that enthuse and motivate. For example, children were eager to show inspectors their caterpillars and articulately described how they would turn into a chrysalis before becoming a butterfly.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. It is underpinned by a well- structured curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Pupils develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values and of the protected characteristics. They know why these are important. They understand the importance of respect. One pupil summed up the views of many by saying, ‘We treat everyone how we would like to be treated.’

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At all levels, including trust and governance, the school is well led and managed. Leaders at all levels are quick to identify what is working well at the school and what needs to be improved. Their ambitious vision for pupils is shared by staff. Staff are very happy to work at the school. The majority of parents and carers are supportive of the school. However, some are not. Some raise concerns about communication and the breadth of activities on offer. Whilst the findings of the inspection do not align with these views, there is more work to do to ensure that the school has a more cohesive relationship with a greater proportion of its’ parental community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, pupils do not consistently remember what they have learned. This means there are some gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that, across all subjects, pupils are able to consistently recall what they have learned previously.  Some parents do not view the school positively. This means that the school is not working as harmoniously as it could with its’ community. The school should ensure that it systematically and routinely explores, understands and responds to community views so that it has a more cohesive relationship with a greater proportion of its’ parental community. 23 and 24 April 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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Website www.lincolncarlton.anthemtrust.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 and 13 May 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Anthem Schools Trust.  The school does not use any alternative education 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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the associate education director, curriculum leaders, the early years leader, staff responsible for pupils with SEND and groups of staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in five subjects: reading, mathematics, history, computing and physical education. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the Anthem Community council. He met with the chief executive officers’ representative and the chair of the board of trustees.

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 Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors spoke informally to parents and carers outside the school. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  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.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils at breaktimes, in the dining hall and on the playground. An inspector visited the school’s ‘explorers room’ that caters for some pupils with SEND.

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Phil Abbott Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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