Dovery Academy

Inspection of Dovery Academy Heath Road, Dovery Academy, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 3AG

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Sarah Cavender. This school is part of Knowledge 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), Ian Hunter, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Suzie Hobart. There is also an executive headteacher of Knowledge Schools Trust schools, Marianne Chapman, who is responsible for this school and six others. 13 and 14 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally eager to learn in this school’s calm and purposeful environment. Regular opportunities to perform and lead assemblies enable pupils to become confident individuals. Lessons inspire and motivate pupils to work hard. Pupils understand the high expectations the school has of them. They flourish because routines are established from the early years. Consequently, pupils are happy and achieve exceptionally well. Pupils thrive as they develop their independence and resilience through rich activities that develop life skills, such as cooking and woodwork in the forest area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a strong sense of community and friendship. They thoroughly enjoy using the woodland area to explore nature and build dens together. Pupils make a highly tangible contribution to the life of their school and local area. They responsibly organise lunchtime clubs and games. Pupils participate in keeping their local area free of litter and help each other to raise funds for chosen charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to look after their physical and mental health by encouraging them to walk or run a mile around the school grounds each day. High-quality support and care help pupils to learn how to understand their emotions and cope with any setbacks they may experience. Pupils know they can talk to staff about any concerns they have. They find the ‘Ask Twiggle’ communication box, which is useful in alerting their teacher if they need to talk.

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

The school’s knowledge-rich curriculum sets out clearly what pupils will learn at each stage. It has a sharp focus on widening pupils’ vocabulary and confidence to be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas. Pupils develop a detailed knowledge about the subjects they learn. They routinely revisit learning and integrate new knowledge across subjects. Teachers present information clearly in well-organised lessons. They routinely check pupils’ understanding before moving on to new learning. This means that as pupils progress through the curriculum, they confidently remember more. They achieve exceptionally well.

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

Pupils receive timely support to meet their individual needs. This is because the school is quick to identify possible barriers to pupils’ learning. Well-trained staff support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) effectively. Pupils with SEND develop independence and achieve well from their starting points. They flourish as they work alongside their peers.

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

Pupils achieve extremely well in reading. They enjoy reading carefully selected books that reflect our diverse society and complement their learning. Staff expertly teach phonics. They introduce new letter sounds and words precisely. Teachers routinely check the sounds children know and remember. They quickly identify pupils who are not keeping up with the expectations of the phonics programme. This means timely support is provided to ensure pupils get the help they need to catch up. The school ensures pupils practise 13 and 14 May 2025

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reading books with sounds that they are familiar with. This helps pupils to quickly become confident, fluent readers.

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Learning in the early years prepares children exceptionally well for their next stage. Staff skilfully support and guide children’s learning through play. Developing children’s communication and language is a key priority. Children learn to name and understand their feelings. Frequent book sharing contributes to children’s growing vocabulary. They explore engaging activities that foster independence and curiosity. Carefully organised resources invite children to practise their learning. For example, children build social skills as they play imaginatively making ‘mud cakes’. They apply their phonics and historical knowledge writing scrolls and refine their number knowledge as they count ‘jewels’. Children develop their balance and coordination as they manoeuvre on bikes. They develop highly positive attitudes to learning from the start.

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Pupils’ behaviour is praiseworthy. They understand the school’s rules and strive to achieve house points for their work and the effort they have applied. Pupils are polite and caring. They use their ‘helping hand’ as a reminder of how to foster friendships and manage any disagreements respectfully.

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The way the school promotes pupils’ personal development is exceptional. A range of experiences develop pupils’ cultural understanding and appreciation for different faiths. Pupils engage in meaningful discussions inspired by books on moral and social topics such as war and bereavement. Pupils responsibly take on leadership roles, campaigning to save water and electricity. Trips and visits broaden pupils’ horizons and enhance their development. They build confidence and independence by participating in activities such as den building, music performances and leading assemblies. A wide range of clubs help pupils explore new interests and develop their talents. All pupils learn to play an instrument, which fosters their perseverance and self-expression.

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Staff receive training and support that continually develops their expertise to provide high-quality education. Staff appreciate the shared practice opportunities that help to manage their workload and well-being. Trustees have a clear strategic oversight of the school through the work of governors and the trust team. They monitor school performance and ensure resources are used effectively to support pupils’ happiness and achievement. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school and the support that their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 13 and 14 May 2025

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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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Knowledge Schools Trust.  This school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  Dovery Academy converted to become an academy in September 2022. When its predecessor school, Dovery Down Lower School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be in adequate overall.

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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. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, a number of teaching staff, representatives from the trust and the chair of the local governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents and staff, which were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Mireille MacRaild, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Lawrence Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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