The Grove Academy

Inspection of The Grove Academy Fourth Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire WD25 9RH

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

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The principal of this school is Sarah Hennigan. This school is part of the Aspire Academies 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), Vicky Parsey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nameeta Biswas. 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are greeted each day with welcoming smiles and waves from their friends and staff. Warm relationships sit at the heart of the school. Pupils delight in celebrating the differences between themselves and others. Those new to the school are welcomed with open arms. They quickly become part of this happy and friendly school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The youngest children in Nursery and Reception get off to a flying start. They are skilfully guided to understand what school is about. They learn, and follow, the rules of their classroom quickly; tidying their equipment with gusto when asked to do so. The youngest children learn and develop extremely well. This continues for older pupils as they successfully continue their learning journey through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils who have roles such as members of the school council, take their responsibility seriously. They are proud of the differences that they help make to better the school for themselves and their friends. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of issues such as stereotypes and healthy relationships. They have an age-appropriate awareness of how to stay safe online and out in the local community. These opportunities come together to support pupils to become mature and responsible citizens by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6.

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

Pupils now receive a good quality of education. The school and trust leaders have taken the right actions at the right time to bring about improvements in the teaching of the curriculum over the past few years. This work is paying off as across the school, pupils learn well. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported because staff have a very accurate understanding of their needs. These needs are identified swiftly, which means pupils with SEND receive work in class that helps them to learn the most important knowledge they need.

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

Teachers make use of the high-quality training and support that they receive from the school and trust. This training helps teachers to refine and improve their practice. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This means that they explain and model new concepts and skills to pupils clearly in a way they understand. For example, in art, teachers skilfully show pupils different techniques. Pupils go on to use and apply these to produce high-quality work. Across some other subjects, there are times when pupils do not have the opportunity to recap and revise some important knowledge. This means that they do not develop such a rich and connected knowledge in these aspects of the curriculum.

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

The Nursery provision immerses children in stories, rhymes and poems to help them learn and use new vocabulary. The youngest children go on to learn to read well because of staff’s skilful delivery of the school’s phonics programme. Pupils become fluent and confident readers in their first few years in school. The school gives well-tailored support to those who need a little more guidance to help them to learn to read. These pupils make the progress that they need to. A small number of pupils though, are not provided 20 and 21 May 2025

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with sufficient opportunity to apply and practice what they learn in phonics to their writing. This means that they do not use what they know to help them spell words with increasing accuracy.

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Children in Nursery and Reception learn in a caring and nurturing environment. Adults working with the youngest children are highly skilled. They know the children extremely well. This means that they provide activities to help children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for the next step in their journey through school. Children in Reception become increasingly independent and resilient. The youngest children with SEND have their needs accurately identified. This means that adults swiftly put in place any additional support needed.

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Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They listen carefully to adults and one another, valuing the views of others. Pupils attend well. The school keeps a close eye on attendance and acts swiftly if a pupil’s attendance starts to drop.

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The carefully considered personal development programme helps pupils develop their understanding beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils develop a strong moral code. They know right from wrong and speak up if they see something that they know is wrong. Pupils who need it, receive highly effective support to help them manage their emotions and feelings.

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The school and trustees work harmoniously to continue to improve the school for pupils. Trustees and the local advisory board receive much useful information to help them provide effective challenge and support for school leaders. The school is highly considerate of staff workload and manages this well. Staff are wholeheartedly proud to work in this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to recap and revise some knowledge. Where this is the case, they do not develop the rich and connected knowledge that they could. The school should support staff to ensure they provide opportunities for pupils to revise and recap their knowledge over time.  Teaching does not always provide the opportunity for a small number of pupils to apply what they learn in phonics in their writing. This means that these pupils do not always have regular and relevant opportunities to apply or consolidate their new knowledge. The school should ensure teaching provides further opportunity for these pupils to practice their new learning. 20 and 21 May 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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Aspire Academies Trust.  The school has a Nursery class, which provides education for three- and four-year-olds.  The school currently makes use of one registered 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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 20 and 21 May 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 held meetings with the principal, assistant principals and a range of other school staff. Inspectors held meetings with the trustees, governors, the CEO and other senior trust leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and geography. 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, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including, attendance records, pupil records, records of trust board meetings, school development plans and school self- evaluation documents.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View survey, and Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham His Majesty's Inspector 20 and 21 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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