Scientia Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Scientia Academy Mona Road, Burton-upon-Trent DE13 0UF

p.1

Outcome

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

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Helen Bye. This school is part of REAch2 Academy 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), Cathie Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Robert.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils feel safe and cared for. They are polite and well mannered. Pupils celebrate the differences between themselves and others at Scientia Academy. Pupils are proud of their diverse and inclusive school. They demonstrate the school values of kindness, respect and responsibility.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their interests. For example, they develop leadership skills through being school councillors. The school ensures pupils take part in ‘11before11’. During their time in school all pupils hike up a hill, sleep under the stars and grow their own food. These experiences help pupils to develop their characters.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for achievement and behaviour. Pupils respond well. They follow the simple rules of being ‘kind, respectful and responsible’. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. As a result, they are ready to learn and achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the high-quality pastoral support and the wide range of opportunities on offer. Pupils speak positively about the clubs and activities they attend. Pupils particularly enjoy practising the skills they have learned in physical education lessons and outdoor play and learning sessions, for example when they do football, netball and zorbing. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.1

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

The school has faced some challenges this academic year. Swift support from trust leaders has helped ensure that the school remains focused on providing a high quality of education.

p.2

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

The school curriculum is well planned and ambitious. It highlights key vocabulary and the important information that pupils must know and remember. The revised curriculum addresses the previous low outcomes in pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar. Pupils have more opportunities to practise key skills in this area. Consequently, they are writing with accuracy.

p.2

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge and present subject matter clearly so that pupils understand what is expected of them. They check pupils’ understanding and refer back to previous lessons to help pupils make connections in their learning. This means that pupils learn the right things at the right time and have the extra resources they need. Leaders have ensured that recent training helps staff to identify pupils who need additional help and adapt teaching. This is having a positive impact for most pupils. However, for some pupils who require additional support, staff do not always follow their support plans well enough. As a result, these pupils are not able to fully access the curriculum, which can slow their progress and affect how well they achieve.

p.2

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

The phonics curriculum is planned and taught effectively. Early reading is prioritised. The school acts urgently to provide additional support if pupils need help to keep up. Children in Nursery enjoy listening to stories and exploring sounds. They progress to reading letters and words in Reception. Children learn to read books that match the sounds that they know. Pupils become confident, independent readers.

p.2

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

Pupils behave well. In lessons, they listen to adults and discuss their learning cooperatively with their friends. For pupils who have a range of needs, the trust has ensured that pupils have the support that they need. The school has clear processes for managing pupil attendance and punctuality. However, some pupils still do not attend school regularly or punctually and too many disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are persistently absent. As a result, these pupils miss important learning and fall behind their peers.

p.2

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

Pupils understand about fundamental British values. They enjoy taking part in debates. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves physically healthy and practise this in lunchtime clubs and forest school. Pupils learn to play musical instruments and experience success in many sporting competitions. The school ensures that pupils understand how to stay safe in the community. Pupils describe how their learning in school has helped to keep them safe online. All of this means that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

p.2

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

Governors and trustees understand their roles. Local governors know their school and community well. Trustees understand the strategic needs and risks the school faces. They 20 and 21 May 2025

p.2

3

carry out their respective roles effectively. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the training they receive and welcome the support they get from leaders.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, staff do not use pupils’ individual support plans effectively. As a result, these pupils struggle to learn and their progression through the curriculum slows. The school should ensure that teachers use the information they have to support pupils’ learning so that they achieve well.  The school’s attendance strategies are not reaching some pupils as well as others. These pupils miss important learning and fall behind their peers. The school should continue to work in close partnership with parents to address the specific barriers these pupils face, so their attendance improves and they can achieve well.

p.3

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of REAch2 Academy Trust.  The headteacher was not present for this inspection. The acting headteacher, Laura Hands, has responsibility for the school.  The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the local governing body.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

p.5

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 the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 May 2025

p.5

6

 During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the acting headteacher, the assistant headteacher, subject leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspector met with the chair of the local governing body, a trustee, the trust’s deputy director of education and a number of senior trust staff who support the school.  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 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 with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to pupils about their work.  The inspector heard pupils in key stages 1 and 2 read.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.

p.6

6

 The inspector considered the responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. She also took into consideration the Ofsted online staff surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Stephanie Moran, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7