Lifton Community Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Lifton Community Academy North Road, Lifton, Devon PL16 0EH

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Adam Hill. This school is part of Learning Academy Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Tracey Cleverly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joanne Tisdall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has settled after a period of staff changes. School leaders have pupils’ best interests at the heart of the decisions they make. Parents and carers are supportive of the school and the changes that are taking shape. Nevertheless, there is still much work to do to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to work hard, and the vast majority do. Most pupils behave well. However, some pupils find it difficult to manage their emotions and concentration. At times, this leads to disruption in some lessons. Pupils get along well during social times and enjoy spending time with their friends. Pupils say they feel safe, and they are. Adults respond quickly to any concerns they may have. Pupils are valued and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lifton Community Academy is a highly inclusive school which is ambitious for all pupils. This includes pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school values of ‘kindness, resilience, wonder and belong’ are lived out by all. Pupils speak with confidence about how they enact their school values and how they feel well prepared for life in modern Britain. 20 and 21 May 2025

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

The school has been through an unsettled period. There have been many changes to staffing across the school. The new headteacher has provided much-needed stability. Staff are positive about the changes and the new leadership of the school. All staff who completed the survey and who spoke with the inspector say they are proud to work at the school.

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

Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery class. They are inquisitive and curious about their learning. Adults interact effectively with children and prepare them well for their Reception Year. However, the early learning skills that children develop in the Nursery Year are not effectively built on in the Reception Year. The curriculum in the Reception Year needs further work. In addition, the indoor provision does not enable children to apply and practise their learning well enough. Consequently, some children are not prepared well for Year 1. The new staff team in the Reception Year are determined to bring about the necessary improvements.

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

The school has overhauled the curriculum. It is now well thought out. The curriculum identifies what pupils are to learn, and when. This helps pupils build their knowledge over time. For example, in geography, pupils first learn to draw and use simple maps. Pupils then use this knowledge to accurately read and measure distance using ordnance survey maps. However, in some subjects, teachers do not use information about what pupils know and do not know. When this happens, the curriculum is not adapted to support pupils to reach their full potential. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. Early and accurate identification ensures that these pupils’ needs are well met. As a result, these pupils achieve as well as their peers.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils learn to read from the early years. Staff teach the school’s chosen phonics programme well. Pupils develop their fluency by reading books that match the sounds that they know. Staff identify quickly any pupil who is falling behind. They provide additional help for pupils who need to catch up with their peers.

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

Staff, parents and pupils have mixed views about behaviour. In some lessons, pupils are not able to learn without disruption. This is because a small number of pupils are not able to manage their behaviour. Many of the staff to the school are new. As a result, they have not had appropriate training to support pupils with more challenging behaviour effectively. There are inconsistencies in how effectively pupils’ behavioural needs are supported.

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

The approach to pupils’ personal development has been thoroughly considered. Pupils learn to accept everyone, regardless of difference. They have a strong understanding of tolerance. The school’s aspirations are for all pupils to experience seventy different opportunities before Year 7. These experiences develop pupils’ character and readiness for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values.

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

Pupils’ attendance is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They attend regularly. Incidents of pupils being persistently absent from school are low. 20 and 21 May 2025

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Trust leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school. Their actions are supporting the school to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The indoor learning environment and curriculum in the Reception Year is not well thought out. As a result, some children are not ready for the next stage of their education. The school should ensure that the environment and the curriculum provides children with a full range of opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning.  In some areas of the curriculum, the school does not check carefully enough what knowledge pupils have learned. This means that the teaching of the curriculum is not well adjusted to match what pupils know and understand. As a result, some pupils’ understanding is not deepened and extended.  Incidents of challenging behaviour occur too often. This hampers some pupils’ ability to learn the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that measures to improve pupils’ behaviour are understood and applied by all staff so that standards of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

behaviour are positive across the school.

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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.

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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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Lifton Community Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2017.

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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 Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Lifton Community Academy converted to become an academy school in April 2022. When its predecessor school, Lifton Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school joined Learning Academy Partnership in April 2022.  Since the last inspection, there have been substantial changes in leadership and staffing. A new headteacher started at the school in April 2025.  The school does not use any providers of alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, teaching staff, trust leaders, members of the local governing body, trustees and the CEO.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Matt Middlemore, lead inspector Ofsted 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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