The Vale Academy

Inspection of The Vale Academy Wilbury Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU5 4QP

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

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The co-principals of this school are Tanya Knight and Jordan Campbell. The school is part of Advantage Schools Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Stuart Lock, and deputy CEO, Catherine Barr, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark McCourt. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Vale’s values permeate through everything that the school does. Staff and pupils know and demonstrate valour, aspiration, leadership and excellence. Expectations are high, and pupils respond positively to this. Pupils enjoy learning. The curriculum is exciting and engaging. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff want them to do well with their learning. In lessons, pupils listen to the staff and each other. Most pupils respond to each other’s thoughts and opinions respectfully. Pupils’ motivation to ‘SHINE’ in lessons and gain the ‘golden motivator’ is high. The strong relationships that pupils have with each other, as well as with staff, shine through. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They know how they should behave and have contributed to the development of the behaviour systems, including the ‘Vale walk’. Pupils know and follow this diligently as they move around the school. This contributes to a calm environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils explore their interests through the wide-ranging clubs or sporting competitions that are on offer. Trips are extensive and link to a wide range of subjects across the curriculum. Pupils develop their confidence through the many leadership opportunities in well-being, sports, learning and teaching.

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

The school has carefully thought through and developed the curriculum. It is broad and highly ambitious, building on pupils’ knowledge from early years. This helps pupils to build what they are taught into larger ideas.

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

Staff have strong subject knowledge in most subjects. They present information clearly and check pupils’ understanding precisely. The activities that pupils complete enable them to know and understand key information from the curriculum. However, sometimes staff’s subject knowledge is not as strong. When this is the case, staff do not present information relating to the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember. Therefore, pupils do not learn as effectively as in other subjects. This slows some pupils’ progress through the curriculum.

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

The school is effective at identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. For pupils with SEND, the curriculum is adapted precisely so that they can learn alongside their peers. Staff are well trained to support pupils effectively. This is due to the school’s ongoing training. The school works well with external agencies and parents to ensure the best possible provision for pupils with SEND.

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

Reading is prioritised. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the early years. Staff encourage parents to read regularly with their children. They guide parents on how to do this effectively. Pupils experience a wide range of genres and topics in the 3 and 4 June 2025

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books they read. This develops their enjoyment of reading even further. Any pupils who need additional support with their reading receive this swiftly.

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Staff manage behaviour consistently throughout the school. Pupils are clear about the consequences of their actions, as well as the rewards they can gain. Pupils encourage each other to make the right choices. Staff respond appropriately to any incidents that do take place and look carefully at what they can do to prevent them from happening again.

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The school’s personal development programme and personal, social and health education curriculum have been coherently planned alongside each other. This enables pupils to have a breadth of experiences, which prepares them well for secondary school and beyond. Children start to learn about careers from the early years through the ‘little city workshops’. This continues as pupils get older. It includes inspiring pupils to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Pupils know how to stay safe in school, online and in their local area. Staff ensure that pupils celebrate festivals that are important to the local community, for example ‘Culture Day’.

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The school supports staff to develop their expertise. It focuses on the school’s areas for development as well as staff’s personal interests. Staff well-being and workload are carefully considered. The school and trust work together effectively to make the necessary improvements. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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The trust, trustees and local governors are all clear on their roles and responsibilities. They work together with the school on their shared vision, challenging as well as supporting leaders. They ensure there are opportunities for pupils to develop as well- rounded individuals by the end of Year 6. Parents are positive about the school and the changes it has been through over recent years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not have the knowledge needed to teach a minority of subjects effectively. As a result, they do not present the key knowledge in these subjects clearly. Pupils do not learn as well as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge required to teach all subjects in the curriculum effectively.

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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 3 and 4 June 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Principal Tanya Knight (Co-Principal) Jordan Campbell (Co-Principal) Website www.thevaleacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 May 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Advantage Schools Trust. Previously it was part of The Shared Learning Trust. The trusts merged in September 2024.  The school opened as an academy in September 2012.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The co-principals have been in place since November 2024.  The school runs its own before- and after-school 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 3 and 4 June 2025

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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.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with the chair of the local cluster board (who act as the local governing body) and a group of trustees, including the chair. They also spoke with the CEO and deputy CEO of the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to school leaders, including those responsible for SEND, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  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.  Inspectors gathered and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff. This included considering the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlene Foster Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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