Sunnyside Primary Academy

Inspection of Sunnyside Primary Academy Reynard Way, Northampton NN2 8QS

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

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The principal of this school is Dale Johnson. This school is part of Greenwood 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), Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christine Joy Hall. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sunnyside Primary Academy promotes an encouraging ethos where ‘every child can shine’. Pupils feel secure due to the positive and caring relationships staff build with them. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Staff encourage pupils to strive for ‘positive points’ and earn rewards. Typically, pupils behave well and are proud when staff recognise their efforts. Staff support pupils who need extra help with managing their feelings or actions sensitively. Pupils respond positively to guidance from staff. This provides for the school’s calm and purposeful atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of carefully considered experiences that enrich and enhance their learning and help to develop their character. Pupils speak enthusiastically of trips to museums, the farm, places of worship or the pantomime. Pupils appreciate the new range of clubs that are available. They have greater opportunity than before to develop their interests in music, sport, dance, design and craft, for example.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time in school and attend regularly. This means that they do not miss essential learning. The school wants pupils to do well. However, pupils’ achievement throughout the curriculum is not as secure as it should be. That said, the school is working determinedly to make improvements.

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

The school ensures that children’s start to their schooling provides firm foundations for future years. The early years provision enables children to build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge mostly well. Children develop positive attitudes. Staff provide a range of well-designed and purposeful learning activities. Children learn quickly to follow the clear routines. They treat each other fairly by working together at tidy up time, for example.

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

The school ensures that reading is a priority. Improvements in its provision for teaching phonics ensure that pupils learn to read well. Pupils practise phonics and reading regularly. Their books closely match the sounds that they know. Staff support pupils effectively to catch up if they fall behind with reading. The school also promotes a love of reading. For example, staff read to pupils every day, and pupils enjoy the engaging class texts.

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

The school recognised the previous curriculum would not help reach its ambition for pupils. It made substantial changes. Apart from a few minor refinements, the school has developed a well-sequenced curriculum that identifies clearly the key knowledge pupils need to learn. Implementation of the new curriculum is in the early stages. Teaching is enthusiastic and engages pupils. Typically, staff check what pupils know and understand. However, their checks are sometimes not thorough enough. Staff do not use the information gained consistently to adapt teaching and address misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This hinders pupils from building on their knowledge successfully. 10 and 11 June 2025

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The school has improved how swiftly it identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the support for these pupils. Sometimes, staff do not adapt learning appropriately for pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language. This limits how well these pupils can learn.

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The school has increased its expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know the new expectations well. They behave sensibly in class and at social times. The school communicates the importance of regular attendance continually. It has robust systems to manage absence and works closely with families when pupils’ attendance is a concern. Consequently, the school has secured improvements and pupils attend well now.

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The school’s recently reviewed personal development provision prepares pupils mostly well for life beyond the school. Pupils develop their understanding of how to keep healthy and safe, for example. However, some pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values and equalities is not as well developed as it could be. Pupils do not gain an age- appropriate depth of understanding of these important topics to enable them to recognise disrespect or discrimination.

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The school has overcome the temporary leadership and staffing arrangements in place at the last inspection. Understandably, several changes in staff give some parents and carers concerns. However, the school has greater stability now, with determined leadership and staff. It has focused on addressing weaknesses and is making significant improvements. The trust has clear strategic oversight of the school’s work and provides the necessary support.

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Mostly, staff feel valued and well supported to implement the new curriculum and other changes effectively. At the same time, they feel that the school considers their workload and well-being. However, the school does not check the introduction of changes closely. This hinders the swift identification of where staff need extra training or support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The new curriculum and how it is implemented are in the early stages of embedding. The school does not check the introduction of some of the changes closely to identify swiftly where staff might need extra training or support. As a result, pupils’ learning does not benefit from some of the improvements as quickly as it could. The school should refine its approach to checking the implementation of changes, ensuring that staff receive timely support to make improvements.  Sometimes, the checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not thorough enough or used to adapt teaching. This means that pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in 10 and 11 June 2025

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knowledge are not addressed, which hinders pupils from building on their knowledge successfully. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively so that pupils can achieve consistently well.  The adaptations teachers make for pupils with SEND and those at the earlier stages of learning English sometimes do not meet their needs precisely enough. This limits how well these pupils can learn. The school should ensure that the curriculum is adapted consistently and appropriately to meet the needs of these pupils.  Sometimes, the school does not ensure that pupils develop a firm enough understanding of fundamental British values, equalities and discrimination. As a result, pupils do not have an age-appropriate depth of understanding of these important topics. The school should ensure that it prepares pupils well to become respectful and responsible members of modern society.

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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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 May 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal joined the school in September 2024.  The school is part of Greenwood Academies Trust.  The school does not use any 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 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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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 10 and 11 June 2025

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 This is the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 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 met with the chair of the board of trustees, the CEO and other trust representatives.  Inspectors met with senior leaders of the school and considered a range of documentation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history 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 considered evidence about some other curriculum subjects.  Inspectors listened as some pupils read to a familiar adult.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during breaktimes.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils and staff. Inspectors spoke to parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Claire Stylianides, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Hollis Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 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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