Dogsthorpe Academy

Inspection of Dogsthorpe Academy Central Avenue, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 4LH

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

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The executive principal of this school is Vicki Redhead. The head of school is Emma Peacock. This school is part of the Greenwood Academies 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), Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Chris Hall. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and confident. The school aims for ‘every child to be the best they can be’. These high expectations are often met. Pupils strive to do their best. One child summarised many pupils’ views when they said, ‘Teachers and staff value us a lot, they care for us and make sure we have the best education we can.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils model calm, warm interactions that reflect the school’s values. The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. When behaviour slips, staff and pupils often say, ‘We don’t do that here,’ and behaviour returns to that which is expected.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are understood well by all in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide effective support for pupils’ mental health and well-being. This helps pupils to become confident and successful learners. The school grounds have been developed to support the curriculum and provide additional opportunities for pupils to develop confidence and deepen their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to develop their character. They take on leadership roles, such as those with responsibility for the library, the computers or leading assemblies.

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

The school has raised expectations of what pupils can achieve since the previous inspection. The improved quality of education, alongside transformed behaviour around school, now enable more pupils to become confident readers and mathematicians.

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

The school has placed a strong emphasis on reading. Pupils that struggle with reading benefit from high-quality support and become increasingly confident and fluent readers. Staff have the knowledge and expertise to deliver the reading programme effectively. The reading curriculum is carefully taught by teachers who have a passion for the subject. They instil enthusiasm in pupils. Pupils enjoy reading in class and at home. Many of them also visit the local community library. Pupils talk about their favourite books and authors with enthusiasm.

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

The school recognises that published outcomes in national tests and assessments do not yet fully reflect its ambitions for pupils. The new curriculum is generally delivered well, but there are occasions when staff lack appropriate subject knowledge. This means that teaching is sometimes not adapted well enough to help some pupils make the progress in their learning that they could. Teachers sometimes do not use their checks on pupils’ understanding effectively to identify the gaps in pupils’ learning. However, overall, pupils leave well prepared for secondary school. 17 and 18 June 2025

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The school identifies pupils with SEND promptly. Pupils with SEND are supported well to access the same learning as their peers. Teachers typically adapt teaching effectively to support pupils with SEND.

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Pupils act with kindness and respect. They are supported to be confident and resilient when facing challenges. Those who experience difficulties with their behaviour are supported to make better choices. Pupils understand and appreciate what it means to be different.

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The school gives pupils’ personal development a high priority. Pupils understand issues such as equality, racism and prejudice. Pupils’ personal development is supported well by a wide range of trips and experiences that are linked to the curriculum, such as visiting a local museum. Pupils enjoy representing their school in activities such as football and athletics. They are also stretched when they enter science and technology competitions, where they compete with different schools.

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The school has worked hard with families to share the importance of pupils attending school each day. Systems to improve this are beginning to have a positive effect. However, some pupils miss school too often. This means they miss out on important learning, creating gaps in their knowledge.

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Those responsible for governance meet their statutory duties effectively. They provide robust challenge and support to the school to ensure it continues to improve over time. The trust provides a wide range of effective challenge and support. Staff are proud to be a part of this school. They feel well supported by school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not use assessment effectively to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge in some subjects. Some teachers lack detailed subject knowledge in these subjects. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers have secure subject knowledge and use assessment effectively in the full range of subjects that they teach so that pupils can learn equally successfully across all subjects.  Some pupils are frequently absent. They miss valuable learning time. The school should ensure that it strengthens its strategies to reduce absences so that pupils do not miss out on important learning. 17 and 18 June 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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Principal Victoria Redhead, Executive principal

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Dogsthorpe Academy is a member of the Greenwood Academies Trust.  The executive headteacher and the head of school have joined since the last inspection.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions.  The school operates 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 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. 17 and 18 June 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 evaluations of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. 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, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of parents, 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.

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 The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  The inspectors also reviewed documents related to attendance and behaviour.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers and staff.  The inspectors met with the chair of the board of trustees. They also spoke with the chief executive officer from the multi-academy trust and others from their team.  The inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff, including through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 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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