Garden City Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher is ambitious and has high expectations for the school, staff and pupils. Alongside other leaders, there is an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all pupils achieve well. The trust works closely with school leaders and the local governing board.

Together, they have addressed the priorities from the last inspection successfully so that the school is good and continues to improve. Leaders have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Self-evaluation is accurate.

Plans for improving the school identify the areas that need to be tackled correctly. However, planned actions are too broad and lack ...target dates for completion to bring about rapid improvement. Pupils achieve well in reading and mathematics.

Their attainment in writing is not as strong, especially in key stage 1. Pupils with low prior attainment make good progress. Teachers ensure that pupils receive well-targeted support to help them catch up.

Leaders are addressing the barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils, who make strong progress from their starting points. Teachers plan interesting lessons that stimulate pupils' interests and motive them to learn. First-hand experiences provide an exciting start to their learning.

Pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects. Leaders place a high priority on safeguarding. This has created a strong culture across the school.

Pupils are confident that they are safe in school. Pupils are keen to do well. They behave well in lessons and have good attitudes to their learning.

The early years provides children with a good start to their education. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills. This prepares them well for Year 1.

Teaching is mostly good. Even so, in key stage 1, the teaching of writing skills is not as effective. Too little emphasis is placed upon pupils' accurate use of spelling and punctuation.

Handwriting skills are not developed well.

Information about this school

Garden City Academy is an average-sized primary school. The school became a sponsor-led academy of the REAch2 Academy Trust in September 2012.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the additional pupil premium funding is significantly above the national average. Over one quarter of pupils are from a variety of minority ethnic groups, but few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is significantly greater than that found nationally.

The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is similar to that in other schools nationally. Further appointments have been made to the senior leadership team since April 2018, with an additional deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher. Five new teachers started at the beginning of this academic year.

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