Co-op Academy New Islington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud of their school.

They value the strong relationships that they have with adults. They feel assured that they will be well supported should they have any concerns.

Around school, pupils are confident.

They are celebrated as individuals, who are free to express their unique personalities. The atmosphere is one of happiness, inclusivity and vibrancy. Pupils are polite and considerate of others.

They are respectful of each other's opinions and beliefs.

Pupils thrive on learning, both in the classroom and through the purposefully organised learning areas. They are enthusiastic learners and enjoy their time in school..../>
Many pupils meet the school's high expectations for their achievement.

Older pupils act as mature and helpful role models for younger pupils. Children in the early years quickly learn to follow rules and routines.

They play together joyfully.

Pupils enjoy participating in the numerous clubs and activities that the school offers to support their learning beyond the academic curriculum. Clubs such as chess, football and choir enable pupils to develop their talents and interests.

The school helps pupils to become active citizens in their community through projects, such as planting flowers in the city.

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

The school has put in place a clear and ambitious curriculum, which starts in the early years. The curriculum sets out the important information that pupils will learn progressively to help them to build a secure body of knowledge over time.

The school is mindful that some pupils join after the Reception Year. As such, it has crafted the curriculum to connect knowledge and to enable pupils to recap or learn previous information before new learning is introduced. Staff check pupils' understanding and address any subject-specific gaps that they might have.

In 2024, the provisional published outcomes for writing were significantly below the national average. The school recognised the reasons behind this and swiftly implemented a revised approach to writing. However, sometimes the feedback that staff provide to pupils does not have the intended impact.

Occasionally, errors in pupils' writing, such as spelling, punctuation and handwriting, are overlooked. This means that a small number of pupils, and children in the early years, carry gaps in their basic knowledge of writing over time.

Reading takes a high priority across school.

From the start of the Reception Year, children are taught the phonics code. They read from books that match the sounds that they know. As they grow older, pupils continue to read from books which match their reading knowledge.

In the main, phonics is taught with consistency and fidelity to the school's chosen programme. Pupils who do not keep up with the pace of the learning receive the support that they need to catch up. On occasion though, the approaches that staff use to support learners vary in accuracy, meaning that sometimes pupils do not learn as securely as they could.

This is also the case for a small number of pupils with SEND. Very occasionally, staff do not have a secure knowledge of how to adapt the learning for pupils with SEND, which can hinder some pupils' progress through the curriculum. Nevertheless, the school quickly and effectively identifies the needs of pupils with SEND.

Staff meet pupils' needs through their use of compassionate, reflective and purposeful language. Overall, pupils are helped to achieve well.

Throughout the school, pupils, including children in the early years, are cooperative and friendly towards others.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils know and follow the school rules, conducting themselves maturely and sensibly.

The school offers pupils a broad range of opportunities to enhance their personal development.

It has developed a thoughtfully implemented approach to teach pupils about transferrable skills and to encourage them to have high aspirations for their future. The outdoor learning provision closely links curricular learning with enhanced opportunities to learn about nature. For example, pupils made bird feeders and learned about different types of birds and their food sources.

The outdoor provision also supports pupils' understanding about key skills, such as resilience and responsibility. Many pupils benefit from taking part in a wide variety of trips and visits to help them to learn through experience.

The school implements a range of strategies to support staff's well-being.

Staff appreciate the consideration that is given to minimise the impact on their workload when changes are introduced. Members of the trust and the local governing body are effective in their roles by ensuring that the school's actions are purposeful and matched to its current priorities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, the approaches that staff use to support pupils' learning are not as effective as they could be. This means that some pupils, for example those at the early stages of reading and pupils with SEND, are not helped to learn as best they could. The school should develop staff expertise to ensure that staff have the requisite knowledge to consistently and effectively support learners.

Sometimes, the feedback that staff provide does not have the impact that the school intends. This means that a small number of pupils continue to carry gaps in their foundational knowledge, particularly around transcription. The school should ensure that the feedback that staff provide to pupils addresses errors in foundational knowledge to support pupils' learning across the curriculum.