Co-op Academy Penny Oaks

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Mary's and St Peter's Catholic Primary School is an oasis at the heart of the community. Diversity is welcomed and celebrated.

Pupils learn about different world religions in regular faith weeks. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Leaders aim for pupils to 'keep up not catch up'.

Pupils are happy. They thrive in this inclusive and nurturing environment.

Leaders develop each pupil's character by teaching them the school values.

Pupils know and understand these values. They recognise and reward their peers for making the right choices. Older pupils are proud to be workforce monitors and contribute to the wider school life.'

Bein...g kind' underpins all that pupils do. If pupils are unkind to each other, they are supported to reflect on how their behaviour has made others feel. Pupils have a voice and are encouraged to use it.

This helps everyone feel valued, safe and happy.

Bullying is rare. When it does happen, leaders take swift action.

Kind and caring relationships exist between pupils and adults. Pupils trust that adults will help them to deal with any worries quickly. Parents who spoke with inspectors were happy with how leaders support their children.

They said their children feel safe.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. Adults read to pupils each day.

They challenge pupils to read a broad range of texts during their time in school. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the books they have read. Leaders have recently introduced a new curriculum for the teaching of early reading.

All staff have received training to help them be early reading experts. The teaching of reading is consistent and effective. As a result, pupils learn to read quickly with fluency and confidence.

Leaders have ensured that the early years provision gets children off to a good start. Within school, the early years are referred to as 'the secret garden of success'. Leaders have ensured the curriculum followed by children in the early years is carefully considered.

Teachers check to ensure that children build their knowledge and skills over time. Development of children's language and communication is high priority. Staff make sure that children in the early years learn numbers and numerical patterns quickly.

Mathematics lessons are carefully planned. As a result, children confidently recognise and recall number facts.

Leaders have designed a coherent curriculum.

Subject leaders have set out the key knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. Leaders have identified the important vocabulary that pupils need to know to help them understand and explain their thinking. Leaders provide regular training for teachers to ensure the curriculum is well taught.

Teachers design tasks that engage pupils and develop their knowledge. Pupils work hard and sustain their concentration throughout lessons. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their learning.

They listen respectfully to each other's contributions. However, some pupils struggle to remember what they have been taught. This is because teachers do not enable pupils to revisit content frequently enough to transfer knowledge to their long-term memory.

Leaders have effective mechanisms in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers know these pupils well. In some cases, they help these pupils to access the curriculum by making necessary adaptations.

However, some plans of support are not clear enough about the specific help that some pupils with SEND need. As such, some pupils with SEND do not routinely receive the support they need to access the curriculum alongside their peers.

Pupils contribute to their local community by visiting the local care home to play games with residents.

Leaders plan simple but effective ways to engage the community and celebrate diversity. For example, leaders recently invited a nutritionist to work with families to prepare culturally diverse and healthy menus for pupils.

Leaders ensure that pupils understand about healthy and safe relationships.

They have carefully considered how to introduce sensitive information in an age-appropriate way. Pupils learn to say 'no' and are taught about how others might harm them.

Governors know the school well.

They fulfil their statutory responsibilities. Leaders work very well with staff. They consider staff well-being.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about steps leaders take to support their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

Leaders provide regular training for staff and governors. As a result, staff know how to spot pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff report concerns about pupils promptly.

When leaders are aware of concerns about a pupil they act appropriately, working with external agencies to provide additional help when needed. Record-keeping is detailed and thorough. Governors regularly check the school's safeguarding procedures.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils know who to go to if they have a concern. They know that staff take their concerns seriously.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, some pupils struggle to recall important knowledge. This is because they have not had the opportunity to regularly return to important knowledge and concepts to secure this in their long-term memory. Leaders should ensure that there are frequent opportunities for pupils to revisit this knowledge, so pupils are better prepared for their future learning.

• Some support plans for pupils with SEND do not contain sufficient information to help teachers to meet their needs fully. As a result, some pupils with SEND are not supported to access the curriculum as well as they could be. Leaders should ensure that all teachers are provided with clear information about how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.