Desmond Anderson Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils bubble with enthusiasm about coming to school. They know it is a safe place where staff treat them very well and a good place to learn and play. Pupils understand the school's core values and are respectful, working together successfully.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils. That is why, on the whole, standards are improving throughout the school. The topics that pupils learn about fire their enthusiasm to find out more for themselves.

Teachers help pupils to develop a rich language and vocabulary. Some pupils have superb knowledge in subjects such as science.Behaviour is good.

Lessons are hardly ever disturbed because pupils are so e...nthusiastic about what they are learning. Barely anyone talks about bullying because it is so rare, and leaders tackle it very well.Leaders have been making many changes for the better recently and there are more to come.

For example, parents and carers and pupils are looking forward to the wider range of clubs and activities that are planned.Nobody feels left out in this school: everyone is respected. However, children in the Nursery and some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) currently do less well than others.

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

Pupils, parents and staff are positive about the improvements that have been made since the school became an academy with the University of Brighton Academies Trust. The pace of improvement has quickened, and pupils are starting to see real benefits.Leaders have improved the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics.

As a result, pupils are learning well and standards at the end of key stage 2 have improved considerably. Leaders have used approaches successful in other trust schools to improve pupils' language and vocabulary. Teachers have good subject knowledge and lessons are very engaging.

Pupils discuss their work sensibly in lessons and build on what they already know with new knowledge. No time is wasted in classrooms by off-task behaviour.Pupils enjoy studying topics such as 'rainforests'.

These topics bring together subjects such as science and geography. Teachers carefully select class reading books that are linked to the topics. Leaders have checked that the topics include all subjects over time.

This is because in the past some subjects were taught less frequently. Leaders have already checked that pupils' learning builds sequentially in subjects such as science. As a result, pupils are learning more and remembering more in science.

This is not yet the case in all subjects, but well-thought-out actions are now improving this.Reading is prioritised throughout the school and pupils of all ages enjoy reading and are developing good comprehension skills. Leaders have rightly changed the way phonics is taught because pupils did less well in Year 1 last year.

Staff are being fully trained in the new approach.Pupils take a real pride in their school and their community. Their attendance is improving.

Pupils contribute to charity, for example by collecting harvest gifts for the needy. Some pupils have opportunities to be democratically elected to positions of responsibility, such as academy ambassadors.Pupils with SEND are supported appropriately in mainstream classes and learn as well as their peers do.

Teachers have high expectations for what they can achieve. For some pupils with SEND in the specialist unit, the provision is not completely meeting their more challenging needs. There is more work to do here to help these pupils to learn and behave as positively as others do in the main school.

Links with the main school are not as strong as they could be.The trust has been instrumental in helping the school to improve. For example, it has supported new and interim leaders at the school.

The trust and local board work very well together. Staff enjoy working at this school. They feel that leaders take care of their well-being and provide helpful training.

The teachers in Reception are brand new and have made a positive start to the school year. Children in Reception classes have settled in and quickly established routines. They enjoy school and their learning activities, including starting to read.

Leaders know that adults in early years could do more to support children's learning. In Nursery, the provision is not currently meeting the needs of children well enough. Although there is a range of activities, these are not being adapted to meet the different ages of children.

Although parents throughout the school are generally happy with the school, they are less enthusiastic about the current Nursery provision.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know that they work in a local authority where services to protect the most vulnerable children are poor.

Therefore, they redouble their efforts to ensure that they take every step possible to keep pupils safe in the community and in school.

Staff are well trained and keep meticulous records of any concerns. The local board and trust check safeguarding procedures each term to ensure that these are as effective as they can be.

Leaders are not complacent. They are always looking at ways to improve procedures further. They adapt the curriculum to keep pupils safe, including online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Provision in the Nursery is not currently fully meeting the needs of the children who attend. Activities are not suitably focused on the different needs of two-, three- and four-year-olds. Adults are not sufficiently focused on developing children's language and physical development.

The trust and leaders should review the organisation of this provision to make sure it better meets the needs of children and prepares them well for Reception. . Pupils with SEND are well supported in the main school.

Over time, the needs of pupils with SEND who attend the specialist unit have become more complex. The provision is not currently helping some pupils to learn and behave successfully. The trust and leaders should review the provision, and how in particular unit leaders work together with leaders in the main school responsible for SEND so that the needs of all pupils are fully met.

. Leaders recognised that the phonics programme was no longer meeting the needs of pupils. They have started to implement a new scheme.

Leaders should ensure that all staff receive appropriate training from trust experts. Leaders also need to monitor the success of the new scheme closely. .

The school's curriculum is still being implemented in some subjects so that it is sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced. Leaders have already been successful in implementing plans in subjects such as science. They should ensure that this is the case for all subjects by September 2020.