Elm Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Pupils throughout the school make rapid progress across a range of subjects. Senior leaders relentlessly and successfully focus on raising pupils' achievement, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching is outstanding because teachers have high, but realistic, expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make an excellent start because of the outstanding teaching. The staff provide children with an exciting range of activities and a caring setting that parents really appreciate. The executive principal and head of school lead by example.

They inspire all leaders and managers..., including those responsible for governance, to be highly ambitious for the pupils and this has led to improvements in teaching and achievement. The quality of teaching is monitored very rigorously. The information gained is used very effectively to identify training needs for staff.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding. In lessons, pupils concentrate well and treat each other with respect and consideration. Their excellent relationships with the staff ensure that any difficulties pupils have are dealt with quickly and with care.

Pupils said that they feel safe in the school. The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences, including numerous exciting visits and activities. The opportunities offered through the links with specialist teachers from across the federation are exceptional.

There is a constant drive for improvement by staff. They all have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.

It is embedded in the subjects taught and in the ethos of the school.

Information about this school

This is a larger-than-average-size primary school. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium support (additional money allocated to schools by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, who are looked after by the local authority or whose families are in the armed forces) is above the national average. An above average proportion of pupils is supported through school action, and the same proportion is supported at school action plus. The number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is also above the national average.

A significant number of pupils enter the school other than at the usual times. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. There have been a very large number of staff changes in the last two years.

The Elm Academy converted to become an academy school in December 2012. When its predecessor school, known as Elmrise Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory overall. The Elm Academy is part of the LeAF Campus, comprising Elm Academy, Oak Academy and the LeAF Studio.