England Lane Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at England Lane Academy thrive in a caring and welcoming environment. Leaders and staff share the same high aspirations for all pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong.

Pupils know adults in the school will keep them safe. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Leaders provide extensive support to ensure all pupils attend school regularly and on time.

Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school, supported by leaders from the trust, has reviewed and improved all subject areas. Pupils experience extremely well-designed and sequenced lessons.

They are engaged in their learning and talk with enthusiasm about what they have le...arned. As a result, pupils make excellent progress from their starting points.

Behaviour in lessons and at social times is consistently positive.

The school has carefully considered the procedures for managing behaviour. Pupils understand and follow these procedures well. All adults apply the rewards and sanctions consistently.

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of what it means to play a positive part in the life of the school. They learn to be role models to other pupils. Members of the pupils' academy council speak knowledgeably about democracy and parliamentary life.

The pupil mental health ambassadors provide a listening ear to other pupils when they feel sad or worried.

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

Reading is a key feature and priority of this school. At every turn, an exciting selection of books entices pupils to develop a love of reading.

The school has given extensive thought to how reading is embedded within every area of the curriculum. In Nursery, children listen regularly to a wide variety of nursery rhymes, songs and stories. Many children join the school with delayed language development.

Adults skilfully help to prepare children to be ready to begin more formal phonics learning in Reception. Leaders provide staff with the training and guidance they need to become early reading experts. As a result, most pupils become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

Outcomes in reading at the end of Year 6 in 2023 were below national expectations. The trust supported the school to take swift and effective action to bring about improvement. This included strengthening pupils' emotional resilience to better equip them for assessment activities.

In addition, trust leaders further strengthened subject leadership. As a result, current levels of progress and attainment are extremely positive.

The school has made sure that the curriculum is equally as strong in other areas.

The writing curriculum is based on an extensive range of text types, including poetry, classic and modern literature. Pupils learn to write for a range of purposes. They see themselves as writers and are enthused about their lessons.

In other subjects, such as geography and design technology, the use of key texts helps pupils to make connections across their learning. Regular links with businesses help pupils to understand the real-world application of their learning. Mathematics is a particular strength of the school.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), demonstrate an enthusiasm for mathematics that is built upon a secure understanding of number. Their knowledge and application of times tables is impressive. Teachers' subject knowledge is excellent across all subjects.

They use this knowledge to adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, all pupils achieve extremely well at the end of Year 6.

Children in the early years get off to an excellent start.

Adults use the trust's curriculum 'takeaways' effectively. All children benefit from the ambitious curriculum. There is a clear focus on developing children's vocabulary.

This provides children with the opportunity to experience subject vocabulary that they will meet in later learning. Nursery and Reception children are taught together in the setting. Staff have designed learning opportunities that include sufficient challenge and support for all children.

Partnerships with parents and carers are valued and promoted. Leaders actively seek their views and provide them with the information and guidance they need to support their child's learning at home.

The personal development of pupils is exceptional.

It sits firmly at the heart of the school's culture and provision. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and emotionally and mentally healthy. Pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is embedded within texts that open pupils' minds to different perspectives, cultures and beliefs.

Pupils know and understand the importance of the fundamental British values, including their application in the life of the school. The school actively promotes equality of opportunity. Leaders have identified 'important people' within each subject area.

They use these people to develop pupils' understanding of, and aspiration for, a range of career opportunities.

The support from the trust has had a significant positive impact on the development of the school. Highly effective professional development opportunities have helped to secure excellent leadership and teaching across all areas.

Trustees monitor the impact of developments thoroughly. They hold leaders to account for the continued improvement in the school. Senior leaders in school have risen to the high expectations of the trust.

They provide effective support for all staff and prioritise their well-being. Staff value the steps leaders take to manage the impact of their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.