Ermine Street Church Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have successfully established Ermine Street Church Academy as an inclusive and happy school.

It is well-ordered, with a calm and purposeful atmosphere. The headteacher leads the developments in this growing school effectively. He is strongly supported by senior and middle leaders.

Leaders and governors share a clear vision and determination to promote pupils' personal development. They are equally committed to ensuring that pupils achieve highly. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is not as high as leaders aspire to, particularly the proportion of pupils attaining the higher standards.

Nonetheless, pupils' pro...gress is improving strongly across the school. Most pupils make good or better progress in these subjects from their starting points when they joined the school. .

. Governors and the trust support and challenge school leaders to make improvements. They visit the school regularly to check for themselves how well the school is improving.

Staff, parents and pupils share a strong belief in the values of their school and speak highly of the work staff do. Parents appreciate the nurturing environment in which their children feel safe and learn effectively. The curriculum is broad and balanced.

It is enhanced by a wide range of trips, clubs and other memorable learning experiences. Pupils' behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Warm and trusting relationships underpin their enjoyment of learning.

The high number of pupils who join the school throughout the year settle in quickly. Children make a positive start in the early years. Staff provide a stimulating learning environment and ensure that children develop good learning behaviours.

Leaders for subjects other than English and mathematics are new to their roles. As such, the processes for checking the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement across the wider curriculum are not established. Teachers plan lessons that engage most pupils' interests and build on their previous learning effectively.

However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to make choices in their learning and apply their knowledge and skills independently. As a result, not enough pupils reach the higher standards of which they are capable. Some pupils' books are untidy.

This is because : not all teachers are consistent in their expectations of the presentation of pupils' work. A

Information about this school

Ermine Street Church Academy opened in September 2016, and this is its first inspection. Since then, pupil and staff numbers have been growing.

The school is currently smaller than the average-sized primary school, although its capacity is larger. During this transitional time, the number of pupils joining the school at different times is high across all year groups. Pupils come from a diverse range of educational experiences and backgrounds.

The school is sponsored by the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT). The trust delegates aspects of governance to the local governing body. The board of trustees is the accountable body.

As a school designated as having a religious character, it was subject to a separate section 48 inspection of its denominational religious education, school ethos and content of collective worship in February 2019. The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the government's pupil premium funding is below the national average. More than half of the school's eligible pupils are service children who live at the nearby American military base.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post since the school opened.

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