High Crags Primary Leadership Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

High Crags Primary Leadership Academy continues to be a good school.

The principal of this school is Helen Ray. This school is part of Star Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kamruddin Kothia OBE DL.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school has high aspirations for its pupils. Staff teach pupils to treat each other with care and kindness. The school's ambition for its pupils is evident through the curriculum they are taught.

Pupils follow clear and consistent routines. They... feel and are safe. Relationships in school are strong.

Pupils trust adults to help them with any problems. As one pupil said about teachers, 'If you have a problem, they will be there to help you.'

Pupils move around and through the school calmly and with purpose.

Pupils who find it difficult to self-regulate their behaviour are skilfully supported by staff who understand their needs well. Pupils develop positive learning behaviours. Staff use consistent strategies in lessons to develop these behaviours.

These behaviours give pupils the best chance of being successful in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and well supported. Pupils enjoy their learning.

They speak confidently about their learning in different subjects.

Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities that pupils benefit from attending.

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

Pupils are taught an ambitious curriculum. Some pupils with SEND in the 'Resource-Led Provision' (RLP) receive a more individualised approach to the curriculum and how it is delivered. Subject leaders ensure that pupils are taught what they need to know in an order that builds their knowledge over time.

The knowledge, vocabulary and subject-specific skills that pupils are to be taught are carefully mapped out at each stage of learning. The school has ensured that the provision in the early years supports children to be successful in their future learning. For example, in Nursery children learn about different representations of the number five and how these help them to add and subtract.

In lessons, staff use consistent teaching strategies to deliver the curriculum. For example, each lesson begins with a 'do now activity' that helps pupils to recall the knowledge from previous lessons. This knowledge helps them to understand their new learning.

Pupils explain their learning expertly. For example, Year 6 pupils talk confidently about what made the Mayan empire unique. The school's published outcomes in 2023 do not reflect the standard of education that pupils are receiving currently.

The early reading curriculum helps pupils to build their phonics knowledge sequentially over time. Leaders regularly check how well pupils are being taught to read. Staff attend phonics training frequently.

Pupils are given books to read that are well matched to the sounds that they have been taught. Younger pupils who need help with reading are quickly identified and supported. The support for some older pupils is not as closely targeted to their needs as it could be.

Pupils enjoy and benefit from many activities and experiences that promote reading. They access a wide range of books from different genres and authors.

The school gives careful consideration to pupils' broader development.

Subject leaders have carefully thought about how educational visits and visitors enhance and enrich pupils' experiences beyond the classroom. For example, pupils from Years 3 and 4 describe how their recent trip to Saltaire helped them to understand their learning in history. The school provides a variety of pupil leadership opportunities, such as library elves, and geography and maths ambassadors.

Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND access these opportunities. Pupils understand how different groups in society should be treated equally. Pupils' experience of the world of work is enhanced by visitors, including some from the nursing and justice professions.

Pupils' future aspirations are developed well through these opportunities.

Staff are well supported. The school takes account of the pressures on staff.

It provides the support staff need to carry out their jobs effectively. Leaders at all levels share a collective vision for how well pupils should achieve. The school has developed some aspects of the curriculum after reflecting on the 2023 published outcomes.

Governors and trust leaders have a clear understanding of how the school is performing and where it should develop further. The school is aware that some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. The school has clear systems for identifying and supporting pupils and families where this is the case.

This work is making a difference.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not always know where there are gaps in some pupils' reading knowledge in key stage 2.

This means that teaching is not always matched closely to pupils' needs. The school should ensure that it identifies and addresses the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2019.