Kirby Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Kirby Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Debbie Byles.

This school is part of Reach 2 Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Cathie Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Robert. There is also a deputy director of education, Sinead Harper, who is responsible for this school and six others.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a vibrant school. They participate in a rich range of wider experiences through the '1...1 before 11' programme. These include beekeeping, seal watching and sleeping under the stars.

Pupils go to trusted adults when they need to because they know caring staff will listen and help. This creates an environment where pupils are happy and safe.

Pupils experience a broad, interesting and well-structured curriculum.

This is brought to life for pupils through themed days, where they become immersed in what it is like to be a Greek or an Egyptian. The school has raised expectations for pupils' achievement. These are typically realised well in the work pupils produce and the knowledge they gain.

However, sometimes pupils do not develop their spelling or the depth of their mathematical knowledge as well as they might.

The school community follows the values of being kind, respectful and responsible. Pupils learn about how to show these through assemblies and class discussions.

Pupils take great pride in the badges they gain for showing these values. Pupils get lots of support in dealing with feelings and resolving any issues. This all means the school is a pleasant environment where pupils behave well.

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

The school has adopted the trust curriculum across most subjects. However, this has been adapted to be relevant to the local context. For example, in early years, children explore the local area to develop their understanding of the world.

The school has put in place extensive training for staff to teach this effective curriculum well. For example, the school introduced a new approach to teaching phonics and reading. Staff have been fully trained in this, including through effective support from the trust's staff.

As a result, pupils now learn to read well, and older pupils who had gaps in their knowledge have had the support they need to close them.

The school has worked with the trust to focus on adapting teaching to suit the needs of all pupils. This has particularly benefited pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), whose needs are identified well.

Teachers model examples clearly and give pupils opportunities to practice and develop important skills. They carefully check what pupils have understood and provide further guidance where needed. Pupils with SEND get targeted additional support from adults.

This includes additional explanations, which support them to produce high-quality work.

Across the curriculum, pupils typically learn and retain knowledge strongly. For example, pupils articulate confidently the impact of being a refugee from a book they study.

The school has worked to develop the composition element of pupils' writing well. This starts in early years, where children practise letter formation linked to the sounds they learn. However, some pupils' grammar, punctuation and spelling are not as well developed.

This detracts from the quality of these pupils' written work.

The school has done extensive and effective work to ensure pupils develop confidence in mathematics. However, sometimes teachers do not provide the opportunities pupils need to deepen their learning.

Leaders have worked to build strong relationships with parents. They have worked with a local charity to provide valuable wider support for families. This has helped attendance to improve significantly.

Pupils now attend well. The school has put in place a new behaviour policy that focuses on pupils taking ownership of their actions. This has reduced suspensions, so they are now infrequent.

Pupils are keen to learn and show respectful and polite attitudes.

Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school. There is a wealth of pupil leadership opportunities.

This includes the junior leadership team that manages the tuck shop and rewards. Pupils participate in Diwali celebrations, African storytelling and Bollywood dancing, which enriches their cultural understanding. Sports clubs and teams are successful and attended by a broad range of pupils.

There are funded places for those who need it, so barriers to participation are overcome.

The school is well led and managed. Following the previous inspection, the school went through a period of leadership turbulence.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school did not ensure pupils engaged with remote learning well enough. The trust challenged this and put in place suitable support. Over the last three years, the school and trust have worked together to raise standards.

A combination of historical gaps in learning and particular contextual needs of a year group meant that Year 6 pupils did not achieve as well as they should in the 2024 national tests and assessments. However, the school and trust have addressed the factors that caused this effectively. This is reflected in current pupils' knowledge and quality of work.

Therefore, overall, an effective quality of education has been maintained.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes teachers do not develop the depth of some pupils' mathematical knowledge well enough.

This means some pupils do not extend and develop their knowledge further. The school should ensure that teachers provide opportunities for pupils to deepen their mathematical knowledge so pupils achieve as highly as they can in mathematics. ? The school does not have a consistent approach to teaching grammar, punctuation and spelling.

As a result, some pupils do not apply their knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation consistently in their written work. This means these pupils' written work is not always of the standard it should be. The school needs to ensure that staff teach grammar, punctuation and spelling effectively and help pupils to apply this knowledge consistently well in their written work.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in February 2019.

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