Little Aston Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are happy coming to this school. They say that this is because they know the staff care about them. Pupils learn about and understand the importance of care and kindness.

This creates a positive learning and social environment across the school.

Pupils demonstrate good behaviour and understand and follow the school rules of being ready, respectful and safe. Pupils know what bullying is and if it happens they would report it to adults they trust.

They know that this can happen online and in school.

Most pupils do well in their lessons, but this is not the case for all pupils. In reading, some pupils do not get the support they nee...d to overcome their difficulties and this affects their enjoyment of books.

Many pupils attend a range of clubs, including hockey, netball and choir. Some speak with smiles on their faces when they recall the trips and in-school experiences that launch new topics in some subjects. They say this helps to 'bring learning to life'.

Pupils know about different cultures and faiths and the importance of including everyone. This makes them feel 'part of a big family'.

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

Since joining the academy trust in December 2020, the school has worked with the trust to make sure that it continues to feel part of the local community.

Leaders at all levels want to make use of this partnership to identify new ways to do things to improve the education for its pupils. However, their view of some aspects of the school's performance is not fully accurate.

Many parents report that the 'community feel' is why they send their children here and that they feel part of a 'family'.

A significant minority of parents, however, do not feel that communication with the school is effective, and they want to understand more about their children's education.

The school has worked successfully to develop many areas of the curriculum. Subject leaders have been supported to develop sequences of learning that identify precisely what they want pupils to learn.

The school has ensured that staff understand the importance of checking what pupils know and remember. However, staff do not always notice when pupils do not understand the learning, especially in reading. They move pupils on to new learning without them being ready for the new information.

This results in some pupils falling further behind.

The school has made sure that pupils understand the importance of 'reading for pleasure' and that pupils are able to choose from a wide range of books. This helps some pupils to develop their vocabulary.

However, some pupils who are still at the early stages of reading do not receive the support they need to read accurately and fluently. They do not have sounds modelled to them correctly and the phonics books they read are not matched to the sounds they know. This slows their progress in learning to read.

Children in the early years settle quickly. They begin to learn to read in the first few days of Reception and show a readiness for learning. They begin to concentrate for longer periods of time and enjoy sharing what they are learning.

The early years curriculum links well to what children learn in the rest of the school. For example, in history children show curiosity about the world around them and learn about events in the past. Many parents report that their children enjoy coming to school and that they are happy with how they have settled.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are expected to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils are supported to overcome their difficulties and adaptations are made to their learning to enable them to do so. When required, some pupils receive extra support to prepare them for their learning in class.

However, some pupils' learning plans do not always match their specific areas of need. Their targets are often too general and do not enable a few to achieve as well as they should.

Older pupils enjoy holding leadership roles and feel that being good role models helps other pupils to know how to act and behave.

The school has a clear focus on developing character traits such as respect, independence and confidence. Pupils say that learning about people in history who have demonstrated these values has helped them to be better learners and people.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not ensure that the books pupils read are matched well enough to the sounds they are learning and the sounds pupils encounter are not consistently modelled accurately to them. As a result, some weaker readers struggle to apply their phonics knowledge when reading. The school should make sure that all pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning, and that new sounds are modelled accurately to them.

• Staff do not consistently identify what pupils know and can do, especially in reading. As a result, pupils are moved on to new learning without the secure knowledge they need to understand it. The school should ensure that all staff precisely check what pupils know and remember to enable pupils to successfully build on their knowledge over time.

• Support plans for pupils with SEND do not identify pupils' specific needs. As a result, pupils with SEND do not make the progress they should. The school should make sure that pupils' support plans identify their specific areas of need and provide staff with clear information to support them.

• A significant minority of parents feel that the school does not communicate effectively with them. As a result, they are unclear about how well their children are achieving. The school and trust should work with parents to build effective relationships and improve communication so parents have a detailed understanding of their children's learning and progress.