Lower Farm Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring school where pupils feel happy and safe.

Staff know the needs of their pupils well and make sure every pupil feels included and successful. Pupils enjoy their lessons. They show enthusiasm and interest in their work.

Staff have high expectations for the achievement of all of their pupils. This is evident in pupils' outcomes across subjects.

The school values are shared by everyone.

These values lie at the heart of the school's work and support everyone to promote pupils' achievement and wider development. Pupils know these values well and use them to guide their behaviour.Teachers mostly support and guide pupils to behave well in les...sons.

Pupils report that there is little bullying or other forms of unkind behaviour. When incidents do happen, pupils are confident that staff will quickly sort things out. Pupils play well together at lunchtimes and playtimes.

Pupils benefit from attending a wide range of clubs. They enjoy these clubs, which develop their interests and talents. Pupils aspire to become a member of the 'Pupil Parliament', which develops their understanding of democracy and helps them contribute widely to life at the academy.

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

Pupils develop a secure understanding of the curriculum, particularly in subjects such as art and design and mathematics. This is because the curriculum is well planned. It has steps that teachers use effectively to ensure pupils learn knowledge in the right order so that they fully understand the curriculum and achieve well.

Teachers check on the progress pupils' make in lessons to address any errors.

In a few subjects, pupils' knowledge of the curriculum is not so strong. This is because, in these subjects, some of the explanations do not help pupils understand what they are learning or remember the important vocabulary the school thinks pupils need to know.

At other times, it is because the tasks teachers sometimes set pupils can limit their understanding. On these occasions, this prevents pupils from forming a deeper understanding of some subjects or recalling knowledge they have learned before.

Pupils are taught to read well.

Teachers are skilled at teaching phonics. The school checks carefully on the progress of pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read to identify those who are at danger of falling behind. Where there is a risk of this, swift and effective support is provided.

Pupils enjoy choosing and reading books from the growing range in the library. A collection of books has been selected, which teachers read to their classes to ensure pupils experience some of the best books on hand. Pupils enjoy these story sessions.

All this helps pupils to become confident readers.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Successful and carefully considered adaptations are made to ensure pupils with SEND understand the curriculum and are involved in all parts of school life.

The school keeps a check on the progress of pupils with SEND. The strong systems in place successfully support staff to help pupils with SEND succeed and achieve well.

Children make a positive start in the early years.

Indoor and outdoor spaces are well organised and support children with opportunities to play and explore in places such as the forest school. Children are interested in these stimulating activities. Most tasks support children's learning well.

They help prepare children to make a good start in most areas of the Year 1 curriculum. Staff in the early years are caring and form supportive relationships with the children.

Pupils' personal development is well promoted.

Pupils talk with understanding about fundamental British values. The curriculum promotes pupils' understanding of how to be healthy and become active citizens. The trips pupils take part in also add to their learning in positive ways.

Leaders are committed and enthusiastic. They provide a lot of support for staff to help them deliver the curriculum effectively and support pupils' wider needs. Staff feel that leaders manage their workload well, are supportive and have created a positive place to work.

Most policies and practices are well implemented. However, in some cases, leaders have not identified the things that need to improve next. This is because subject leaders do not always have a clear enough grasp of how things are going in their areas of responsibility.

Governors are committed. They know the school well, check on its work systematically and ask leaders questions to help things improve further. Trustees keep a careful eye on the school's performance and provide the necessary support it needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

¦ In a few subjects, the school's choice of learning activities, or the explanations given, means that pupils' knowledge is not fully developed across the curriculum. The school should extend teachers' subject knowledge and skills in order to enhance the teaching of the curriculum.

¦ Some leaders do not always have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas they need to improve in their subjects. This means that the most immediate steps for improvement are not always tackled well enough. The school should support subject leaders to develop a sharper view of performance in their subjects to help them tackle the most important steps first.

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