Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection.

However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.The executive headteacher of this school is Maxine Lathbury-Cox.

This school is part of E-ACT multi-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, Tom Campbell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lord Jim Knight. The executive headteacher is responsible for thi...s school and one other.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attending Mansfield Green E-Act Academy are proud to be a member of its community. They are regularly seen smiling because they are happy and feel safe when in school. Pupils eagerly celebrate the school's cultural diversity.

It is a truly inclusive school, where differences are accepted, respected and celebrated. Pupils say, 'It might not be right for me, but we accept it might be right for others.'

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In most cases, this is well realised. However, some pupils do not have a consistently positive experience of learning, which affects the progress they make.

Pupils behave well at all points of the day. They listen carefully to their teachers in lessons and walk around the school sensibly. They demonstrate beautiful manners and are polite.

Many pupils join at different points in the school year. Staff and pupils welcome their new classmates with enthusiasm. This helps them to settle into school life quickly.

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

The school places a high priority on pupils learning to read. A new phonics scheme has recently been introduced. Staff with responsibility for leading the teaching of phonics have a very good understanding of what makes phonics teaching successful.

Staff have received intensive support and ongoing training to help them do this well. This is effective. It is having a positive impact on pupils' outcomes.

Pupils read books that are carefully matched to their ability. This helps them improve their fluency and become confident readers. They relish the opportunity to read a wide range of books for enjoyment.

Mathematics is also a strength. The curriculum is designed so pupils build their knowledge and understanding in a coherent way. Good support is offered in lessons for pupils who need extra help.

Staff have sound subject knowledge. They address misconceptions swiftly and also plan opportunities for the most confident pupils to deepen their learning.

Children in the early years settle into school life well.

The school has high ambitions for them. However, the high ambitions that inform how the curriculum is implemented do not always consider the children's current stage of learning. Some of the learning activities planned do not address each child's individual level of development.

This means they do not get the opportunity to consistently build on what they know and what they can do. It also affects how well the school accurately assesses what the children already know and what they should learn next.

The school has introduced changes to many other areas of the curriculum.

Not all of these plans are fully embedded yet. This is partly down to the high number of staff absences and ongoing staffing issues. It leads to inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered to pupils in some classes and in some subjects.

This leads to pupils having gaps in the knowledge they need to understand subsequent learning. This also affects the learning offer for pupils with SEND. Some of these pupils are supported by staff who do not know their needs well enough to support them as well as they might.

The school recognises that all staff are doing their very best, but the progress pupils make is not yet monitored precisely enough. However, the school, ably supported by the trust, is doing everything it can to minimise the disruption to pupils' learning because of the staffing instability.

Pupils' personal development is well considered.

There are a range of opportunities to develop talents and interests outside of the classroom. The artist in residence works with pupils to create stunning artwork. Pupils get the opportunity to work with a range of materials and resources to produce pieces of art that are of an exceptional quality.

They are displayed with pride in the school's art gallery. It really is something to celebrate. Pupils have a range of ways to develop leadership skills.

Developing active and responsible adults of the future is a priority.

Pupils understand that 'doing the right thing' is important. This is evident in the good behaviour in and around school.

The new behaviour policy is helping pupils understand the school's behaviour expectations and they relish the opportunities to earn 'coins' for demonstrating these high standards.

The trust offers a very good level of support to the school, particularly during this turbulent time. They deploy skilful leaders to work alongside the dedicated and hardworking staff who are in school each day.

This model is bringing about improvements and supporting the school to provide the high-quality education that every pupil deserves.

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 monitor precisely enough how the implementation of the curriculum is meeting the needs of all pupils with SEND.

This means they cannot assure themselves that it is having the positive outcomes intended. The school should carefully monitor the effectiveness of the provision for pupils with SEND to assure themselves that the needs of all individuals are met, and that they are making the progress of which they are capable. ? There is inconsistency in how well the curriculum is implemented.

This leads to disparity in the quality of education offered in some classes and in different subjects. The school should ensure that curriculum plans are consistently delivered to a high quality and adopt the school's approach. ? In the early years, opportunities for children to apply their prior learning to subsequent tasks is not always carefully thought out or appropriate for their age and stage of development.

This limits how well the school can assess how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum and can apply it to the different areas of learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented in such a way that it supports children's current stage of development and reflects the early years framework.

Background

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

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 outstanding in June 2018.

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