Montgomery Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets out to provide an excellent education for every child, in every classroom, every day. This they do.

Pupils sit at the heart of all that the school does.

Pupils are rightly proud to show visitors around their exceptional school. They value the special spaces that the school provides for their learning and enjoyment.

This includes the reading caravan, democracy spinning wheel and the indoor sandpit.

Pupils reach and exceed the school's high expectations. Behaviour is exemplary.

Pupils are polite, calm and trustworthy. Pupils are avid learners who thrive and achieve highly. Day by day, week by week, pupils are well-equipped for ...what comes next.

A strength of this school is the way pupils are encouraged to have a lifelong passion for physical activity in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Pupils also benefit from visiting art galleries, theatres and Parliament. Many enjoy the radio club.

These experiences enrich pupils' understanding and appreciation of the world. These wider opportunities develop their personal growth in a remarkable way.

All pupils work with an artist-in-residence and specialist music and drama teachers.

Pupils spoke proudly of the leadership roles available in the school, especially the new Shakespeare ambassador role. Their many opportunities beyond the curriculum help develop pupils into well-rounded, thoughtful and responsible individuals.

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

The school sets out a clear vision for what pupils will experience and achieve.

Trust leaders use rigorous checks to ensure that the school's work is positively impacting on pupils and families. Everyone understands the vision of the school. The school embraces the range of faiths and cultures within the community it serves.

Staff use this knowledge to make precise and respectful choices in all that they do.

Pupils, staff, parents and carers understand why the school chooses to do things in the way that it does, namely the 'Montified' way. The school is a strong pillar within the community, working in close harmony with all.

Everyone's voice matters. Deep listening ensures that the smallest detail is considered carefully and not overlooked. Leaders apply this to each area of school life.

The school looks after its staff well. There is a strong ethos of identifying and supporting staff in order to develop their teaching skills further alongside managing their workload. A range of well-matched training is in place, ensuring that everyone develops expertise so that 'good becomes great'.

Pupils benefit from this through their time at the school, achieving exceptionally well across the curriculum and in end-of-key-stage tests.

Children's learning begins from the moment that they enter the Nursery. The school has a carefully planned pathway through each area and subject, setting out how one part builds on another.

Learning is linked through and across subjects. The combination of highly skilled staff, engaged learners, and sequenced lessons ensures that learning sticks in pupils' long-term memory. When pupils need more help, staff provide this well across all curriculum subjects.

For example, pupils in physical education (PE) join a Friday session to practise further with the support of an adult.

Children in early years show high levels of engagement and make excellent progress through the school's curriculum. Nursery pupils are hooked on the rhymes that they sing and say together and show enjoyment when performing them.

In the Reception Year, children skilfully use 'guidance boards' to support their thinking. For example, the 'make a fox' board helped children to explore which materials would be best for their collage, developing critical thinking skills that support their future learning.

Right from the start, phonics lessons follow a well-structured programme.

The school understands that many pupils join the school with English as an additional language. Its approach to reading ensures a strong focus on pupils understanding what has been read and developing a rich vocabulary. This helps them to enjoy a wide range of texts.

These books come to life when pupils take part in meeting authors and making visits to the theatre. Pupils learn to read well, fluently and with enjoyment. The school truly fosters a love of reading.

The school's eye for detail ensures that pupils' additional needs are identified, known and understood. When local services are lacking, the school provides them. Specialist staff work with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, such as those who need extra support in communication and language.

This helps them to express their thoughts and ideas clearly.

The school's strong focus on academic success is well balanced with other opportunities. Additional activities in sport, music and art build pupils' skills in teamwork, resilience and creativity.

The school also ensures that pupils develop a deep understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Pupils are respectful of diversity. They take pleasure in giving back to the community.

Through debating pupils appreciate different moral and ethical viewpoints. Parents are right when they say their pupils enjoy the rich learning experiences that the school offers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.