Nova Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy and benefit from the spirit of teamwork at Middleton Primary School. In lessons and on the playground, pupils cooperate and show respect for themselves and others. Children in Reception quickly learn to sit quietly, move around the classroom calmly and work with others sensibly.

Pupils value each other's differences and thrive within the school's diverse community. Those supported by the specially resourced provision for pupils with hearing impairment are fully included within the school community.

Pupils feel, and are, safe.

Bullying is rare. Pupils know that staff are ready and able to help when pupils have concerns about bullying.

Pup...ils share leaders' high expectations of themselves and other pupils.

With gusto, they cheer for their achievements in lessons. However, pupils are not supported well enough to learn or achieve as well as leaders expect.

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

Two years ago, leaders began to redesign the curriculum.

Since then, the school has experienced an unsettled time, because of COVID-19 and staff turbulence. Leaders have not completed their work on the curriculum. As leaders' plans are not well organised in some subjects, teachers are unsure how to teach some subjects well so that pupils remember the knowledge over time.

Teachers often catch what pupils misunderstand in lessons and provide effective support. However, teachers do not check well enough what pupils remember over time. Teachers also do not provide pupils with sufficient practice or opportunities to review what they have been taught.

As a result, pupils forget key knowledge.

In the early years, leaders have not ensured that the teaching of phonics is good enough to prepare children for the Year 1 reading curriculum. In Years 1 and 2, teachers deliver structured lessons about phonics that help most pupils learn what they need to read fluently.

Staff in Years 1 and 2 deliver effective extra support for pupils who have fallen behind in reading. This ensures that many of these pupils can read successfully and with enjoyment as they get older.

Staff deliver the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) inconsistently.

Leaders do not ensure that staff consistently use the most suitable strategies to enable pupils with SEND to make strong progress. However, the provision for deaf pupils and those with hearing impairments is well delivered. These pupils learn how to be successful in school and the wider world.

Staff have clear and consistent classroom routines and expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils, and children in the Reception class, know that learning is important. They focus on learning in lessons and follow instructions diligently.

Leaders' provision for personal development prepares pupils to live happily alongside those with different lifestyles and beliefs. Leaders also ensure that staff support pupils in building their own unique identities. During debates, pupils articulate themselves clearly.

They listen sensitively to the views of others. Pupils appreciate learning new talents in the many clubs they attend and participating in the many educational visits leaders provide.

Subject leadership at the school is underdeveloped.

Subject leaders do not fully understand their roles and do not enable staff to teach their subjects well enough. The local governing body does not monitor leaders' work with sufficient rigour. This limits the extent to which governors can hold leaders to account for the quality of provision at the school.

Trust leaders have redesigned the governance structure and introduced new staff and training to improve the leadership of the school.

Most staff speak positively about the school's leadership. The majority of staff responded to Ofsted's staff survey that they feel well supported working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff, governors and trustees have the necessary training to safeguard the pupils. Staff are vigilant for the signs of potential harm.

When concerns arise, they act quickly and in line with school policies and national guidance. Leaders keep meticulous records about vulnerable pupils and work well with external agencies. Leaders are relentless in ensuring that vulnerable pupils get the support they need.

Leaders make sure that background checks of adults are undertaken to determine if they are suitable to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Parts of leaders' curriculum are not organised logically. Teachers do not teach the knowledge in some subjects in a way that helps pupils understand and remember what they have been taught.

Leaders need to review and make suitable changes to the curriculum in some subjects so that staff teach the knowledge in an order that helps pupils understand and remember what they are trying to learn. ? Teachers do not check what pupils remember over time in all areas of the curriculum. Teachers also do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to practise and review knowledge in the curriculum.

This leads to pupils forgetting essential knowledge. Leaders need to provide teachers with the training and guidance needed to check what pupils remember and give pupils chances to practise and revisit what has been taught. Leaders and staff do not provide consistently well for pupils with SEND.

These pupils, consequently, do not always overcome the challenges they face when trying to learn. Leaders need to make sure that staff have the knowledge to provide well for pupils with SEND. Leaders should then make sure that staff deliver the provision leaders expect.

• Leaders have not ensured that staff teach well enough the fundamentals of reading to children in the early years. Pupils start Year 1 needing to catch up. Leaders should provide staff with suitable training so that they teach early reading well.

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