Sandbach Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy coming to this friendly and welcoming school.

The school teaches pupils the importance of kindness and respect. Pupils demonstrate these in their behaviour towards others.

Pupils play their part in contributing to the school's caring community through their roles as 'happiness heroes'.

Staff know pupils and their families well and foster trusting relationships. Pupils' conduct embodies the school's values of nurture, respect, determination and achieve. Pupils behave responsibly.

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Typically, pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Pupil...s, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), leave the school well prepared for the next stage in their education.

The school's extra-curricular activities on offer support pupils to develop resilience and independence. Pupils excitedly shared their experiences from after-school club and their recent residentials. Pupils relish taking on responsibilities in roles such as ambassadors and 'safety officers'.

They were especially proud of their recent project to promote cleaner air as well as the trust's speech competition.

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

The school has successfully fostered a love of reading and created a buzz among the pupils. They take great pleasure in choosing their books from the school library.

Pupils feel excited to learn about new authors, and they revel in supporting each other to find books to enjoy. Across the school, staff encourage pupils to read a wide range of texts.

In the two-year-old provision, children learn songs and rhymes and they carefully listen to the sounds around them.

Staff use picture books to engage children well as they move through the early years. Children are ready to start learning phonics as soon as they enter the Reception class. Staff provide timely support for pupils who find reading more difficult.

This helps these pupils to quickly catch up with their peers and to read with accuracy. Staff benefit from effective training that develops the knowledge and skills required to help pupils become confident readers in readiness for Year 1 and beyond.

The school has carefully organised the curriculum so that it is well thought out and aspirational.

In a couple of subjects, including some areas of learning in the early years, the school is still determining the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that occasionally, staff find it difficult to design learning that helps pupils to build their knowledge securely.

During lessons, staff typically check to ensure that pupils understand recent learning before introducing new concepts.

Staff identify and address pupils' misconceptions successfully. However, in a few subjects, the school is not as adept at checking pupils' prior learning before introducing new information. At times, some pupils do not recall their learning over time as accurately as they should.

Pupils know and follow classroom routines. They are committed to their learning. This starts at the beginning of the early years, where staff support children to develop useful learning behaviours such as cooperation and determination.

The school has trained staff in recognising and supporting pupils with SEND. Staff ensure that classrooms are welcoming environments for these pupils. Pupils with SEND receive the additional help that they need to progress well through the curriculum.

The school's work to improve attendance has been remarkable. It is a high priority. For the very small number of pupils who need support, the school takes effective action to improve their attendance.

As a result, most pupils attend well.

The school prepares pupils effectively for their future lives. The personal development programme supports pupils' wider development and threads through subject curriculums.

For example, in mathematics, pupils learn how to manage money. Pupils value the many educational trips on offer and visitors to school which enhance the academic curriculum and bring learning to life. Many pupils spoke enthusiastically about learning outdoors and making delicious food in the school's cooking club.

Pupils develop their skills through a range of leadership roles. This enables pupils to contribute to the smooth running of the school.

Those responsible for governance bring expertise to their roles.

They focus on the professional development of school staff. Staff feel well supported by the school and value the collegiate atmosphere. They know that their open relationship with the trust is beneficial.

It brings expertise into the school.

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 couple of subjects, the school is not checking that pupils retain knowledge over time.

This means that some gaps in learning are not addressed, and pupils do not make connections between prior knowledge and new learning. The school should support teachers in using assessment strategies sufficiently well so that they accurately identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding. ? In a small number of subjects, including some areas of learning in the early years, the school is not sufficiently clear about the most important knowledge that should be learned.

This makes it difficult for teachers to design learning activities that build on what pupils already know. This means that in some places, this hinders pupils from gaining the depth of knowledge that they should. The school should refine its curriculum thinking in these subjects and areas of learning to enable pupils to develop a deep and rich body of subject knowledge.