Summerhill Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is infectious energy running through Summerhill Academy. Leaders have created a can-do culture.

The ambitious curriculum supports pupils well to know more and remember more. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Pupils make strong progress from their starting points.

Staff love coming to school and are proud of pupils' achievements.

There is a strong sense of community within and beyond the school walls. Pupils, parents and staff are proud of their school.

Pupils have a strong understanding of and respect for the diverse community they belong to. The school's values of 'be kind, safe and respectful' are followed consistently by everyone..../>
Pupils behave sensibly and low-level disruption is rare.

They care about their work and take pride in what they do. Improving pupils' behaviour was a priority at the previous inspection. Leaders have tackled this well.

Pupils accept that bullying occurs, but very rarely. They know adults will deal with it well.

Pupils feel safe at school.

They know they can share concerns with adults if the need arises. Staff know pupils well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this knowledge of pupils and families has deepened.

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

Leaders at all levels have taken effective action to improve the school since the previous inspection. Staff describe it as like working at an entirely different school. The principal has the support of staff and parents.

Staff feel valued and invested in. Leaders use a wealth of information to support the school on its improvement journey. Their accurate evaluation of the school has helped this support to have maximum impact.

Pupils are excellent ambassadors of the school. Leaders' work to support pupils' personal development is exemplary. They value this support on a par with academic subjects such as reading and mathematics.

Pupils discuss topics such as consent and the importance of respecting each other's personal and physical space with incredible knowledge and maturity. Themes such as different types of bullying, fundamental British values and the school's place in the community are well known by pupils. It is at the heart of what they do and learn.

Over time, the number of pupils who start school with gaps in their phonics knowledge has increased. Leaders are rightly tackling this as a whole school priority. They have provided training for staff and invested heavily in reading books to meet this increased demand.

Leaders pinpoint gaps in pupils' knowledge. Staff ensure phonics lessons focus on the sounds pupils need to learn and provide reading books that match the sounds pupils know. However, staff's subject knowledge of phonics is not yet consistently strong.

As a result, there is variability in the quality of the phonics support pupils receive.The school's reading curriculum is more embedded. Leaders have prioritised developing pupils' oracy and vocabulary acquisition.

This work is paying off. Teachers guide pupils to use sophisticated sentences. Pupils use these seamlessly in their conversations with adults and their peers.

They speak with increasing confidence, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils describe reading as a 'lifelong lesson', recognising its importance in everyday life.

Across other subjects, the curriculum is well established.

Teachers are familiar with what they need to teach and when. The curriculum is sequenced in a helpful way, building on pupils' prior knowledge effectively. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

Pupils work with increasing independence. Teachers keep a close eye on how pupils with SEND are getting on. They use this information to decide what pupils need to learn.

However, they do not consistently pinpoint these pupils' precise next steps.

Pupils behave well and enjoy their lessons. Leaders monitor pupils' punctuality and attendance closely.

They have taken positive steps to improve the attendance of pupils whose rate of attendance was lower than their peers, particularly disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff's recruitment processes are robust.

Leaders carry out the necessary checks to ensure they only appoint adults suitable to work with children. They ensure staff have the training they need to spot and record any potential signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders monitor concerns about pupils' welfare closely.

They take swift, decisive action, passing on concerns to external agencies when needed.

Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well, including those who have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. This helps leaders to provide families with support and help promptly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers' knowledge of phonics is not consistently strong. Support for pupils varies in quality which restricts progress for those with gaps in their phonics knowledge. Leaders should continue to deepen teachers' knowledge of phonics, so more pupils complete the phonics programme as soon as possible.

• Teachers do not use assessment information as accurately as they could for pupils with SEND. It is not always clear what these pupils will learn next. Leaders need to tighten up this aspect of the school's work so that pupils with SEND make increasingly strong academic progress.