The Acorns Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher, supported by a very capable senior leadership team, has worked tirelessly to reverse the fortunes of the school.

Senior leaders have significantly improved the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils. Together with experienced and committed governors, senior leaders have created a school where staff morale is high, support from parents is strong and pupils want to learn. Governors are highly skilled.

They ask searching questions, and bring much experience and knowledge to their roles, which are helping to ensure that the school continually improves. Pupils. progress in a wide range of subjects, including rea...ding, writing and mathematics, is good.

Pupils. attainment is rapidly improving, as shown by their performance in national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2017. Teaching is good.

Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to make learning interesting. They know pupils well and have very good relationships with them. Pupils are not always challenged in their learning, particularly in mathematics.

In addition, too few opportunities are available for pupils to write independently, particularly in key stage 1. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is good. Those in the resource base are well behaved.

They enjoy learning and achieve well. All aspects of the leadership and management of early years are good. This includes provision for two-year-old children.

Teachers. work to develop children.s language and communication skills is highly effective.

Work to widen pupils. experiences is very effective. They benefit from an exciting and stimulating curriculum.

Pupils participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and enjoy competing in inter-school competitions. Leaders. and teachers.

work to develop pupils. spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their appreciation of British values, is good. Pupils.

attendance has improved. They are well mannered, respectful and studious. Pupils who spoke with inspectors said they always feel safe.

Too few pupils know what they need to do to improve their learning. Parents and carers are very complimentary about the school. Almost all said that their children are happy, safe and making good progress.

Information about this school

The Acorns Primary and Nursery School is larger than the average-sized school catering for pupils and children aged two to 11. Seven places are available in the school.s resource base, which caters for pupils who have complex learning needs.

At the time of the inspection, the resource base was at full capacity. There is a federation arrangement in place between The Acorns and Whitley Village Primary School, a small school in Lower Whitley. The executive headteacher, deputy headteacher and business manager all took up their roles at the start of the summer term 2016.

All have executive roles, covering the two schools in the federation. In September 2017, a new assistant headteacher joined the senior leadership team. Since the previous inspection, there have been additional staffing changes.

Several new teachers have been appointed, including a newly qualified teacher. The leadership team has been restructured. The governing body has been reorganised to include several new members, including the chair of the governing body.

Provision for two-year-old children was introduced in September 2017. A well-above-average proportion of pupils are disadvantaged. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.

A small but increasing number of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above average. The proportion of pupils who have education, health and care plans or a statement of SEN is well above average.

Most children attend the Nursery class on a part-time basis. Provision for two-year-olds is also available on a part-time basis. Children in the Reception class attend full time.

The school runs a breakfast club, which is managed by the governing body and formed part of the inspection. The after-school club is also managed by the governing body. The school meets the government.

s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils. outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6..