The Flying Bull Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The outstanding relationships between staff and pupils and exceptionally good pastoral support strongly influence pupils' good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning and significantly underpin pupils' good achievement.

Highly successful special activities for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, pupils who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for pupil premium funding help these groups to close the achievement gap between them and their peers especially well. Children get a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception, especially in mathematics where they do particularly well. Pupils'... subsequent good progress in this subject ensures that their attainment in mathematics has reached the national average by the end of Year 6.

Pupils' good progress in reading, especially in phonics (the sounds letters make in words), is accelerating. Their progress in writing is good. Pupils are well taught because staff are skilled at continually assessing their needs and levels of attainment, and adjusting activities accordingly.

Very regular monitoring of teaching helps ensure that any weaknesses are quickly identified and addressed. Leaders, managers and governors use monitoring information effectively to bring about improvement, resulting in pupils' rising levels of attainment. This, together with their strong commitment to provide the very best education for all pupils, means that the school is well placed to improve further.

It is not yet an outstanding school because: Pupils' attainment in writing is below average. Only a small minority of lessons promote the highly motivating and supportive learning that inspires pupils to do their very best.

Information about this school

Flying Bull is a larger-than-average size primary school with two classes in each year group.

It also provides a Nursery class which children attend part time and a breakfast and after-school club. The school serves an area of social and economic need. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported by school action is above average.

The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high compared to the national average. The school provides specially resourced provision for pupils within the local authority between the age of four and nine years who have behavioural, social and emotional needs. Currently 11 pupils are on roll out of the 12 places available.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups, including those who speak English as an additional language, is broadly average. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which provides funding for children in local authority care, children from service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is high. There are far more boys than girls in some year groups.

More pupils than expected join or leave the school between Reception and Year 6. The school meets the government's floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The headteacher and other senior staff provide support for other local schools and teacher-training institutions.