The Vale Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The Vale Academy helps pupils thrive.

Staff create an exceptionally caring and welcoming environment. They prioritise the well-being of every individual. Together, they work to achieve the highest aspirations for all.

Relationships between staff and pupils are exceptionally strong. This nurtures a culture of ambition and trust. The enthusiasm pupils have for their learning reflects the inspiring atmosphere.

The school is dedicated to promoting regular and punctual attendance. This ensures that pupils benefit from all the school has to offer.Pupils consistently show positive behaviour, both in lessons and at social times.

They show respect for their p...eers and staff, contributing to a harmonious and supportive school environment. Pupils take pride in their roles within the school community. They demonstrate a mature understanding of how they contribute positively to school life.

Pupils benefit from a broad, ambitious and expertly designed curriculum. The school, supported by the trust, meticulously reviews and enhances all subject areas. This ensures exceptional quality.

Pupils experience lessons that are seamlessly sequenced and thoughtfully delivered. This ignites their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Pupils make remarkable progress, consistently exceeding expectations from their starting points.

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

The school has a rich and immersive reading environment. Staff weave a carefully curated list of books through all subjects. Story time, reading clubs and outdoor reading spaces further enhance pupils' engagement.

As a result, pupils speak with infectious enthusiasm about favourite stories, characters and plots. This thoughtful approach leads to high levels of achievement. Pupils develop strong reading fluency and an enduring love for books.

Pupils learn to read quickly and fluently. The school has a systematic and structured phonics curriculum that starts in Reception. Children regularly read books with known sounds.

This helps to build reading success. Children at risk of falling behind are quickly identified. Extra daily practice and tailored sessions help pupils catch up quickly.

Staff are experts in teaching phonics. They are well supported by strong professional development and ongoing coaching. The school's commitment to building fluent readers positively impacts on reading comprehension.

The school offers an exceptionally high quality education across all subjects. This is a well structured and inclusive curriculum. It is designed to ensure that all pupils can access and progress effectively.

The curriculum is sequenced thoughtfully. It builds upon prior learning well. The school and trust have purposefully and effectively integrated cross-subject links.

For example, pupils learn about Mexico in geography before studying the Mayans in history. Pupils connect important concepts, learned over time, exceptionally well. Any misconceptions are quickly addressed, this leads to pupils' strong progress through the curriculum.

Pupils are rightly proud of the high-quality work they produce.The school teaches and reinforces high expectations for behaviour. Staff use rewards and sanctions consistently and fairly.

This builds a structured and respectful ethos. Some pupils display challenging behaviours. Staff are skilled at identifying and supporting these pupils through a targeted approach.

This leads to marked improvements in behaviour over time.From early years, children make an exceptional start. The well-resourced environment promotes independence, collaboration and problem-solving.

Children choose activities where they learn essential knowledge and skills. They work with focus, for example designing and building constructions. Children experiment measuring and cutting lengths of tape to hold constructions together.

Adults expertly guide learning, and teach and encourage independence.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included. Strong partnerships with parents support all pupils effectively.

Staff accurately identify pupils' needs, ensuring that all can engage with the curriculum. Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well from their starting points.The school excels in preparing pupils to be ready for their next phase.

Values like respect and responsibility are woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils have many leadership opportunities. Roles, such as 'money managers', give pupils a real-life understanding of financial responsibility.

Inclusivity is a priority, ensuring pupils thrive. Carefully planned trips, visits and career activities broaden horizons. Learning is linked to real-life aspirations and future roles in society.

The school's ambitious vision inspires pupils to reach their potential. It effectively equips them for life in modern Britain.The trust actively supports the school, driving its success.

High-quality professional development continually strengthens leadership and teaching. Trustees closely monitor progress and provide strong, constructive accountability for leaders. School leaders meet the trust's high expectations.

They offer strong support to staff and prioritise their well-being. Staff appreciate the thoughtful steps taken to manage workload effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.