The Violet Way Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Violet Way, pupils are encouraged to 'reach for the stars' and achieve their full potential. Staff know the pupils very well and show great care for them. This helps them to feel safe and happy when they are in school.

A warm, nurturing environment helps children in Reception to settle quickly. They develop independence and resilience as they explore a range of inviting learning opportunities. Pupils build on this good start as they move through the school.

Pupils learn to read well and develop a good understanding of mathematics.

The school has high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils behave well in most lessons and show respect to staf...f and each other.

When pupils find this more challenging, they are well supported to regulate their emotions. At social times, pupils enjoy playing together and being active. Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors.

The school places a high priority on developing pupils personally. Pupils enjoy a range of different sports clubs including, dance and gymnastics. They show an age-appropriate understanding of how to stay safe online.

The 'well-being Wednesdays' support pupils to have a healthy body and a happy mind.

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

The school wants all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to have the best possible start to their educational journey. To make this happen, they work in close partnership with families and other agencies to accurately identify needs.

The school has ensured that staff are well trained to meet the varied needs of the pupils. By adapting their teaching methods and providing additional support, staff enable most pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum and make good progress. For a small number of pupils with SEND the school provides a bespoke curriculum to meet their specific needs.

The school has identified the knowledge pupils will learn in each subject, including the areas of learning in early years. In many subjects, the order in which pupils should learn this knowledge is carefully sequenced. This means that pupils build on their prior knowledge as they move through the school.

In mathematics, for example, children in Reception learn how to make numbers to 10 in different ways. Pupils in Year 1 then learn how two-digit numbers are made from tens and ones.

In some subjects however, pupils do not always learn key information in a logical order.

On occasion, pupils do work without having the prior knowledge they need to complete the work successfully. This results in pupils not understanding some important parts of the curriculum.

Reading is a high priority across the school.

Books are central to the curriculum. This focus on language and communication starts in the early years. Staff read to children regularly and explore a range of vocabulary.

Staff deliver daily phonics sessions well. This supports most children to start reading fluently and with confidence. Furthermore, staff use assessment to identify where there are gaps in knowledge.

Children and pupils who need extra support to keep up have extra sessions. These sessions are working well in helping these pupils to read with increased confidence and fluency.

In English lessons, pupils learn to write using a range of vocabulary and punctuation.

However, they are not provided with enough opportunities to practise writing at length. Consequently, when writing at length in English, pupils sometimes forget some of the basic writing skills they have learned previously. This includes correct letter sizing and using full stops accurately at the end of sentences.

The school provides a calm and purposeful learning environment. In most lessons pupils can learn without interruption. Staff expect pupils to work hard, and they do.

Pupils' personal development is an important part of the wider curriculum. The school has a deliberately planned calendar of events that enhance the curriculum. Pupils recalled with enthusiasm their visit to a local castle and what they learned from it.

Pupils also learn about fundamental British values through voting for roles such as school councillors. These experiences prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

Leaders engage well with staff.

They are mindful of workload. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at 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)

• Not all areas of the curriculum are as carefully planned and sequenced as others. This means that in some subjects, pupils do not always build their knowledge step by step or have a deep understanding of important concepts. Leaders should continue to review the curriculum to ensure pupils' knowledge builds in a coherent sequence.

• Pupils do not get enough opportunities to practise writing. As a result, pupils sometimes forget the basic skills of writing when writing at length. Leaders should ensure that enough opportunities are provided to write at length so that pupils become fluent in basic writing skills.

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