Acresfield Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher, strongly supported by staff and governors, has successfully driven the school forward since the last inspection. Teaching is outstanding and has improved since the last inspection.

The strong expectations of the staff are evident in the high standards of work and levels of achievement reached by pupils. Pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work or are set additional challenges in literacy and mathematics. This high quality feedback is not always evident in other subjects.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. They are confident learners who are... encouraged to think for themselves and explain their understanding, learning very effectively from one another. Governors are highly effective and fully involved in all aspects of the school's work showing excellent knowledge of the school and able to hold it to account thoroughly.

Pupils say they feel safe and are well cared for. They take an active role in developing each other's understanding of how to keep safe. Standards at the end of Year 6 are consistently well above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Achievement has risen with more pupils gaining the highest levels at both Year 2 and Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics than found nationally. Pupils throughout the school, including those who have special educational needs, those who are learning to speak English as an additional language, those who are disadvantaged and those who start at different times, achieve exceptionally well from their different starting points. The curriculum is enriched with first-hand experiences and is planned successfully to support pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.

Information about this school

Acresfield Community Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and a very small proportion speaks English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority. The school meets the government's current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Since the last inspection there have been some staff changes, particularly in Key Stage 2.

There is a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs who have moderate learning difficulties and complex learning needs. Eight pupils currently attend this provision. The number of pupils joining and leaving the school part way through their education is higher than average.

Some of these pupils are children of armed forces personnel who have to move as part of their professional commitments. The school runs a breakfast and after-school club for its pupils which formed part of the inspection. The headteacher provides support for other schools and the special educational needs coordinator provides support within the cluster of other schools with which the school works.