Ark Ayrton Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher's strong vision is embraced by staff, governors and trustees. It flows from a deep understanding of the community that the school serves.

This drives school improvement effectively. Leaders provide staff with useful support and training. Staff welcome the opportunity to develop their skills and expertise.

Consequently, the quality of teaching is good and improving across the school. The school's curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. It both engages and motivates them to learn.

However, coverage of modern foreign languages and science is not as strong as it is in other subjects. Pupils who have be...en in the school since Reception make good progress. Gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others nationally are closing.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not catching up as quickly. A high proportion of pupils start the school after the early years. Although they make good progress during their time at school, they do not achieve as well as their peers.

Pupils behave well in and around school. They respond well to the school's behaviour policy. Pupils are well mannered and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

The Ark academy trust has an accurate picture of the school's strengths and weaknesses. With the local governing board, it challenges leaders effectively about standards in the school. It provides useful and appropriate support which has contributed to the school's improvement over time.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. They make strong progress in all areas of their learning, especially those who have low starting points. Leaders ensure that children experience relevant and enjoyable learning, within a safe and nurturing environment.

Leaders work well with outside agencies to support vulnerable pupils. The school's success and expertise in this area are acknowledged by the local authority. Pupils feel safe and well cared for, which their parents and carers recognise and value.

Investment in developing wider leadership is increasing the school's capacity for improvement. Some leaders are new to their role, so the impact of their work is not currently evident. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use assessment well to match learning to pupils' starting points.

Consequently, most pupils make good progress during lessons.

Information about this school

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy is part of the Ark academy trust, which runs a network of 38 schools across the UK. It is a larger-than-average-size primary school with two classes in each year group from Nursery to Year 6.

The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the start of the Nursery Year is above average. For Year 6 last year, for instance, a quarter of pupils had joined the school after the end of Year 4. Similarly, only a fifth of pupils currently in the Reception Year attended the school's Nursery Year.

The Ark academy trust delegates responsibility for some aspects of governance to a local academy board, which is shared with the Ark Dickens Primary Academy. A number of local governors, including the chair and vice-chair, have only recently taken up their posts. The headteacher took up her post in September 2016.

The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is well above average. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minorities backgrounds is well above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also well above average.

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