Sunnyside Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The principal provides strong leadership and has improved the school considerably in the last three years. She and senior leaders are ambitious for all pupils and are focused on the right priorities to move the school forward. Leaders and teachers are supported well by Greenwood Academy Trust (GAT).

Trustees strategically support and challenge leaders, as they have done throughout the journey of improvement. Pupils' learning and progress are good in virtually all year groups. Outcomes in mathematics are particularly positive.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Pupils feel safe in the school and appreciate the many wa...ys in which the school helps them learn to stay safe. Pupils conduct themselves well.

They are confident, respectful and courteous. This is a happy and harmonious school. The teaching of phonics is very positive.

Pupils' overall attendance has improved and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has also reduced. Pupils recognise the benefits of the new behaviour system and say it is improving behaviour. Parents and carers are positive about how the school supports their children in their learning.

They rightly believe the school is very well led and managed. Staff morale is very positive. There is a strong team identity and staff are proud to work at Sunnyside.

Early years provision is good. Children are well cared for and settle quickly to the school. They make good progress in Reception and are well prepared for key stage 1.

Teaching is good, resulting in positive pupil attitudes and good learning. However, in a minority of classes expectations are not consistently high enough. Too small a proportion of key stage 1 pupils attained the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2018.

Activities do not consistently provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils. The revised creative curriculum provides for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning. However, the new curriculum is not sufficiently established to show further improvements in higher standards being attained by pupils.

Pupils' reading comprehension is not as good as it should be.

Information about this school

The school is a larger than average primary school, which became an academy in February 2013. The school is part of the Greenwood Academies Trust.

Trustees of the trust are the appropriate authority. The trust provides support for the school through its regular training and monitoring visits. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through pupil premium funding is below the national average.

The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils with an education, health and care plan is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is also lower than the national figure.

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