Easterside Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2022

Pupils blossom during their time at Easterside Academy. Leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed. Pupils are motivated by staff to do their best. Pupils enjoy the challenging curriculum work, particularly in mathematics. Pupils thrive with the high level of support given to them. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. Pupils feel safe. The 'Care Team', made up of specialist support staff, help pupils express their feelings. Pupils trust the adults and share their concerns with them. This means they can focus more fully on their learning. Bullying rarely happens and pupils are certain it would be dealt with if it did. The learning environment is purposeful, attractive and well looked after, especially in early years. Children love playing in the outdoor area, which has a wide range of high-quality learning resources. Pupils relish taking responsibility and actively apply for the many leadership roles available, such as 'Sports Crew'. They learn key communication skills in the selection process, meeting with leaders to explain why they should be chosen. Pupils are proud of the jobs they do to help others. There is an extensive range of after-school clubs based on pupils' interests and talents.

What the school should improve

• There are differences in how rapidly pupils are learning phonics within certain cohorts. The difference in what pupils know and remember is quite stark between peers. Leaders should further develop their phonics strategies to ensure pupils who need to catch up quickly with their peers do so.
• In the majority of subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when. In some subjects, this is not as clear. Teachers do not know precisely what should be taught. Leaders should ensure that teachers know the exact content leaders want pupils to learn in each year group.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)