Offley Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

Pupils are proud to attend Offley Primary Academy. They told inspectors that their teachers help them to, 'Always aspire to be our best.' Pupils benefit from an array of activities that the school organises for them. They love the chance to compete in the many different sports clubs on offer. These clubs help pupils build their resilience and understand the importance of working as a team. Staff know their pupils well. Pupils feel listened to. They say that they can approach any trusted adult in the school if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Until recently, these expectations were not always realised as well as they could be. However, the school has worked hard to ensure that achievement in the school is now much higher. Pupils are polite and show great respect for their peers. They embody the school's values. Children learn what excellent behaviour looks like as soon as they enter the Nursery Year. This results in the strong learning behaviours that are displayed across the school. Pupils speak positively about the school's new approach to behaviour. They are highly motivated by the rewards that their hard work earns them, such as the coveted 'gold wristband'.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, assessment strategies are at an early stage of development. As a result, staff are not always able to identify gaps in pupils' learning, caused by weaknesses from the previous curriculum. This, in turn, prevents them from adapting their teaching to address these gaps in knowledge. The school should ensure that staff are suitably trained to accurately check the learning that pupils know and remember.
• In several subjects, staff are less clear about the links between the early years and the key stage 1 curriculum. This means that children are not able to build on their learning as effectively as they should when they enter Year 1. The school should ensure that it clearly identifies what children learn in the early years so that they can build on this knowledge as they move into key stage 1.

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