Reynolds Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 September 2024

Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They know that there are trusted adults in school who they can talk to if they are worried about something. Pupils know that it is important to attend school. In recent years, the proportion of pupils attending regularly has increased. The school continues to work with those pupils and families who do not attend school regularly enough. Most pupils behave well in class and around school. They know what is expected of them. Sometimes, some pupils lose focus in lessons. This occurs particularly when the work they are given is too easy or too difficult. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to swim and ride a bike safely. Assemblies and visitors to school enable pupils to learn about, for example, fire safety and first aid. Pupils recognise the importance of these skills in their life outside of school. Pupils' appreciation and understanding of how individual characteristics make people unique is less secure. In recent years, the school's high expectations of pupils' achievement have not been realised. A significant proportion of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have not achieved as well as they should.

What the school should improve

• Teachers do not use effective strategies to teach the curriculum consistently well. This prevents some pupils from understanding important concepts, including in their personal development. In addition, it contributes towards some pupils becoming less engaged in their learning. The school should ensure that teachers use strategies that enable pupils, including those with SEND, to fully benefit from the school's curriculum.
• Some pupils at the early stages of reading are given books that do not accurately match their phonics knowledge. This prevents pupils from making as much progress in their reading as they could. The school should ensure that pupils read books that are aligned with their phonics stage.
• The support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent. Some pupils with SEND do not make as much progress as they might. The school should ensure that the support for pupils with SEND is consistently strong across subjects.
• The school does not routinely check that actions taken to improve the school are having the intended impact. The school does not accurately know if the steps it has taken have made a difference to pupils' learning and development. The school should ensure that it regularly checks that actions taken to improve the school are timely and have the intended impact.

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