Carlton Road Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Carlton Road Academy is a welcoming school. Positive relationships are at the heart of the school's work. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they are happy and feel safe.

They know they can talk to any adults if they have any worries. Pupils explained, 'Our teachers support us if we need help in our lessons or with absolutely anything else in our life.'

The school wants all pupils to achieve their best.

Although published outcomes are lower than the national average in several areas, pupils achieve well from where they start. The school carefully considers its diverse community. Pupils' learning supports their language and communication development.
<...br/>This supports pupils' achievement because, for many, English is an additional language.

Pupils are curious and interested in their learning. They are polite in their conversations with staff and each other.

At lunch time pupils play happily alongside each other. The school supports pupils to develop their physical health. They enjoy using the outdoor resources such as the athletics track to exercise.

Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils access a range of wider opportunities. They explain that their jobs help the school community and teach them about responsibility.

Pupils are particularly proud of these extra responsibilities such as being a member of the 'Pupil Parliament'.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises reading. When listening to pupils read, adults consistently make sure that pupils understand what they have read.

This support is particularly helpful for pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school has selected high-quality books for each year group. Adults read these to pupils daily.

Staff encourage pupils to read for pleasure. As a result, pupils talk positively about their favourite books, and they enjoy reading.

Staff subject knowledge of phonics is secure but how effectively phonics is taught varies.

When practice is strongest, staff model how to blend sounds together to read unfamiliar words. They use language that helps to develop pupils' learning, such as explaining a 'digraph' as two letters together making one sound. However, this does not happen consistently, which means pupils do not all experience the same quality of phonics teaching.

Some pupils benefit from attending additional phonics sessions. This extra support helps them to 'catch up' with the programme.

In the early years there is a clear focus on early language development.

Staff introduce children to new words well. They model using these words correctly in full sentences. This is effective because children then use this modelled language in their own conversations.

There has been a significant improvement in the early years outdoor area. Children develop physically. They explore, learn through play and take carefully managed risks, such as climbing.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support. The school communicates proactively with a range of external professionals to make sure that pupils with SEND have the resources and help they need to be successful. The school provides individualised learning for a number of pupils with complex needs.

This provision accurately identifies and meets the needs of these pupils. As a result, they achieve well.

The school's curriculum is well sequenced.

It shows what pupils will learn in each subject from the early years through to Year 6. In some subjects, the specific knowledge that pupils should know and remember could be clearer. At the moment, teachers interpret curriculum thinking in different ways.

Learning does not consistently build upon pupils' existing knowledge. This means that some pupils do not always know what they need to in order to access new learning.

Pupils listen well in lessons and have positive attitudes about their learning.

The school's rigorous work with families to change the culture of attendance needs to continue. Although this work has had a positive impact, there are still too many pupils who are regularly absent from school.

The school's personal development offer is exceptional.

Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand the importance of respect and tolerance. They explain that, 'We learn that we are all allowed to be who we are and that we should be accepting and kind no matter what.'

Across the curriculum there are opportunities for pupils to consider different careers. In 'newspaper club' pupils get to be editors and photographers and publish a real newspaper.

The trust board provides the school with an appropriate balance of support and challenge.

Staff attend regular training. This has a positive impact on their teaching practice. They particularly value the opportunity to network with other professionals across the trust.

The school thinks about staff's workload in all its decision making. As a result, staff feel their well-being is carefully considered.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's phonics programme is not delivered as consistently well as it could be. This means that some pupils are not being taught to read as well as they might. Leaders need to ensure that staff teach phonics with consistent strategies so that more pupils learn to be confident and fluent readers.

• In some subjects, the school has not identified what specific key knowledge pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not consistently build a secure depth of knowledge. The school should ensure that it finalises its curriculum thinking to identify specifically what pupils should learn, and when, so that pupils develop knowledge which builds cumulatively year-upon-year.

• Rates of persistent absence are still too high. This means that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not benefit from the full education that they need. The school should ensure that strategies to reduce persistent absence continue and are sustained to change the culture of attendance for pupils.