Co-op Academy Portland

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming school.

They benefit from the many opportunities that they receive. Pupils appreciate being part of an inclusive community where they can be themselves. They feel well cared for and safe.

Pupils know that staff will help them if they have any worries.

The school expects all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. The school and the trust have taken effective action to ensure that these expectations are realised.

For example, the school's clear focus on developing the right curriculum means that pupils currently at the school are achieving much better tha...n they did in the past. Most pupils build their knowledge well from their starting points.

The school ensures that children in the early years learn to behave well.

This sets a solid foundation that is built on successfully as pupils progress from year to year. In classrooms, pupils are engaged, motivated and committed to their education.

Pupils enjoy participating in a range of extra-curricular activities that have been carefully selected.

They live out the school's values through activities such as visiting the local residential home to read stories with the older generation and doing litter picks on the beach. Pupils enjoy the responsibility that comes with being part of the school parliament and eco-group. They carry out their roles with pride and maturity.

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

The school's curriculum builds pupils' knowledge and skills so that they are prepared for future success. However, the effectiveness of this curriculum is not reflected in the 2024 published data. By the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below the national average.

This was due to a higher-than-average proportion of pupils leaving or joining the school during the school year. In addition, the previous curriculums did not help pupils to learn as well as they should.

The school has reflected deeply on the 2024 outcomes and has made swift and effective changes to strengthen the curriculum further.

It has taken steps to ensure that teachers know exactly what they should teach and how they should deliver subject content. Lessons engage pupils and motivate them to learn effectively. The work that pupils complete helps them to meet the curriculum's goals.

Pupils express their learning with enthusiasm and confidence. This begins in the early years. During the inspection, children showed great excitement when learning about castles.

Children in the early years now gain a solid foundation on which to build as they move into key stage 1 and beyond.

The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils learn to read. Language and communication are prioritised right from the start when children join the early years.

A love of reading is tangible across the school, with many pupils enjoying spending time in the school library. The school's approach to teaching early reading is effective. Pupils understand how to blend sounds together to read simple words.

Pupils who need additional practice are given timely support to help them keep up with the phonics programme. They read books that match their stage of reading. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers.

Mostly, teachers check pupils' understanding and help them to resolve any misconceptions. However, this approach is not consistent throughout the school. From time to time, in some subjects, including mathematics, pupils do not make strong connections between their current and previous learning.

In these areas, pupils do not build their knowledge of the curriculum as well as they could.

Pupils write widely and often across the curriculum. The school supports pupils to build their understanding of vocabulary.

However, some pupils do not get all the support that they need to build their handwriting and spelling skills as well as they should. They have not grasped the basics of writing before tackling more challenging written tasks. As a result, these pupils struggle to complete some of their written tasks with accuracy and success.

The additional needs of pupils, including those pupils with SEND, are identified quickly. These pupils get the support that they need to be successful in school. The school works in partnership with a range of external agencies to make sure that pupils are helped to access all that the school has to offer.

Most pupils are courteous and respectful. Typically, they behave well across the school. The school has worked effectively to improve pupils' attendance.

Staff 'sell' each school day so that pupils do not want to miss out. Strong relationships are built between staff and pupils. Dedicated support means that vulnerable pupils and their families receive extensive help.

Parents and carers praised the school's community hub, which provides a lifeline for many.

The school places pupils' wider development at the heart of everything that it does. Pupils develop compassion and respect for others.

Theatre visits, museum trips, choir and sports opportunities provide pupils with enriching experiences that broaden their cultural understanding. Community safety is promoted through engaging stories and informative workshops. Pupils consistently benefit from this excellent work.

They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Staff value the training opportunities and other support that the school and trust leaders provide. Those responsible for governance carry out their statutory duties well.

They use their expertise to aid the school's continuous improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment strategies are not used well enough to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught previously.

This hinders teachers from deciding on the next steps in learning. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well enough over time. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment techniques effectively so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and addressed.

• Some pupils do not gain a secure grasp of basic writing skills, such as transcription, spelling and punctuation. This makes it difficult for them to succeed when they complete written tasks. The school should ensure that teachers enable pupils to gain the basic skills that they need to write fluently and successfully.