Ely school ‘disappointed’ after being told to ‘urgently improve’ by Ofsted

The school says it is making ‘significant improvements’

A Cambridgeshire school has been told it needs to make “significant improvement”, following its latest Ofsted inspection. Highfield Littleport Academy in Elm Side, Ely, underwent an Ofsted inspection on July 7.

When the school was last inspected in 2022, it was rated good in all areas . However, the areas assessed in its latest inspection have been rated as ‘needs attention’ and ‘urgent improvement’.

Ofsted has told the school that it requires “significant improvement”. The report said: “His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.”

A spokesperson for the Active Learning Trust, which oversees the school, said it was “disappointed with the report”. However, they added: “It’s important to recognise that Highfield Littleport has made significant improvements and progress since the inspection took place in July.

“This includes welcoming several new members of staff since September. New staff include a children’s communications specialist, an autism specialist and a play therapist, all helping to remove any barriers to learning, as well as the four new calming rooms and sensory room available to pupils.”

The school welcomed a new headteacher, Adam Daw, just five weeks before the inspection took place. The spokesperson added: “[He] is extremely well placed to support Highfield Littleport on this improvement journey. His excellent and thorough leadership at Highfield Ely has already been widely recognised by parents and children as well as by Ofsted.

“We are pleased that Ofsted recognised that pupils feel safe, valued and want to attend Highfield Littleport, and we look forward to working together with staff at Highfield Littleport to ensure that every pupil can achieve their full potential.”

The school was rated as needing urgent improvement for curriculum and teaching and achievement. It was rated as needing attention for: attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance and personal development and wellbeing.

Inspectors said pupils weren’t “achieving well enough” at the school, and they sometimes “disengage from learning because tasks are either too easy or too hard”. The school’s curriculum was also described as “unclear”.

Inspectors added: “Over time, staff have been given the freedom to plan new ideas, but leaders have not checked this closely enough to make sure what pupils learn stays ambitious and well thought through.”

For pupils who are pre-verbal or non-verbal, they “do not build their communication skills properly” at the school. Inspectors also said that many pupils have gaps in reading, writing and maths.

“These gaps are not picked up routinely, so pupils move forward with shaky foundations,” the report added.

The school’s facilities were praised for “supporting pupils’ wider development”, such as having access to a gym. The school’s attendance is also above national average, and leaders were praised for “building strong relationships with families, so pupils feel safe, valued and want to attend.”

Inspectors did acknowledge that the school’s “standards slipped suddenly because of turbulence in leadership”. They added: “The trust responded appropriately and as quickly as it reasonably could. Still, this disruption unsettled staff and some left.

“Leaders struggled to recruit experienced replacements. This has weakened pupils’ learning and achievement. Very recent leadership changes have steadied the school. Parents and carers, pupils and staff now report renewed confidence in leadership.”

Ofsted suggested a number of improvements including that it needed to define a clearer curriculum, ensure teachers’ response to pupils’ needs, and identify gaps in pupils’ foundational skills.