Ankermoor Primary Academy

Overview

Ankermoor Primary Academy is described as a “happy and safe place” where pupils “work and play with kindness and consideration for others.” The report highlights a “strong focus on reading” and a well-planned curriculum that helps pupils “build their knowledge and achieve well over time.” Despite recent leadership changes, the school maintains high standards in behaviour, personal development, and teaching quality.

Strengths

• Pupils “attend school regularly” and demonstrate “mature attitudes to learning” in a “calm” environment.
• The curriculum is “well-planned,” with leaders identifying “key knowledge and vocabulary” to build understanding logically, such as in history.
• Reading is taught effectively, with children learning phonics from Reception; “most pupils are able readers by the time they reach Year 3.”
• Staff “actively recognise pupils for doing the right things,” fostering confidence through rewards and roles like “mental health ambassadors.”
• Leaders and governors “understand their roles and responsibilities,” providing support during a period of “considerable change.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders should “further develop teachers’ expertise in implementing the curriculum” to ensure activities always match goals and pupils’ needs.
• Leaders should ensure staff “understand and apply the school’s approach to identifying the needs of pupils with SEND accurately,” as current methods are “not precise enough.”

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that staff are “vigilant to protect pupils from potential harm” and that pupils “feel safe in school.”