Carmountside Primary Academy

Overview

Carmountside Primary Academy is described as a place where pupils are “safe, happy and enjoy learning and playing together.” The report highlights a positive school culture where students know and apply values of ‘Respect, Believe, Achieve’ well, supported by staff who create a “warm, caring and calm space.” Leaders have established clear expectations for teaching, resulting in pupils who “build up their learning in small steps” and make strong progress through the curriculum.

Strengths

• Staff create strong relationships with children, particularly in the early years, helping them feel “safe and secure.”
• Subject leaders have designed a “well-defined sequence of learning,” ensuring pupils build knowledge systematically.
• Leaders have “got it right when it comes to teaching pupils to read,” with staff acting as experts in phonics.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “particularly well supported” and access the full curriculum.
• Governors are “dedicated to driving school improvement,” and staff appreciate the focus on their well-being.

Areas to improve

• Some teachers do not use assessment effectively to check if pupils have remembered previous learning, leading to “gaps in pupils’ knowledge.”
• Staff expectations for handwriting and presentation are not high enough, meaning some pupils “form their letters incorrectly” and work lacks pride.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with “robust safeguarding systems” in place that staff understand and implement, ensuring pupils’ safety and well-being.