Clover Leys Spencer Academy

Overview

Clover Leys Spencer Academy is described as a new school with a “calm atmosphere” that “buzzes with positive energy.” Pupils are “highly respectful” and thrive in a “safe and positive environment” underpinned by strong values of “respect, tolerance, forgiveness and friendship.” The school fosters a “family culture” where older pupils act as role models, and staff morale is positive.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “ambitious” and clearly sets out key vocabulary and knowledge, with reading at the “heart of all that the school does.”
• Staff adapt teaching well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), using effective systems for identification and support.
• Early years provision is strong, with children settling quickly and engaging in “well-planned activities” that suit their needs.
• Personal development is supported by high-quality pastoral care and opportunities for pupils to become “positive and active citizens.”
• Governance and trust support are effective, with leaders who “support and challenge in equal measure.”

Areas to improve

• Staff do not “reliably focus sharply on the knowledge that pupils must learn” in some lessons, leading to confusion for some pupils.
• Summative assessment approaches are “not well established in some foundation subjects,” preventing consistent identification of learning gaps.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”