Skelmanthorpe Academy

Overview

Skelmanthorpe Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The report describes it as a happy school where pupils respond well to high expectations, resulting in calm and purposeful lessons. Pupils achieve well overall and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Strengths

• The curriculum is sequenced to enable pupils to build knowledge, with teaching approaches supporting memory, particularly in English and mathematics.
• Reading is prioritised from Reception, with expert staff supporting pupils to apply phonics knowledge and access a diverse range of books.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively to access the full curriculum and achieve well from their starting points.
• The school fosters a culture of respect, with older pupils modelling positive behaviour and pupils feeling confident to speak to adults if worried.
• Early years children are supported to settle quickly and learn routines that promote learning, including visits to allotments.

Areas to improve

• In the early years, some learning activities in the outdoor provision are not well designed to promote learning, meaning children do not always learn as well as they could.
• Checks on pupils’ understanding in some foundation subjects occasionally lack precision, leading to gaps in knowledge or misconceptions that slow progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.