Stoke-on-Trent primary school rated as outstanding in five areas

Head teacher Sam Ashley partly put its success down to the expertise of staff

Staff and pupils at a Stoke-on-Trent primary school are celebrating after being rated "outstanding" overall in their latest Ofsted inspection.

New Ford Academy at Smallthorne partly put it down to introducing weekly "robust monitoring" of pupil attainment and dedicated, hard-working staff.

Year 6 results for reading, writing and maths are in the top 20% of all schools in England.

Headteacher Sam Ashley said the school was "ambitious for every child".

The 480-pupil academy was rated as outstanding in five areas - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

The education watchdog said youngsters "achieve exceptionally well in many subjects", because leaders had set "an ambitious vision and curriculum for all children that staff put into action".

They had "high expectations" for how pupils should behave, the report stated.

Youngsters "take part in an extensive range of inclusive extra-curricular activities", including computing, first aid and musical drama, and most read regularly at home.

Weekly "robust monitoring" of pupil attainment has been introduced

Miss Ashley said: "Leaders are looking at learning in books and in lessons and talking to children to ensure that learning has been retained.

"We're ambitious for every child that they are absolutely given everything that they need [and] with hard work and resilience that they can achieve whatever they want to."

The 480-pupil academy was rated as outstanding in five areas

Following weekly monitoring of pupils' understanding and attainment, lessons are then planned and adapted accordingly.

The institution stated it was "an outlooking academy that supports other schools" with teaching and learning.

The academy added it had also fostered close professional links with "other networks" in its area, including a partnership with Staffordshire University Academies Trust.

Children "behave exceptionally well", Ofsted said