This school is a smaller than average-sized primary school. The school is part of the Tall Oaks Academy Trust. Directors of the trust are the appropriate authority with delegated responsibilities to the local governing body. The headteacher was appointed in January 2018. The executive headteacher, who is also a member of the board of trustees, oversees the three schools currently in the trust. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above average. Inspection report: Mercer’s Wood Academy, 9–10 January 2019 Page 10 of 12 Information about this inspection Inspectors observed 15 parts of lessons both across the school and in the early years. Some observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. During these visits to lessons, inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors spoke with three groups of pupils more formally, listened to pupils reading and met with pupils informally during lunch and playtime. Inspectors met with a range of school leaders, including the executive headteacher and head of school and other leaders with responsibility for the quality of teaching, the curriculum, early years, pupil premium and sports premium. Inspectors also met with the trust’s coordinator for the provision of pupils with SEND, the trust’s attendance and healthcare officer and the designated leaders for safeguarding. The lead inspector met with two governors, the chair of the board of trustees and the chair of the local governing body. The lead inspector also checked the school’s single central register and the procedures for recruiting staff. A range of documents were scrutinised including: the school’s self-evaluation; improvement planning; pupils’ performance information; a sample of pupils’ books; the minutes of the local governing body meetings; pupil premium and sports premium strategies; curriculum planning; monitoring information for attendance and behaviour and a range of policies including those for safeguarding and behaviour. The lead inspector also evaluated the 20 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors also spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day and considered the school’s own survey of parents’ views. Inspection team Chris Stevens, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Joanna Hall Ofsted Inspector Heather Hawkes Ofsted Inspector Inspection report: Mercer’s Wood Academy, 9–10 January 2019 Page 11 of 12 Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email [email protected].