Berkeley Primary School AKA Berkeley Academy

• Education
• January 4, 2024

Berkeley Academy is an Ofsted-rated Outstanding school located in Hounslow, West London. Before converting to an academy school in 2017, the school was called Berkeley Primary School. It was while it was still Berkeley Primary School that it obtained its Outstanding Status. 

It has space for 472 pupils of primary school age with an additional 52 part-time nursery places. There is no sixth form. 

Academy Conversion

Berkeley Academy converted from a community school to an academy school in 2017. An academy school receives funding directly from the government, rather than via the local authority, and is run by a non-profit academy trust. 

Academy schools are subject to the same rules surrounding admissions, special educational needs, and exclusions as community schools. Pupils at academy schools sit the same exams as those who attend community schools. 

Where academy schools differ is that they have more control over how they are run. They can, for instance, set their own term times independently of the local authority and they also don’t have to follow the National Curriculum. 

Berkeley Academy hasn’t had an Ofsted inspection since converting to an academy, although it is due for an inspection sometime in 2024. It retains its Outstanding status. 

Its Academy Trust is Advantage Multi-academy Trust, although the only academy school in this trust as of January 2024 is Berkeley Academy. 

Ofsted

The Ofsted report for Berkeley Primary School/Berkeley Academy took place in 2014 and the school was rated as Outstanding. This is the highest rating possible and is currently achieved by 17% of schools. 

Highlighted in the report were:

• “Overall, pupils make outstanding progress from very low starting points.”
• “Teaching is consistently outstanding in English and mathematics. Teachers plan their lessons meticulously and have high expectations of their pupils”
• “Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They are full of enthusiasm for their learning. Pupils feel safe and are very positive about their school. Conduct in lessons and around the school is impeccable.”
• “Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent and contribute significantly to the pupils’ success.”
• “The aims of the school go beyond the academic to include the education of citizens for tomorrow with a clear focus of mutual respect and tolerance”.

Hounslow is a relatively deprived area of London. The percentage of Berkeley Academy pupils receiving free school meals is 28.3% which is higher than the UK average of 23.8%. Hounslow has the 13th highest rate of child poverty in the UK, with 44% of children meeting the criteria. 

It is against this backdrop of relatively high rates of deprivation that Berkeley Academy is seen to make such an impact. As highlighted in the Ofsted report, many pupils begin their school life at a low starting point due to the challenges they have faced but they rapidly improve due to the school’s excellent teaching framework.

Over half of the pupils who attend Berkeley Academy are learning English as a second language (ESL), which can also contribute to low prior attainment. 

School Values

Berkeley Academy is focused on being a key part of the Hounslow community, with its Transforming the Community mission. Its drive is to improve the lives and outcomes of young people throughout the local area. 

The school has an extensive outdoor space and hosts a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs to enrich pupils’ lives beyond their academic pursuits. 

Part of the Teaching Schools Alliance led by Cranford College, Berkeley Academy focuses on high-quality teacher training, ongoing personal and academic development of staff, and school-based research to develop innovative teaching practices. 

The school has strong links with other educational and community establishments in the area, including Cranford Teaching Skills Alliance, Teach London, Heston West Community Partnership, Teach First, and more. 

Awards

Healthy Schools Award

This award recognises the school’s commitment to encouraging and supporting pupils’ health and wellbeing, especially with regard to physical activity and healthy eating. 

SSAT National Award For Children’s Outcomes – Top 10% Nationally

The SSAT Database compares schools across the UK on a range of measures to determine which schools are performing at the highest level. These include progress and attainment in English, Mathematics, and Writing. 

Berkeley Academy attainment results are in the top 10% of schools in the UK. 

Examples of these attainments include:

• EYFS – 73% achieved a Good Level of Development compared to the national average of 67%
• KS1 – 91% passed the Year 1 national phonics test compared with the national average of 81%

Basic Skills Quality Marks

Basic skills are reading, writing, spelling, and maths. The Basic Skills Quality Mark recognises the importance of these basic skills in providing a solid foundation for academic success. The award is granted to schools that demonstrate high-quality teaching in English and mathematics. 

Comments From The Chief Inspector Of Schools

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools recently praised Berkeley Academy in its annual report, citing it as one of the most improved schools in London. The school was praised for its “remarkable transformation” so that it is now one of the “very best schools in the country”. 

2021 World Class School Of The Year Award

The school also won the 2021 World Class School of the Year Award. This award is given to schools that demonstrate an exceptional focus on optimising teaching and learning and embedding a high-performance learning philosophy that every student can perform highly. 

Schools For Success – Mayor Of London Award

This award recognises schools that do exceptionally well with low prior attaining pupils. It aims to establish a network of excellent teaching and leadership practices within London. 

The goal is for high-quality schools that provide low prior-attaining pupils with the tools for success to share best practices with other schools in the network to improve outcomes for all. 

Berkeley Pre-School

Berkeley Academy has a linked pre-school with a provision of 52 part-time places. Berkeley Pre-School is managed separately from Berkeley Academy and is a registered charity and member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.

They aim to “equip each child with intelligence and curiosity in abundance as well as a beautiful sense of wonder and imagination”.

Children learn through play while focusing on the 17 key areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. And the preschool has strong links with other providers to drive cutting-edge innovation in early years teaching.

Ofsted

Berkeley Pre-School received a rating of Good in its last Ofsted report, dated 6th June 2023. It was previously rated as Outstanding.

The report highlighted the staff’s passion for celebrating every individual child, as well as the celebration of individual cultures and languages alongside English language learning. 

It also noted that children have free access to a wide-open outdoor space alongside specialised group rooms. Children are given a range of activities to support fine motor and gross motor skills, as well as receiving support in language and vocabulary during role play and song/story time.