Co-op Nightingale Academy Ofsted: Leeds school praised for 'eco club' and pupils helping each other to learn English

Inspectors from the schools regulator praised Co-op Nightingale Academy’s community spirit, adding that it worked particularly well with children with learning difficulties.

It also praised the school’s strong emphasis on equality, highlighting its “young interpreters” scheme to help new pupils struggling to speak English.

The school was founded in 2014 as Co-op Academies Trust’s first free school, in partnership with Leeds City Council, to meet the needs of the growing population in the area.

It now teaches 420 children in the area.

Inspectors wrote: “Pupils at the Co-op Academy Nightingale embody the four ‘Ways of Being Co-op’.

"Pupils know the four values and talk about them. Pupils are proud of their diverse academy community. They show respect for the many ethnicities, religions and languages spoken. Pupils from each year group are ‘young interpreters’.

"They support new pupils to understand the academy routines using their preferred language. This helps to prevent new pupils from feeling isolated.

"Pupils have strong views about the importance of equality. They feel everyone is treated equally at the academy.”

It added that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who speak English as an additional language have “intensive support” to ensure that they can access the curriculum.

It said “Behaviour in most lessons is calm and well managed. Pupils follow the academy’s behaviour policy.

"They know what the different traffic light colours mean and the consequences for being on the red light.”

Inspectors added that pupils have linked with members of the community to form an “eco-club” and had created a garden in the academy grounds that is used for outdoor learning.

Philip Pearce, Headteacher at Co-op Academy Nightingale, said: “I am thrilled with the report and the recognition we are getting as a staff team and as a school community.

“We do what is right by our children, our families and our community, and this rating demonstrates the hard work and dedication put into our school by everyone here.”

CEO of Co-op Academies Trust, Chris Tomlinson, said: “Co-op Academies worked with the local community to build a school that not only meets their needs, but helps their children excel. We are very proud of everyone at Nightingale.”