Ark Boulton Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The principal, supported very well by leaders, the local governing body and the sponsor, has successfully addressed the many longstanding and deep-rooted issues that the school has faced. They have an uncompromising ambition for pupils' success. As a result, Ark Boulton Academy is a rapidly improving school.

Staff share and contribute effectively to leaders' vision and aims for the school. Almost all staff identify the principal's inspirational leadership as a key reason for the school's improvement. Leaders work together effectively to evaluate the school's provision and to plan actions that lead to further improvements in learning, teaching and ...assessment and pupils' behaviour and attendance.

However, a few leaders do not use the information about pupils' progress to address underperformance quickly enough. The large majority of pupils are making good progress from their starting points because : learning, teaching and assessment are good. However, pupils' progress in history and drama lags behind that seen in other subjects.

Teachers and teaching assistants mostly cater well for pupils of all abilities. However, the most able pupils in subjects other than mathematics and science and a very small minority of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not do as well as they can. The school's approach to developing pupils' reading and comprehension skills is wide-ranging and effective.

A large majority of pupils enjoy reading and read widely and often. Leaders recognise that a majority of pupils' writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting in subjects other than English need to be better. Pupils' behaviour and attendance are improving rapidly as a result of the school's effective monitoring procedures and subsequent actions.

The large majority of pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and attend well. However, the behaviour of a few pupils in Years 8 and 9 disrupts their own and others' learning. Pupils feel safe and are safe.

All staff are trained to identify potentially vulnerable pupils quickly and to provide effective early intervention and support where necessary. Pupils know how to recognise and reduce the possible risks and dangers they face in a modern technological world. Staff prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain through a range of well-planned and well-delivered lessons, enrichment activities and assemblies.

Pupils receive relevant and accessible impartial careers information, advice and guidance. As a result, all the pupils leaving the school last year found places on suitable post-16 education and training programmes.

Information about this school

Ark Schools became the sponsor for Ark Boulton Academy in September 2015.

When the school was inspected in June 2015, it was judged to require special measures. Subsequently, Ark Boulton Academy was inspected on four occasions. At the previous monitoring inspections, leaders and managers were judged to be taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

Ark Boulton Academy is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The number of pupils on roll is increasing significantly. An above-average proportion of pupils are supported through pupil premium funding.

All of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and most speak English as an additional language. Only a few of these pupils are new to English or in the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities supported by the school is broadly in line with the national average.

The proportion of pupils who have a statement of educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above the national average. Pupils enter the school with starting points significantly below the national average. The school does not use alternative educational provision.

The school met the government's floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' progress by the end of Year 11, in 2016. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

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