Atam Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and are happy at school. Pupils, including those who are new to the school, spoke of the warm and friendly atmosphere.

They are safe. Pupils know that they can speak to the adults if they have any concerns or make use of the school's 'worry boxes'.

Leaders encourage pupils to abide by the school's seven values.

Pupils value receiving rewards, for example for acting with compassion or showing resilience. Sometimes, pupils do not behave well or work hard in lessons, particularly when they are taught by supply teachers.

Pupils insist that bullying is not an issue here.

Staff manage and resolve any incidents of bullyi...ng effectively. They work with pupils to help them understand the harm such behaviour can cause.

Pupils have many opportunities to discuss and explore topical and moral issues.

For example, the 'Talking Titans' debate club is popular. Pupils celebrate various Sikh festivals together, such as Vaisakhi, through drop-down days, as well as being taught about other religions and perspectives.

Academic expectations lack ambition.

The curriculum is not consistently well planned or delivered across primary and secondary phases. As a result, pupils do not develop the key knowledge they need in some subjects.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have clear aims for the quality of education.

They have started to put their plans into place. This includes thinking about what pupils will study at GCSE from next year onwards. Currently, from Nursery to Year 9, pupils' learning is not well thought out and sequenced.

Across different subjects, year groups and phases, pupils do not build up secure knowledge as they progress through the school.

In some subjects in both primary and secondary phases, the curriculum does not cover important content. This leads to gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Long intervals of time between lessons in other subjects such as design and technology and art, limit pupils' ability to remember subject content. Leaders and other staff have recently introduced new assessment systems to check pupils' learning. They have begun to take action to address misconceptions or gaps in pupils' knowledge.

All pupils have access to the wide range of subjects on offer. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have effective support. Leaders work with a range of specialists in SEND who help to ensure the needs of pupils with SEND are identified and met.

Secondary subject specialists often support staff in the primary phase to build their subject-specific knowledge. This has been useful in subjects including history, art and design and technology. Teaching staff in the primary phase spoke about recent training that has helped them to refine their practice and the positive impact it has had.

For example, following recent training, staff use a variety of strategies to recap previous teaching.

Staff use a structured phonics programme from Nursery onwards to teach early reading. Children in the early years have daily phonics lessons and most become fluent readers as they go through Years 1 and 2.

Staff identify weaker readers from across the school. These pupils have extra sessions before and during the school day. However, leaders have not prioritised phonics training for all staff.

Some staff are not confident in teaching phonics. This affects how well staff help weaker readers to catch up. Staff encourage pupils to read widely.

Pupils enjoy reading books together in lessons or in form time. They use their weekly library lessons to choose books which interest them.

Attendance rates are high.

Generally, pupils enjoy their learning and behave well. However, sometimes in lessons, low-level disruption disturbs pupils' learning.

Pupils are encouraged to think about issues such as bullying and online safety through discussions in class.

They are taught about world religions and the importance of respecting other people's viewpoints. Pupils in Year 8, for example, talked about different religious perspectives on life cycles. Leaders have ensured that the programme for relationships and sex education meets statutory requirements.

Pupils in the secondary phase receive appropriate careers guidance that helps them to make informed choices for the next phase of their education and their future lives. Visiting speakers from a wide range of professions, including medicine and law, provide them with information about different career paths. Pupils have opportunities to develop their leadership skills by representing their peers on the 'student board'.

Leaders' record-keeping is not as well organised as it could be. This means that information about pupils, such as that for behaviour and SEND, is not readily available for leaders or easy to use. Leaders have started to tighten their processes around record-keeping.

Leaders' checks on the quality of education are not rigorous. Systems are not well established to monitor how different subjects are delivered in each phase of the school.

Many parents and carers are positive about the recent improvements made by new leaders.

However, a number of other parents expressed their dissatisfaction with the way leaders communicate with them and lack confidence in leaders, including those responsible for governance. Staff feel well supported by leaders. They said that leaders are considerate of workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The safeguarding team is made up of experienced and qualified staff. They take appropriate and prompt action to follow up on any concerns about pupils.

Leaders take advice from external specialists to make sure any vulnerable pupils and their families get the support they need. Leaders ensure that all staff receive frequent training to keep safeguarding at the forefront of their minds.

Pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe from the early years upwards.

They are taught, in an age-appropriate way, about issues such as healthy relationships and how to report any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not well planned and sequenced from early years through to key stage 3. This affects how well pupils learn.

Pupils do not build up knowledge securely over time in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that pupils' learning from early years through to key stage 3 is planned coherently in all subjects. ? Some staff have not been trained in using the school's phonics programme.

This means that sometimes they do not have the expertise needed to help weaker readers to learn to read fluently. Leaders should ensure that all staff, in all phases of the school, have the training they need to help any weaker readers to catch up quickly and develop reading fluency. ? Leaders do not ensure that expectations of behaviour are consistently high.

In some lessons, low-level disruption affects pupils' learning. Pupils do not apply themselves fully or show the same levels of respect for all teachers, including supply teachers. Leaders should ensure that, throughout the school, standards of behaviour are consistently high.

• Leaders do not use their record-keeping systems well enough to bring together all their information about pupils. This means that information, such as about behaviour and SEND, is not readily accessible or coherent. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should ensure that all record-keeping is well organised and monitored stringently.

• Not all parents are happy with the school. They raised concerns about a number of issues, including communication. Leaders should improve their communication with parents and continue their work to build parents' trust in the school.