City Academy Whitehawk

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have improved many aspects of the school since the previous inspection.

As a result, attainment and progress are improving, especially in the early years and at the end of key stage 2. Leaders tackle any weaknesses in provision quickly and systematically. For example, school leaders have revised the approach to teaching reading because pupils were not building on their initial successes with phonics.

Children get off to an excellent start to school in the early years. The outstanding learning environment and highly skilled staff help children to develop positive attitudes to learning, behave well, and get to grips with school life... quickly. Safeguarding is effective.

Leaders take the welfare of all their pupils very seriously. They provide high-quality care for pupils and helpful advice and support for families. Pupils behave well, especially in lessons.

Teachers' high expectations and engaging lessons ensure that there is very little off-task behaviour. Strong governance from trustees and the local academy board ensures that there are rigorous systems in place to hold leaders to account for making improvements. Across almost all year groups the progress of current pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is improving.

Disadvantaged pupils make at least the same progress as others, and in some cases more. Teaching is good. Leaders use training and coaching well to improve the consistency in the quality of teaching and assessment across the school.

However, sometimes independent tasks do not match the needs of pupils. Relentless work with families is leading to positive improvements in attendance. Persistent absence is declining but is still above national levels.

The curriculum has focused on improving pupils' core skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics. It has also developed their physical well-being and spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well. More recently, leaders have broadened and deepened the curriculum to give pupils much more diverse experiences.

New subject leaders have recently been appointed to further improve the curriculum and the progress pupils make in other subjects. However, it is too early to see the impact of their actions on pupils' outcomes.

Information about this school

Since the previous inspection, the school has changed sponsor.

It joined Aurora Academies Trust in September 2017. The school is led by the head of school on a daily basis. The executive headteacher is also the trust director of education.

The trust board has delegated much of its authority to the local academy board whose members are responsible for standards. The trust board retains control of finance and senior staffing decisions. The school provides a breakfast club before school each day.

Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Approximately two thirds of pupils are disadvantaged. The proportion of pupils with SEND is approximately double the national average.

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