Landau Forte College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

Landau Forte College is an outstanding academy. It has improved since the previous inspection, where it was also found to be outstanding. It excels in all aspects of its work and has made a marked improvement in the overall quality of teaching, moving it from good to outstanding.

Attainment is high across the college, including in the outstanding sixth form. Students make rapid and sustained progress from their various starting points. Students' academic and personal achievements prepare them exceptionally well for the next stage of their education and their future lives.

Teaching is consistently good across the college. More than half of the lessons seen during the inspection were judged to b...e outstanding. Although a little above the college's own on-going evaluation of outstanding teaching, this is a growing proportion.

Teaching has improved due both to challenging performance management by leaders and governors and supportive, appropriate and well-targeted professional development. Students have outstanding attitudes to learning, attend regularly and take full advantage of the wealth of opportunities on offer to them. Students are outstandingly well cared for.

They feel extremely safe and are very well supported by all adults in the college. This is due to excellent systems and remarkable staff commitment to each individual. This is embodied in the Personal Tutor approach that is at the heart of integrated pastoral and learning support and leads to outstanding behaviour.

The social, moral and cultural development of students is exceptional. This outstanding achievement and provision is underpinned by exceptionally strong leadership and management. Governors and the wider charitable trust provide a clear and ambitious vision for the success of its young people.

This vision is turned into effective action by current leaders and managers at all levels and is reflected across an outstanding curriculum.

Information about the school

Landau Forte College is a larger than average secondary school. It opened in 1992 as a city technology college and was re-designated as an academy in 2006.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is around average, but rising. The proportion of students from a minority ethnic background is above average and rising, as is the proportion that do not speak English as a first language. While the large majority of students are White British, around 37% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, with 24% from Pakistani or Indian heritage, as well as a small proportion of students from a variety of other ethnic backgrounds.

The proportion of students who are supported at school action, school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is a little below average. The college is heavily oversubscribed; the admissions criteria provide for a spread of ability which secures an intake that fully represents the local area. The college draws from a large number of primary schools.