Abbey Grange Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key Findings

The academy provides the students with a good education. There are particular, significant strengths in its excellent provision for the students' social, moral, spiritual, and cultural development, and in the quality of the support given to individual students who either need additional help, or who are at risk of underachieving.

The sixth form is good. The students achieve well. The quality of teaching is routinely good.

The teachers inculcate good learning habits in the students, who respond well. The students are keen to learn and seize the opportunities they are provided with avidly. As a result, they make good progress in lessons.

However, the teaching does not provide them with ...sufficient opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning. There is some excellent practice in the marking of the students' work, but the quality is too variable, as it was at the previous inspection. Also, some parents and carers do not receive enough information with sufficient detail, or at appropriate times to enable them to support their children's learning to best effect.

The students are polite, good-humoured and dignified young people, who delight in conversation and discussion on a broad range of issues and conduct themselves sensibly and safely around the school. Students from all backgrounds mix together very well. The calm and orderly atmosphere and the ethos for learning that pervades the academy reflect good leadership and management.

There have been significant changes in personnel and in the status of the academy since the previous inspection, both of which are leading to new and unfamiliar ways of working. Nevertheless, generally, the students, parents and carers, and the staff continue to express high levels of confidence in the academy.

Information about the school

Abbey Grange C of E Academy is larger than the average secondary school.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is below average, but has risen since the previous inspection. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is average and has risen since the previous inspection. The proportion of students with English as an additional language is below average.

The proportion of students with special educational needs supported at the 'school action' level is below average; it is well below average for those with a statement of special educational needs. The academy is a specialist school for the humanities. It meets the government floor standards, which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

It holds a nationally-recognised award for the quality of its work in study support. The school has changed its status and become an academy since the previous inspection. A separate section 48 inspection, on behalf of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, took place at the same time as this inspection.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms