Archbishop Sentamu Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in lessons at Archbishop Sentamu Academy is routinely calm and relationships between pupils and staff are positive. However, during break and lunch times, too many pupils do not follow staff instructions or make their way to lessons promptly. Attendance for a significant number of pupils, including in the sixth form, is too low.

Pupils recognise that behaviour is improving. Derogatory language, though still heard, is now becoming less frequent. Pupils have been given a prominent voice through the student council and other groups.

This is helping pupils to feel they have a say in how the school develops. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that ...they can speak to staff if they are worried about something.

There has been strong development of the school vision of 'living the best life possible'.

This is closely linked to the school's Christian ethos.

Leaders' focus on developing consistent experiences in lessons is helping pupils to access an improving curriculum. Pupils understanding of protected characteristics is well developed.

There remains work to do to ensure that pupils are ready for the next steps they will take after leaving Archbishop Sentamu Academy.

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

The school curriculum has undergone recent, rapid and successful change. Leaders, well supported by the trust, have a clear understanding of what they want pupils to learn across the curriculum.

Governors and trustees are well informed and challenge leaders to improve the school.

Training for teachers means there is a consistency across lessons. For example, teachers used modelling strategies across all subjects visited.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Teachers receive, and use, clear information about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this information alongside careful monitoring and precise questioning of pupils in lessons.

This means all groups of pupils are helped to access the curriculum.

Work that pupils produce shows that the support they receive in lessons is helping them to learn the curriculum. However, in Years 7 to 11, pupils are not confident when this support is removed.

This means that they struggle to produce work of a high quality independently. Outcomes in external assessments remain weak. In the sixth form, students are more confident when talking about what they have learned.

One successful strategy has been the development of the programme for early readers. A significant number of pupils need support with reading when they enter the school. Leaders identify and intervene with these pupils quickly.

This is helping to ensure that pupils can access the curriculum.

Leaders' focus on creating a calm and orderly atmosphere has been successful in lessons. New behaviour systems are well understood by pupils and staff.

There is little disruption to lessons. At social times, pupils' behaviour requires further improvement. Too many pupils do not follow school policies, for example by arriving promptly at lessons.

Leaders are aware of this and are enacting systems to bring about changes, for example through the 'dismissals' system. Punctuality to lessons is improving.

Attendance remains too low, including in sixth form.

However, there have been steady and consistent improvements over the last year. Leaders' 'unified approach' and analysis of data allows them to identify and help pupils that need support. There are examples of very successful interventions for some pupils.

Work to engage parents in this work, for example through the parent council, is prioritised by leaders. This is beginning to change the culture of the school.

The school's personal development offer has strengthened considerably in recent months.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum has become a more integral part of the school's offer. Pupils have noticed that leaders now strive to give a voice to different groups, for example the LGBTQ+ members of the school community. The work to ensure pupils understand protected characteristics has been prioritised and is bringing about changes to make the school more inclusive.

However, some aspects still need further development. For example, the provision to ensure pupils understand fundamental British values is not as well developed.

Some pupils in Year 11 are not sure about the support to help them consider career options.

Many pupils are not sure about the extra-curricular clubs that are available to them. In the sixth form, some students do not understand the value of attending PSHE lessons.

A sense of community and collegiality is evident for many, but not all, staff.

The vision of leaders and the sense of togetherness created by the Christian ethos of the school help with this. Leaders know that they have work to do to ensure that all staff feel well supported. Similarly, despite a strong focus on parental engagement and building links with the community, some parents do not have positive views of the school.

Leaders have strengthened the communication with parents to share the positive changes they are making at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils' ability to work independently and assimilate what they have learned is underdeveloped.

This means that outcomes for pupils are weak. Leaders should ensure that they embed appropriate teaching and learning strategies to help pupils recall what they have learned independently. ? Provision for some aspects of personal development is not consistent.

Pupils' understanding of careers and fundamental British values is underdeveloped as a result. Leaders should embed strategies to broaden the provision in these areas so that it matches the offer in other areas of personal development. ? Pupils do not routinely follow staff instructions at social and unstructured times.

Poor language is used between some pupils at these times. This has a negative impact on the relationships between some pupils and between pupils and staff. Leaders should ensure that they continue to consider ways in which they can encourage and support good behaviour at unstructured times so that standards of behaviour at these times mirrors that seen in lessons.

• A significant minority of pupils miss important learning because of low attendance and poor punctuality. This means they are unable to take advantage of the improving curriculum offer. Leaders should continue to develop systems to improve attendance and punctuality to lessons.