Ark Charter Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils, parents and carers welcome the considerable improvements to Ark Charter Academy. The school has instigated a culture shift so that pupils are now proud to attend this school. Pupils feel safe here.

The atmosphere is typically happy, kind, respectful and calm. Behaviour is much improved. Bullying and discrimination have reduced considerably.

Pupils know adults will help if they have a problem.

Pupils appreciate leaders' high expectations for their achievement and try hard to meet them. They know that last year's GCSE results were much better than in previous years.

Pupils are proud that, consequently, more pupils were able to go on to s...tudy the courses they wanted to at college. Current pupils are ambitious and aim to do even better.

The school helps pupils to understand and accept each other's differences.

Representatives from the multi-academy trust, the Diocese of Portsmouth and the local authority all reflected that the school feels much more a part of its local community than it has done in the past. For example, pupils enjoyed the recent cultural day and are looking forward to the new student leadership group arranging more such experiences.

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

In the last couple of years, leaders and staff, supported by the multi-academy trust, have created a school community where pupils feel proud to belong.

Pupils helped choose the school's values, which focus strongly on inclusivity and form the backbone of the 'character development' programme. As a result, there is now a culture in the school that is open, accepting and reflective of differences. Pupils are much more understanding of each other.

The curriculum has been reorganised so that each subject's curriculum is ambitious and logically sequenced. Pupils learn effectively across an increasingly broad range of subjects. For example, pupils now have access to more aspects of design technology and computing.

Teaching is well organised. As a result, pupils are learning more, and their performance in public examinations is better than in the past. However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge because of previous weaknesses in the curriculum, some low attendance and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school's focus on checking for pupils' gaps in learning and adapting the curriculum to meet pupils' needs is well thought through and becoming well embedded. As a result, pupils increasingly know and remember more of the curriculum.

The school is raising pupils' aspirations.

High-quality careers advice and guidance, alongside learning about how to keep safe in the local area, help pupils to think more positively about their future lives. The school's sharp focus on improving pupils' access to the curriculum by making sure that they can read well is transformational for many. Staff have noticed that as pupils get better at reading, they want to learn more, and their behaviour improves.

The school has made sure that the behaviour policy is applied consistently well. This, along with the school's work to reduce discriminatory behaviour, low-level disruption and truancy, has led to a rise in the use of suspensions. Over time, pupils have got used to the school's high expectations.

Typically, lessons are calm, and pupils navigate the school site sensibly between lessons and at social times. Truancy has reduced. Consequently, suspensions are dropping.

Staff remain vigilant as they skilfully support some pupils who need help to self-regulate their behaviour.

While attendance is not yet high, it is improving. Staff have worked extremely well together to ensure that behaviour, attendance, well-being and safeguarding systems are aligned.

The school has improved its use of local external agencies such as those that provide support for pupils' mental health. The new 'Jonathan Centre' provides a safe and calm space in the school where pupils and their families can access support. All this has helped the school to gain a better understanding of its pupils and the local community.

In particular, this is helping some pupils with very low attendance to come to school more often.

Staff rightly feel well supported by the school and multi-academy trust in managing their professional development, workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This means that they are not achieving as highly as they should in some subjects. The school should ensure that learning is well adapted so that these gaps are filled and more pupils achieve the ambition of the curriculum.

• Despite highly successful work to improve the school's culture, a few pupils are not fully on board with the school's values. As a result, their behaviour and attitudes do not always reflect the school's high standards, and some do not attend regularly enough. The school should continue to promote the values that the school community has decided on, so that all pupils adopt them, suspensions decrease and attendance improves.