Ark Victoria Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school's work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection.

The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The executive principal of this school is Ela McSorley, and the executive headteacher of the primary phase is Victoria Twort. This school is part of Ark Schools multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Lucy Heller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tina Alexandrou. There is also a regional director, Gail Peyton, who is responsible for... this school and four others.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at all stages of Ark Victoria Academy.

This is because this is a school which lives out its values in full for the benefit of the children in nursery to the pupils in Year 11. As one pupil, whose comment was typical of many, said to inspectors, 'Ark Victoria is a holistic and unique experience of ambition, resilience and kindness.' These values thread through the school, where all aspects of the provision are high quality, and everyone works together to enable pupils to excel.

Pupils behave with very high levels of respect for each other. As the school knows its pupils very well, they are very well supported to engage with the school's ambitious curriculum. This means that pupils invariably show perseverance, even when faced with more challenging tasks.

They know that they have learned the key knowledge they need to be successful, and their teachers will support them.

Pupils are proud of the many leadership roles which the school offers. These include roles which focus on well-being as well as leading the school and suggesting improvements to leaders.

Pupils know they have an important contribution to make to the school to ensure its values are lived in all it does.

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

The school has reflected deeply on the key knowledge and skills that the pupils need. To this end, it has extensively reviewed and embedded a highly ambitious curriculum.

Starting in the early years, this curriculum has a significant emphasis on the development of pupils' literacy and vocabulary. Whenever pupils join the school, their language needs are accurately assessed, and carefully selected opportunities are created to develop their communication. This means that pupils are very well equipped to read and engage with high-quality and often complex texts throughout the school.

They are also supported highly effectively to discuss their learning. This enables them to refine their understanding and deepen their learning. Thanks to highly rigorous and systematic checking for understanding by teachers, any gaps in pupils' knowledge or misconceptions are rapidly picked up and resolved.

All this means that pupils learn the ambitious curriculum well and can talk eloquently about their learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs precisely identified, no matter when they join the school. The school makes certain that staff have the guidance and support that they need to support pupils' learning.

This means that the curriculum is systematically and appropriately adapted for these pupils, and they achieve very well.

The school has worked in a highly effective manner to ensure that pupils' attendance remains high. Clear plans are in place to ensure that the school has appropriate oversight of this work.

Prompt action is taken in case of any concerns. The school reviewed its behaviour policy recently to ensure that there is a focus on a clear understanding of expectations by all. There is absolute clarity around expectations of conduct among pupils, parents and all staff.

The few pupils who find it more challenging to meet the school's expectations have highly personalised and effective support. All this means that this is a harmonious and welcoming community where pupils work and play together happily, and difference is celebrated.

The school is rightly proud of its very extensive provision for pupils' broader development.

These include a very significant number of clubs, trips and experiences, all of which are carefully mapped against the school's curriculum. The school very carefully tracks the uptake of these opportunities to ensure that all pupils, especially the more vulnerable, benefit from them. There are numerous links with universities, further education providers and different qualification pathways.

This means that pupils are very well informed about ambitious destinations or qualifications that they can access.

Leaders at all levels have worked highly effectively to ensure provision is of the highest quality. In this, the school has made reference to best practice to continue to make improvements.

The trust has effectively supported leaders in the school in making the improvements they have put in place. The trust also works with the governing body to ensure they supportively hold leaders to account. The trustees have appropriate oversight, including in relation to safeguarding.

Through the staff well-being committee and charter, the school liaises with all employees to ensure that appropriate action is taken regarding matters of workload and well-being. Staff report high levels of pride in working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

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