Beacon Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Beacon Academy is a welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils get along very well with their teachers and with each other. Pupils feel safe and secure at this school because staff know them well.

There is a high degree of tolerance and respect. Pupils say that behaviour is good and there is very little bullying. This was seen to be the case during the inspection.

The school is growing quickly because more parents are choosing to send their children here. This growth means that more subjects are being offered and there are new teachers arriving. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

This was seen in their books. Pupils enjoy their lessons; t...hey show enthusiasm and they get involved. Pupils are excited about the new opportunities at the school and they have a very wide range of extra-curricular activities to choose from.

Parents are very clear in their support for the school. During the inspection, many parents mentioned the positive way that the school caters for pupils with individual needs. Parents mentioned the pastoral care and support at the school as a strength.

The school has many pupils who have joined part way through their secondary education. It is effective in helping these young people to settle in and to achieve.

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

In the past two years, leaders have introduced additional subjects into the school, leading to a much broader range of opportunities for pupils.

Pupils are achieving more in English and mathematics because lessons are planned carefully, and they go over what they have learned previously. Pupils are also learning well because they show enthusiasm and because behaviour in lessons is good. Some pupils still need to improve their attendance to benefit from the learning opportunities on offer.

Leaders are encouraging more pupils to follow an academic curriculum. Spanish and French have now been re-established in the school. This means that more pupils will be entered for the English Baccalaureate group of subjects (science, history, geography and languages).

Leaders and governors understand their local economy and the employment opportunities in the area. The school delivers subjects such as engineering to take advantage of this. Other subjects, such as art, digital photography and textiles, are popular with pupils when they choose their options for GCSE.

Pupils are achieving well in these subjects.

There is still some variation in the effectiveness of the curriculum in different subjects. In most subjects, the work is demanding.

In subjects such as art and design, mathematics and English, teachers have thought carefully about the order in which topics are studied. Teachers in these subjects notice quickly if pupils have gaps in their understanding, and they know what to do to help them. These subjects have more time for teaching in key stage 3.

Other subjects, such as geography and history, do not always develop topics with sufficient depth to ensure that pupils are learning everything they need to.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well and they are carefully looked after throughout the school. This is particularly the case in Year 7 where pupils who need extra support join 'The Project'.

This extra support for pupils is effective because it helps them to adjust to secondary school as well as improving their mathematics and English.

Activities at lunchtime and after school help to develop pupils' wider interests and their social and cultural development. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take part in eco-club, disability sports, film club and model railway club, along with trips to art galleries and museums.

Pupils receive good independent careers advice. Pupils told us that they have clear plans for what they will do after school. They say that they have been well supported and advised in making these choices.

Staff from local colleges visit the school regularly and the school is involved in the 'Women into Manufacturing and Engineering' project. Hardly any pupils leave school without a clear plan and destination.

The headteacher, governors and the trust leaders have a clear set of shared values and ambition for Beacon Academy.

Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported. The trust has been effective in supporting the school through a period of rapid growth and change.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are regularly trained, and they understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff know pupils and their families well and they have a good understanding of the particular safeguarding issues in the local area. The school works well with a range of outside agencies.

Pupils learn about the dangers that they might face from such things as knife crime and county lines. There is a strong emphasis in the school on mental health and well-being, and pupils appreciate this part of their education.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders and the trust have worked hard to ensure that the full range of subjects is offered to all pupils.

Pupils have a solid foundation, particularly in English and mathematics, from which to learn knowledge and ideas. However, the quality of planning and assessment across subjects varies. This means that in some subjects pupils move to the next topic before mastering the previous one.

This leads to some subjects being more and less successful at GCSE. Leaders should ensure that weaker subjects have stronger planning and assessment to ensure that gaps in pupils' knowledge are closed and attainment at GCSE, in all subjects, can rise. .

Pupils' attendance is improving, but overall attendance needs to increase, and persistent absence needs to decline. Some pupils miss lessons and, therefore, learning, which leads to them having gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should continue to evaluate and refine their strategy to improve attendance so that it reaches all pupils, especially the most disadvantaged.