Bishop Barrington Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Bishop Barrington Academy are welcoming. The school reinforces its high expectations when teaching pupils about the 'Barrington way'.

Pupils learn the importance of making positive choices in their behaviour and learning. This is reflected in pupils' positive conduct. Incidents of poor behaviour have significantly reduced and are infrequent.

Consequently, pupils learn effectively and enjoy playing in the company of peers.

The school provides pupils with a comprehensive range of opportunities to enrich their education. Leaders have adjusted the timings of the school day to make sure that these are accessible to all pupils.

The variety of clu...bs available, such as mindfulness, craft club and sports clubs, interest a wide range of pupils. Many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have made use of the school's new lunchtime clubs and activities.

The school supports pupils to become positive members of the local community.

Pupils visit local places of cultural significance, such as Auckland castle, to learn about the history of the area. Some pupils hold leadership responsibilities, such as on the school council, that enable them to positively impact the school community.

The school has high expectations for pupils' academic achievement.

Many pupils realise these. Improvements in the quality of education provided by the school are benefitting pupils. Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should have by the end of key stage 4, including in national assessments.

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

Previous weaknesses in the school's curriculum failed to prepare pupils well for their next stages in education, employment or training. Leaders have identified and addressed these failings. Staff now have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Leaders have redesigned and significantly strengthened the curriculum in all subjects. Pupils, especially in younger year groups, have an increasingly detailed understanding of the subjects that they learn. This strengthened understanding is not reflected in the school's published outcomes.

The pupils represented in 2023 results were in Year 10 when the school opened. They did not fully benefit from these improvements.

Teachers are well-trained.

They have strong knowledge of the subjects that they teach. The school has identified consistent and effective strategies to deliver the curriculum. Teachers ensure that pupils regularly revisit the most important content in each subject.

This aids pupils' ability to recall this knowledge. Over time, pupils complete increasingly complex tasks and draw on what they have learned previously.

Many pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result of previous weaknesses in the curriculum.

The school makes regular checks on what pupils know. In the most effective lessons, teachers use information from these checks to adapt their teaching well. In some lessons, teachers miss opportunities to use this information to close gaps in pupils' knowledge more quickly.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well-supported by the school. Staff understand the needs of these pupils well. The school provides these pupils with the additional support that they need to access its ambitious curriculum.

Pupils with SEND achieve well. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read are identified quickly. Trained staff provide effective support that helps these pupils to catch up.

A small number of pupils access some of their education at alternative provisions. These pupils significantly benefit from attending these provisions and the additional opportunities that they would not otherwise access.

Too many pupils are regularly absent from school.

They miss important learning. The school provides targeted support for families to address barriers to regular attendance. This is improving pupils' attendance, including for disadvantaged pupils.

Further improvements are needed to ensure that all pupils benefit from the school's improved curriculum.

Pupils benefit from effective careers education and guidance. Events such as careers fairs provide pupils and parents with detailed information about the opportunities available to them.

The school's strong work has resulted in a significant increase in the number of pupils progressing to appropriate education and training when they leave school.

Those with responsibility for governance, and the trust, know the school well. They provide effective scrutiny of the school's work.

The trust's additional support has helped to make significant improvements to the school. Staff are united in their ambition to build further on these.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not use assessment information consistently well to adapt their teaching. In some lessons, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not addressed as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure that teachers routinely use information from assessment well to inform their teaching.

• Too many pupils continue to be regularly absent from school. These pupils miss important learning and develop gaps in their knowledge. The school should build on its current effective approach to improving attendance to ensure that all pupils benefit from the improved quality of education that the school provides.