Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

For too long pupils have been let down by the poor quality of education provided at this school. Leaders, including governors, do not fully recognise how poor the quality of education is for pupils.

They have been too slow to act and failed to improve deep-rooted weaknesses in key stages 3, 4 and 5.

Pupils do not learn well enough in almost all subjects, including English, mathematics and science. Pupils' examination results are consistently far lower than those of others nationally at the end of Year 11 and Year 13.

Far too many pupils do not attend school regularly. This hampers their achievement.

Many pupils behave well at break and lunchtimes..../>
However, some are boisterous. Staff are usually at hand to calm things down and keep order. Pupils' behaviour varies from class to class.

Pupils' attention is taken away from learning where there is low-level disruption.

Pupils say that they are well cared for, from Year 7 to Year 13. They feel safe.

Pupils know who to turn to with any concerns. Bullying is rare, and leaders deal with it well.

Pupils are friendly and kind.

They say that this is a school where everybody fits in and is welcome. Many pupils take part in and enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.

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

Leaders, including governors, have not secured an acceptable quality of education for pupils.

The school has ongoing financial issues that absorb leaders' and governors' time and energy. Consequently, leaders have not recognised the severity of the problems that pupils face in their education. Leaders' recent actions to improve the quality of education have failed.

The curriculum that pupils receive is not fit for purpose. This leads to weak examination results at the end of Year 11 and in the sixth form. Pupils achieve poorly year on year.

This is the case in English, mathematics, science, geography, history and most other subjects. It is especially true for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders at all levels have tried to strengthen curriculum plans recently.

This has made little difference. The curriculum continues to fail pupils.

Leaders, including governors, have not done what they should to provide pupils with their key stage 3 curriculum entitlement.

The coverage of topics is too superficial and lacks ambition across subjects. Pupils fail to know and remember enough by the end of key stage 3.Pupils spend too much time in key stage 4 catching up on missed learning from key stage 3.

They are not prepared for the demands of key stage 4. Pupils struggle to take on and tackle challenging ideas. Around two thirds of pupils follow an academic English Baccalaureate GCSE pathway.

However, because of the inadequate curriculum, pupils' results in these academic subjects fall far short of what they are capable of. These pupils are not well prepared for academic study at key stage 5.

Students in key stage 5 have an especially poor deal.

Their academic curriculum has been taught out of sequence in most subjects. Therefore, students in Year 13 spend their time catching up on the work which they should have covered in Year 12. Work experience is poorly planned.

In addition, they do not receive the good-quality wider curriculum that they are entitled to.

Pupils benefit from a stronger curriculum on occasion, for example in modern foreign languages. Some teachers take it upon themselves to plan and sequence learning effectively.

In these cases, pupils learn better than elsewhere. However, pupils across key stages 3 to 5 are far more likely to suffer from a poorly designed and implemented curriculum.

Pupils with SEND are not supported well.

Leaders do not have high enough academic expectations for this group of pupils. Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) fail to provide enough attention on these pupils' academic education. Therefore, these pupils' needs and aspirations are not fully met.

Pupils' attendance is poor, including in the sixth form. Leaders do not keep a close enough eye on pupils' attendance. Inspectors could not get a fully accurate view of attendance due to issues with how some pupils' absence is recorded by leaders.

Following the last inspection, leaders were asked to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The attendance rates for these groups of pupils has worsened.

Leaders do not manage classroom behaviour well.

There is too much low-level disruption to learning in classrooms. In these cases, pupils' work is careless and of too low a standard. Pupils' behaviour around school, at break and lunchtime, is generally positive.

However, some pupils are too boisterous at these times.

By contrast, pupils' personal development is strong. The pastoral care of pupils is also a significant strength.

This is because this aspect is at the forefront of leaders' minds. Pupils benefit from, and participate in, assemblies and a wide range of other activities that support their preparation for life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know how to keep pupils safe. Regular training means that staff know what to look out for if pupils are at risk. Staff know pupils well, are vigilant and know what to do if they have a concern.

Pupils say that they are confident to talk to staff if they are worried or unhappy. Leaders consult parents and carers and refer cases to social care or the police when necessary. Pupils know about risks or threats when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The curriculum is poorly planned and implemented, across all key stages. The curriculum lacks ambition. It fails to provide pupils with a secure and well thought through body of knowledge.

In key stage 3, the curriculum does not fully match the requirements of the national curriculum. As a result, pupils do not know and remember enough. Leaders must urgently tackle the endemic weaknesses of the curriculum, so that it is fully fit for purpose and meets pupils' needs.

. Pupils' and students' outcomes across almost all subjects are far lower than others nationally, year on year. This is the case for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or with SEND.

Leaders must take effective action to remove these inequalities and secure improvements to pupils' achievement across the board. . Too many pupils do not attend school often enough.

Pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND have especially weak attendance. Leaders should take action urgently to rectify this and ensure that all pupils attend school regularly. .

Pupils' behaviour is not effectively managed. As a result, pupils' conduct varies markedly from class to class. In too many lessons, there is low-level disruption which takes the attention away from learning.

The quality of pupils' work also suffers in these cases. Leaders should take action to reinforce and support teachers' high expectations of pupils' behaviour. .

Governors have failed in their duty to address and stem the decline in the quality of education provided at the school. They have not acted with the insight and urgency required to play their part in ensuring that the curriculum is fit for purpose. Governance requires strengthening, so that governors know and understand how to fulfil their duties.

. Leaders at all levels have an inaccurate view of the schools' weaknesses, including the very poor quality of education provided for pupils. Leaders' and governors' view of the school's effectiveness is over-generous.

This has hampered the much-needed improvements to pupils' education, which has been too weak for too long and remains inadequate. As a result, pupils underachieve significantly. Leaders should take immediate action to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.