Burnage Academy for Boys

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Burnage Academy for Boys continues to be an outstanding school.

The headteacher of this school is Karl Harrison.

This school is the only school in a single-academy trust. The headteacher also acts as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alan Scott.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consider their school to be a haven where they can concentrate on their learning. Despite the challenges that many face in their lives, pupils benefit from an exceptional education here. Staff give them every opportunity to be successful.

In turn, pupils rise to meet the school's high expectations. They lear...n exceptionally well, typically achieving far above national averages in external examinations.

Pupils know that the school holds their conduct to the highest standard.

They understand that this helps everyone to feel safe. Pupils behave sensibly and respond well to staff, with whom they build positive relationships. Pupils have faith in staff to help them if they are concerned about anything.

Pupils celebrate their differences and learn to share their views considerately. They recognise that learning about different religions and cultures helps them to treat each other with kindness and respect. Bullying is rare.

If it happens, it is dealt with swiftly.

Pupils embrace rich opportunities to take on positions of responsibility. This helps them to grow their self-confidence.

Many told inspectors how the school helps them to become responsible young men. Older pupils value the independence that staff give to them. They build many happy memories of the experiences that they have at school.

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

The school has constructed a broad and rich curriculum of the highest quality. It connects ambitious knowledge to a range of cultural and social experiences that are designed to enrich pupils' academic learning. The school has meticulously identified the information that pupils should learn.

This ensures that staff know exactly what to teach and when.Across subjects, staff deliver the curriculum with expertise and passion. They skilfully layer new learning on top of what pupils already know.

Staff are adept at using a range of assessment strategies to identify and revisit any prior learning that pupils have missed or forgotten. This ensures that pupils learn and remember an extraordinary wealth of knowledge.

The school thoroughly identifies any additional needs that pupils may have.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff use detailed information about each pupil to ensure that they receive the support that they need to learn well. Pupils with SEND thrive here.

Reading has a high priority in the school. Pupils encounter a broad canon of carefully chosen texts. They have frequent opportunities to read together.

Staff immerse pupils in rich subject-specific language. As pupils move through the curriculum, this helps them to describe their learning in ever-greater depth. This is also true for pupils who speak English as an additional language.

They absorb this vocabulary and soon become proficient at using it themselves. Pupils who struggle with reading catch up quickly due to the effective support that they receive.

Pupils' polite and respectful conduct creates a calm atmosphere in lessons.

Pupils learn without disruption. At social times, pupils interact cheerfully with their peers and with staff. On the few occasions when pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour, the support that they receive from staff is admirable.

Pupils told inspectors how this support helps them to make better choices next time.

Pupils attend well. If any patterns of absence develop, staff do all that they can to support those pupils back to regular attendance.

The school's wide-ranging programme for pupils' personal development is noteworthy. Pupils learn exceedingly well about the important issues that they may face in modern society. For example, they learn about democracy, harmful gender stereotypes and how to identify misinformation online.

Pupils access a thorough careers programme that helps them to make informed decisions about their future lives. This, together with their academic achievement, equips pupils extremely well in taking their next steps in education.

The trust and the school are united in their vision for the education that pupils receive.

Trustees are well informed about the challenges that the school faces. They support the school to successfully overcome them. Staff are tremendously proud to be part of a strong team.

Many told inspectors how leaders genuinely listen to their views and have taken marked steps to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 outstanding in October 2018.