Callerton Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are polite, friendly and respectful. They form positive relationships with each other and with staff. Staff show a genuine care for pupils.

They share a commitment to provide pupils with the best possible education. Pupils thrive at this inclusive school.The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve.

It has developed an ambitious curriculum that reflects those expectations. Reading is central to the life of the school. In lessons, pupils respond well to teachers' questioning and focus on their work.

Many are keen to engage in discussion and debate.

The school adopts a trust-wide approach to behaviour. This focuses... on praising pupils for doing the right thing.

It also provides a clear set of sanctions for when pupils misbehave. Staff use the behaviour policy with consistency and fairness. As a result, this is a calm and orderly school.

Pupils behave well.

Pupils enjoy a rich and varied set of experiences. Every pupil takes part in the 7UP extra-curricular programme.

Activities include Norwegian, origami, musical theatre, debating and sports. Pupils also make frequent visits to places of cultural interest. These experiences broaden pupils' horizons and prepare them to be active citizens.

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

The school has developed a broad and highly ambitious key stage 3 curriculum. It provides pupils with a deep and coherent body of knowledge that is preparing them well for their future studies at key stage 4 and beyond. Pupils build their knowledge and skills in a logical and progressive manner.

They also learn to think and work like subject specialists, such as historians and mathematicians. Pupils extend and deepen their learning further through cross-curricular work and homework projects.

The school has established a culture of reading.

Pupils read often. They read whole class texts linked to personal development themes, such as relationships and diversity. They also read for pleasure daily.

Pupils at an early stage of reading get the help they need to become confident and fluent readers. The school's central focus on reading helps pupils both to extend their vocabulary and develop a genuine love for reading.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers.

The school identifies their needs well. It provides staff with the training and support they require to meet pupils' specific needs. As a result, pupils with SEND complete their work successfully most of the time.

Teachers have a deep knowledge and understanding of their subjects. They select appropriate strategies and resources to secure and extend pupils' learning. Teachers revisit what pupils have learned before and present new information with clarity.

They also check pupils' understanding systematically. This helps pupils to know and remember more. Pupils produce work of a high quality and achieve well.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and behave well. The school acts effectively to address any behaviour that does not meet its high expectations. However, too many pupils do not attend well.

They are missing out on too much of their learning. Levels of absence and persistent absence are relatively high and increasing.

The school has developed a rich and comprehensive personal development programme.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and equality and diversity in an age-appropriate way. They are taught how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the local and wider community. The school promotes pupils' physical and mental health.

It also provides pupils with appropriate and wide-ranging information on careers. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

The trust supports the school's development.

It provides additional leadership capacity in areas such as curriculum design and teaching and learning. This helps the school to manage the varied challenges of operating a new school and managing its growth. Trustees and local governors fulfil their delegated responsibilities.

They hold the school to account and provide appropriate strategic direction and oversight. The school shows a commitment to engage with parents and involve them in their children's education. Staff enjoy working at the school.

The school ensures that staff workload is manageable. It gives high priority to staff well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Levels of absence and persistent absence are relatively high and increasing, particularly for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. This means that some pupils are missing a significant amount of their education and have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should take further steps to improve pupils' attendance so that pupils have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.