Cheslyn Hay Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Cheslyn Hay Academy, adults pay serious attention to developing pupils both academically and personally. Pupils learn a wide range of subjects and most achieve well. Adults encourage and reward pupils for living up to the school's 'Aspire' values.

Pupils appreciate this. This strong focus on academic and social development prepares pupils well for their next steps. When pupils leave school, nearly all go on to further employment, training or education.

The vast majority of sixth form students go on to university or apprenticeships.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They attend well.

Relationships between teachers and pupils are positive. This helps p...upils to feel safe. Pupils behave well in lessons and very little learning time is lost.

Sixth-form students are positive role models for younger pupils. They are polite, well mannered and take responsibility for their learning. When bullying is reported, adults take it seriously.

Most pupils have confidence in their teachers to sort out problems quickly.

There is an impressive range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and talents. These include a wide variety of sports teams, an art club, a cooking club and many, many more.

Pupils make good use of these opportunities. They are proud of the school's many sporting successes.

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

Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study a wide range of subjects.

Over the last few years, leaders, supported effectively by the trust, have significantly strengthened the curriculum in Years 7 to 9. The curriculum now prepares pupils more effectively for Years 10 and 11, and more and more pupils are well equipped to study the subjects that are part of the English Baccalaureate. In the sixth form, there is a good range of academic and vocational courses to meet students' aspirations.

Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. Adults have high expectations for these pupils and care for them well. Leaders ensure that needs are well identified and assessed.

They provide the information needed for teachers to adapt their teaching. Most teachers use this information well. However, this is not the case for all teachers across the school.

A few lack expertise in how best to adapt their lessons. This sometimes slows the learning of some pupils with SEND.

Curriculum leaders have deliberately designed subjects, so that pupils learn the right things at the right time.

For example, in Spanish, pupils in Years 7 and 8 get lots of practice in conjugating verbs before they learn how to use the near future tense in Year 9. This step-by-step approach is working well. It is helping pupils achieve ever-improving standards in a wide range of subjects.

Leaders develop teachers' subject knowledge well. There are regular high-quality training opportunities for staff across the trust. Consequently, teachers, including those in the sixth form, have good knowledge of the subjects they teach.

Teachers explain subject content clearly. However, some teachers do not always check pupils' understanding in lessons well enough. This means that teachers do not always spot when pupils are stuck.

When this happens, teachers sometimes move on to new learning before pupils are ready to do so.

When pupils join the school, leaders check how well pupils can read. They use these checks to identify pupils who need help to become more fluent readers.

Leaders ensure that these pupils get the help they need. In addition, all pupils get regular opportunities to read. Many make good use of their electronic devices to access books digitally.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. These are set out clearly in the school's behaviour policy. In lessons, teachers uphold these expectations well.

Pupils know what is expected of them and they respond accordingly. They focus on their learning, join in when required and try hard. At social times, the atmosphere is typically calm and orderly.

However, staff do not consistently ensure pupils follow school routines and rules outside lessons. This means that a minority of pupils' behaviour falls short of leader's expectations.

The school's 'Aspire' curriculum is a strength.

Leaders have carefully planned the curriculum to cover relationships and sex education, health education, citizenship, and character development. This careful planning means that pupils get helpful information when they need it. Pupils greatly appreciate this.

Year 11 pupils, for instance, spoke about how useful they had found learning about the signs of unhealthy and coercive relationships. In addition, pupils learn about different faiths and traditions as part of this curriculum. All of this means that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Those responsible for governance understand their roles well. Trustees and trust leaders have strong systems in place for checking the quality of education. Consequently, they know the school well and how it can improve further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that the school's procedures reflect the latest guidance on how to keep children safe. The necessary policies are in place.

All staff understand the signs a pupil may need help. Leaders ensure that adults swiftly pass on any concerns or worries they have about pupils, no matter how small. When pupils need help, leaders take swift action.

Leaders know about the local risks to pupils. They ensure that pupils get the information they need to help them keep safe. For instance, pupils learn about the dangers of criminal exploitation and county lines.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers lack expertise in how to adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND do not progress as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all teachers know how to adapt their lessons, and consistently do so, so that all pupils can achieve their best.

• Some teachers do not check pupils' understanding within lessons well enough. This means teachers do not always know when pupils are stuck. Leaders should ensure that all teachers know how to check learning in their subjects systematically, so that they can identify pupils who need further help.

• Staff do not always ensure that all pupils consistently follow the school rules and routines at social times. This means that some pupils do not live up to the school's expectations of their behaviour. Leaders should ensure that all staff consistently apply the school's behaviour policy when pupils are outside of lessons.

Also at this postcode