Chiltern Way Academy Austen

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this welcoming and inclusive school.

A strong sense of belonging is fostered from the moment they arrive. The introduction of new daily routines means that pupils experience a predictable start to the day. This creates a secure and reassuring environment where pupils behave well.

A key feature of this approach is the first lesson of the day, the 'orientation and regulation session'. This helps pupils to regulate their behaviour, and transition smoothly into learning.

Since joining the trust, the school has significantly raised its academic expectations.

The newly established curriculum has an ambitious 'golden thread' woven throughou...t all subject areas. This aims to make sure pupils are well equipped to gain meaningful employment in the future. Older pupils told us how much they value the personalised support they receive to be ready for their next steps.

The school has helped them find out about college courses, gain work experience and be ready for their examinations.

Pupils enjoy a fantastic range of lunchtime clubs. There is something to suit every interest, including 'quiet club', board games, sports or other activities.

There are a growing number of trips, visits, outdoor learning opportunities and travel training integrated into the curriculum. These provide memorable experiences and help pupils develop into responsible and valued members of the community.

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

When the school joined the trust less than a year ago, leaders took swift and decisive action to begin a journey of rapid improvement.

An urgent priority was to implement a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. This includes clearly defined pathways that support all pupils to progress towards their future goals. A broad range of academic and vocational routes mean pupils access a tailored suite of accreditation and qualifications.

The school makes every effort to ensure pupils can study their programmes of choice. This includes supporting pupils to access courses beyond the school if necessary.

When pupils join the school, a clear process is followed to gain understanding of gaps in learning and to identify any additional needs.

This is particularly important for those pupils who may have spent some time out of education before joining this school. A system to check how well pupils progress through the new curriculum is in its early stages of implementation. This means the school is not yet as clear as it intends to be about the full impact of the new curriculum.

While staff acknowledge that this is additional work, leaders are clear about the rationale for this and the benefit to pupils.

The school has introduced a published scheme to help pupils develop their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make. There is some variability in how effectively this is delivered across the school.

While staff training has taken place, staff are keen to further develop their expertise to deliver this approach with consistency and confidence. The school has clear plans to further develop the reading curriculum, particularly for secondary-age pupils. In the meantime, pupils do learn to read.

The curriculum is underpinned by a well-planned series of books which can be adapted for classes to read together. Additionally, there is a wealth of stimulating books and reading materials which inspire pupils to explore their interests.

The learning environment is well organised, and pupils make great use of sensory spaces to regulate themselves as needed.

This means behaviour around the school is generally calm, and pupils are respectful and kind. When a minority of pupils struggle with their behaviour, skilled staff take time to understand the reasons and address the communication that lies behind this. They support them to learn strategies to regulate their own behaviour.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is exemplary. Pupils benefit from a well-thought-out personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum as well life skills and preparation for adulthood lessons. They learn important knowledge and skills, including mindfulness techniques, finance management and how to understand their rights and responsibilities.

Pupils remember and talk about these skills enthusiastically. Consequently, they develop their resilience, personality and sense of self-worth and are well prepared for their next steps in education.

Trustees, the local governing board and leaders share the same moral purpose to continuously drive improvements for the pupils.

The scheme of delegation supports all layers of governance to understand and fulfil their roles effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The new whole-school assessment system is not yet fully established.

This means the school is not able to fully understand the progress pupils are making through the new curriculum or identify and remedy any gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding. The school should continue the work it has started to robustly embed this system and train staff to implement this. ? There is variation in how well the new early reading programme is delivered.

Some adults do not have a secure understanding of how to implement the teaching methods as well as they could. This means that sometimes they do not reinforce the consistent strategies that help pupils develop fluency. The school should ensure all staff have the training they need to effectively teach all pupils to read.

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