Cowley Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school where pupils feel safe and have good relationships with staff. They enjoy being part of the school musical and sports day. They read throughout the week.

Pupils want to work hard. They want to get a good education.Pupils are not getting the education they should.

Leaders offer them a narrow and unsuitable range of subjects. The school has low expectations of what pupils can achieve. In many lessons, pupils are not challenged.

The programme for personal development is not effective. Pupils are not prepared for life in modern Britain.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not have their needs identified, as...sessed or met.

Leaders and teachers do not give them the support they need to thrive.Pupils who often miss school do not get the support they need to attend more. Until recently, leaders did not check the well-being and attendance of pupils who are educated at off-site, alternative provisions.

The school is going through a difficult period of change. Throughout this, key leaders and staff have endeavoured to make sure that pupils feel cared for.

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

Trustees and leaders have failed to make sure that pupils get a good deal.

Pupils and staff have been let down. Many senior leaders left the school recently. With external support, the remaining school leaders have acted to identify and address the significant weaknesses in the school.

They recognise that there is much work to do to bring about the necessary improvements. They are working with staff on plans to improve the school.

The school does not offer an appropriate range of subjects.

Pupils do not study computing at any stage. In Years 7 and 8, design and technology is limited to food and nutrition. In Year 11, pupils do not study religious education.

Too few pupils study the subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate suite of qualifications. For example, many pupils do not study both a language and a humanities subject.Leaders have not established a culture of high aspirations.

They have left subject leaders to work in isolation to set their own curriculum aims. In some subjects, such as languages and art, pupils benefit from a challenging and well-planned curriculum. However, in most subjects, the curriculum is not ambitious.

Many teachers have low expectations. Pupils are not challenged. They do not learn as well as they should.

In many subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. They focus on what activities pupils will do and not on what they will learn. Often, teachers do not check pupils' understanding.

Pupils develop misconceptions. Teachers do not pick up on pupils' mistakes. Teachers do not use assessment well.

Pupils complete lots of tests but teachers do not use these to inform the next steps for pupils.The provision for pupils with SEND is poor. Leaders fail to identify and assess these pupils' needs.

Leaders do not give teachers the advice that they need to support these pupils in their learning, so that pupils with SEND achieve as well as they should.Teachers make sure that pupils in key stage 3 read often. Pupils get help to improve their reading.

Pupils say that they value the school library.Pupils are not prepared for life in modern Britain. The careers programme is not effective.

The personal development programme does not give pupils the knowledge and understanding they need to flourish in life.The school is generally calm and orderly. Pupils are friendly and polite.

A small minority of pupils do not treat others with respect. There is some vandalism. Some pupils make derogatory comments that upset others.

There is some disruption to learning. Teachers do not deal with such disruption consistently.A high number of pupils are often absent from school.

They are missing out on learning. Leaders do not track attendance effectively. They do not give pupils the support they need to improve their attendance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Pupils know that they can turn to adults if they are worried. Staff are vigilant to signs that a pupil may need support.

Staff report their concerns promptly. Leaders and staff respond to pupils' needs. Leaders make sure that pupils get the support they need, including from external agencies.

The curriculum does not ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe, including when online.Leaders do not check if pupils who are educated in alternative provisions are attending. Leaders cannot be sure that these pupils are safe and well.

This has left these pupils at risk.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders do not monitor the attendance or well-being of pupils who attend alternative provision. This leaves these pupils at risk.

Leaders must ensure that there are in place appropriate checks on the well-being and attendance of pupils who are educated at alternative provisions, so that leaders can respond swiftly to any concerns that they may identify. Leaders have not made sure that the curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education (RSE) is of a high quality. The PSHE and RSE curriculums do not meet pupils' needs.

Pupils do not learn about how to keep themselves and others safe. Careers information, advice and guidance are not effective. Pupils are not well-equipped for life.

Leaders must ensure that the PSHE and RSE curriculums prepare pupils for their next steps and for life in modern Britain, and that these curriculums meet statutory requirements. ? Leaders do not identify or assess the needs of pupils with SEND. They do not make sure that teachers know what strategies to use in the classroom in order to meet these pupils' needs.

As a result, the needs of pupils with SEND are not met. They do not learn as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that the identification and assessment of these pupils' needs are accurate, and that these pupils receive the support they require to help them achieve well and thrive.

• The school has low expectations of what pupils can achieve. The curriculum is not ambitious. Pupils are not challenged.

Leaders must make sure that there is an appropriate range of subjects that pupils can study. They must ensure that the curriculum for each subject is ambitious and rigorous. ? In many subjects, leaders have not thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and be able to do.

Teachers do not focus on the important knowledge. They do not all check pupils' understanding before moving learning on. Pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their learning.

Leaders must make sure that there is clarification as to the precise knowledge that pupils should acquire across the different subjects and that teachers understand the importance of checking pupils' understanding before introducing new learning. ? Leaders have low expectations of pupils' attendance. They do not use information about attendance to identify patterns in pupil absence.

They do not give pupils the support they need to improve their attendance. Leaders must ensure that expectations of pupils' attendance are high and that those who need it receive appropriate challenge and support to attend regularly. ? Having considered the evidence, I strongly recommend that leaders and those responsible for governance do not seek to appoint early career teachers.