Ebbsfleet Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are cared for well and respected. Staff expect the best from all pupils and are ambitious for them. Pupils know this and most enjoy learning.

Leaders want pupils to be independent and resilient. The careful planning of the curriculum is helping pupils to achieve this.

Teachers expect pupils to behave well.

They deal quickly with poor behaviour. Pupils understand clearly the consequences if they misbehave. They move calmly around the school, are punctual to lessons and courteous to visitors.

Pupils take pride in their work and their school. In lessons, they listen to each other and usually work hard.

Relationships between staff and pup...ils are strong.

Pupils know who to go to if they are worried or have concerns. Much of this focuses on the theme of the 'Ebbsfleet family' and leaders' commitment to offering a 'home from home'. As a result, pupils feel safe at school.

Pupils value mutual respect and celebrate difference. They say that bullying is rare and when it does happen, teachers sort it out quickly. Many pupils take part in the activities and clubs on offer.

They happily take on extra responsibilities, involving themselves in the school community.

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

The school is well led and managed. The new principal leads with determination and passion.

She places the education and personal development of the pupils in her care at the heart of everything she does. Leaders have well-designed plans in place to continue to improve the school.

Leaders recognise how important it is that pupils learn a wide range of subjects for as long as possible.

Pupils now make choices about their GCSE subjects in Year 9, instead of in Year 8. In the past, the number of pupils studying either geography or history and a modern foreign language in Years 10 and 11 was low. Leaders' actions have strengthened the planning and teaching of these subjects.

As a result, more pupils are now choosing to study them at key stage 4.

Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know and understand. They have been meticulous in making sure that new learning is ordered in a logical sequence.

Teachers then use a broad range of resources to help to explain new ideas and bring learning to life. This helps pupils to remember what they have been taught so that they can draw on this knowledge in the future.

In the past, teachers did not make sure that pupils fully understood the mathematics they were studying.

Curriculum plans now include more opportunities for pupils to think carefully about why they are using different processes when they solve mathematical problems. Leaders are working with teachers to make sure that all staff deliver this curriculum well.

Leaders understand that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) may have additional challenges with their learning.

They consider how best to support these pupils and share information with teachers. However, sometimes, the curriculum is not adapted well enough to help them learn. Leaders have identified this and taken action.

As a result, teachers are now planning to help these pupils gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

Pupils have lots of opportunities to develop their personal skills and to understand the world around them. They are shown how to become respectful, confident and healthy citizens.

Leaders have thought hard about the breadth of topics covered. Pupils learn about issues ranging from rights and responsibilities to the economy and finance. In addition, pupils receive lots of information to help them make choices about their future.

Governors do not scrutinise leaders' decisions in enough detail. In particular, they have not checked that the right things are being done to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They have also not fully considered how expertise from the multi-academy trust could be used to benefit pupils.

In the sixth form, students do not achieve highly enough. Leaders have made changes to the range of subjects they offer to better reflect students' needs and interests. However, they have not managed these changes well enough.

Leaders have not made sure that some teachers have a sufficiently deep knowledge of the courses that they teach. This means that pupils' learning is not always well planned. Sometimes, pupils are not able to quickly gain the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils are confident that staff will look after them. They learn how to stay safe and therefore feel safe.

Leaders' actions prioritise the well-being and welfare of pupils. This has created a strong, caring culture across the school.

Staff have detailed training in safeguarding when they join the school and this is updated regularly.

As a result, they are very aware of the potential risks to pupils. They are clear about what to do if they have concerns and report these swiftly. Leaders' persistence in working with relevant agencies helps pupils get the support they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Overall, pupils enjoy a curriculum that is coherent and sequenced well. However, in a few instances, teachers are not considering carefully enough how they adapt their teaching to implement these plans. Therefore, leaders should make sure that all teachers have the deep curriculum knowledge and skills to enable them to check pupils' understanding.

This is especially pertinent to mathematics. . In some subjects, curriculum plans do not consider the barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND face.

This hinders the progress of these pupils. Leaders have already taken action and are bringing about the necessary changes. This also extends to the wider curriculum, with leaders now ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are participating fully in school clubs and trips.

. Those responsible for governance must question leaders more robustly and hold them to account more readily over the impact of their actions, especially in regard to the progress of disadvantaged pupils. .

Leaders should ensure that the curriculum and teaching in the sixth form is effective. Teachers need to have the necessary training to develop the skills and knowledge required for the courses they teach. Leaders should then make sure that they monitor the quality of teaching rigorously and that swift action is taken to make any necessary improvements.