Ercall Wood Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is welcome at this friendly, inclusive school. The school's culture is based around its values of 'respect, empower and aspire'. The recently introduced character development programme promotes these values.

Pupils demonstrate them well. Pupils are happy at this school. They feel safe and know that staff are willing to support them whenever they need help.

The school has high expectations of all pupils. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn and achieve well.

Relationships between pupils and staff are warm.

Pupils are respectful, kind and polite to each other and to visitors as they move around the site. Strong and effective pastoral care is a...vailable. This helps those who need emotional and welfare support to engage positively with the life of the school.

The school makes sure pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. This enables pupils to impact the way the school operates.

For example, head students in each year group act as positive role models for other pupils. Many pupils gain important life skills and experiences through their participation in extra-curricular activities such as 'brilliant club' and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils.

It is designed to build pupils' knowledge and understanding over time. High expectations are evident across all subjects. Pupils respond well to their teachers' expectations of them.

High standards of presentation in pupils' work are evident in most books, and pupils show pride in their work.

Teachers' subject knowledge is strong. The intended curriculum is delivered well.

In most lessons, teachers check pupils' understanding effectively, for example through their questioning. This enables teachers to address pupils' misconceptions. However, at times, teachers do not check that pupils have understood their learning and do not intervene quickly to correct pupils' mistakes.

This means pupils do not build their knowledge as securely as they could. The school has made substantial changes to the way the curriculum is implemented since the previous inspection. There is now greater clarity over precisely what pupils should learn and when they should learn it.

However, previous pupils have not benefited from these changes. Published examination results do not reflect the progress current pupils are making. Pupils' outcomes are now improving.

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately. Teachers appropriately adapt their delivery of the curriculum to support pupils with SEND in learning well alongside their classmates. These pupils access the same opportunities as all other pupils.

Pupils who struggle to read well are quickly identified and benefit from effective support to help them develop into confident and fluent readers.

The school's high expectations for pupils' behaviour are understood by all. Behaviour systems are clear and are used consistently well by staff.

There is very little low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils respond quickly to teachers' instructions to refocus when needed. There has been a significant reduction in suspensions this year.

This reflects pupils' appreciation of the positive school culture that has been established.

Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning and engage well in lessons. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning or share their reasoning in lessons, and some do not have confidence to express their ideas orally.

As a result, discussion between pupils is not as rich as it could be. This makes it more difficult for pupils to deepen their knowledge of the curriculum.

There is a well-designed personal development programme.

Through this, pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe and how to navigate different relationships, including online. 'Life skills' sessions and the character development programme give pupils a secure understanding of fundamental British values and the school's values. The majority of pupils successfully move on to the next stage of education, employment or training.

This reflects the strength of the support and careers guidance they receive.

Many parents and carers are happy with the care and education their children receive. Parents support the improvements that have taken place over the last two years.

Trust leaders, trustees and local governors work well with school leaders. They have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and any areas that need further strengthening.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the intended curriculum is not consistently embedded across subjects and classes. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The trust should ensure that teaching strategies are implemented effectively across subjects to ensure pupils learn over time and progress as well as possible through the curriculum.

• The curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunities for sustained and meaningful discussion of what pupils have learned. This means some pupils lack confidence in discussions and do not deepen their learning or enable more creative thinking. The trust should ensure that pupils develop their oracy skills effectively to extend their ideas and deepen their learning across the curriculum.