Ernulf Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils settle into the life of the school well. They make new friends and enjoy their lessons. Pupils are safe, happy and well looked after.

Older pupils are, in the main, positive about the improvements that have been made to the school. They appreciate the increased number of enrichment opportunities. During their weekly 'electives' session, pupils enjoy developing new skills and exploring their interests.

There is a wide range of activities that they benefit from, including sports, music, art, mathematics and paranormal club.

The revised curriculum is now ambitious for all pupils. It has been expertly designed to build on pupils' prior learning and revisit... important knowledge.

Pupils appreciate this increased challenge. They are proud of what they know and are keen to achieve well. They like the quizzing and opportunities to think deeply.

In the main, pupils work hard and grapple with tricky concepts, which are taught well. Due to recent improvements in the curriculum, most pupils now achieve well. However, the impact of these changes is not yet evident in the published examination results, as previous pupils have not benefitted fully from them.

In lessons, most pupils behave well. They understand the rules, and most pupils follow them consistently. Pupils are attentive and listen respectfully to their teacher.

Disruption to learning is rare. When it does happen, teachers respond quickly to minimise its impact on pupils' learning.

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

The curriculum is well structured to build pupils' knowledge and skills over time.

Teachers receive precise training to ensure that they are skilled to deliver the curriculum as leaders intend. They often explain topics clearly and regularly check that pupils have understood the learning. Teachers use techniques such as questioning to revisit and explore key knowledge effectively.

As a result, many pupils remember their learning well.

After checking what pupils know and can do, teachers often provide pupils with clear guidance and actions to take to improve their work. Where this happens, pupils know how to get better.

They confidently apply their learning and produce high-quality work. However, in some cases, teachers do not provide pupils with specific steps to improve their work. As a result, some pupils are unsure how to improve.

Subsequently, their work lacks the depth and fluency that staff intend.

The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Clear processes are in place to accurately identify pupils with SEND.

For many, their needs are met effectively through thoughtful adaptations in class. Those pupils with SEND requiring additional support receive targeted help from well-trained staff, including assistance with reading, mathematics or social skills.

Each day, pupils engage with an ambitious book during their 'Astrea Reads' session.

In class, they read aloud regularly to enhance their oracy skills. For some pupils, additional support is provided to strengthen their reading skills. This ensures they can fully access the curriculum.

Staff consistently apply the school's behaviour expectations. This ensures that lessons are calm and focused. Pupils appreciate this supportive environment.

It enables them to engage fully with their learning. The school provides targeted support to pupils who find regular attendance challenging, helping them to feel included and supported. Behaviour outside of lessons is generally positive.

However, some pupils need extra help to meet the school's high expectations. Unacceptable behaviour, such as pushing in corridors or using derogatory language about sexuality or race, upsets others when it occurs. The school has taken some action to address these issues, but a minority of older pupils still struggle to meet the raised expectations.

The school's work on personal development helps build pupils' confidence and prepares them well for their next steps. Regular trips help to broaden pupils' understanding of the world and strengthens their knowledge of religions and each other's differences. Over time, pupils gain a strong awareness of the wide range of career opportunities open to them, which inspires their ambitions.

Governors, trustees and leaders have worked collaboratively and effectively to achieve significant improvements since the previous inspection. Many staff are positive about the school. However, a significant number of parents and carers report issues with communication.

They feel their concerns are not always acknowledged or dealt with in a timely manner. This frustrates parents and affects their confidence in how well the school deals with their concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• After checking what pupils know and can do, teachers do not consistently provide pupils with sufficiently precise guidance and actions to improve their work. As a result, some pupils do not know how to improve and deepen their understanding. The work that they produce does not always meet the ambition of the curriculum.

The school should ensure that teachers consistently provide pupils with guidance on how to improve their work and deepen their understanding. ? Some pupils do not meet the school's high behaviour standards. Incidents such as pushing in corridors and the use of derogatory language upsets the large majority of pupils who want to enjoy a respectful and positive atmosphere.

The school should strengthen its behaviour support strategies to ensure that all pupils adhere to the high expectations for behaviour. The school has not established effective communication with parents and carers. Some parents feel less engaged with the school.

This lack of engagement reduces opportunities for effective collaboration between the school and families. This leads to many parents lacking confidence in how well their concerns are addressed. The school should take rapid action to strengthen communication strategies to ensure that parents and carers feel informed, valued and included in their child's education.