Excelsior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive all-through school with a diverse pupil intake. Pupils are polite and friendly. They treat each other with respect and build positive relationships with staff.

Pupils support each other's learning and well-being. They take on roles such as well-being ambassadors. Sixth form students read with younger pupils.

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. It is developing a curriculum that should help to fulfil those expectations for pupils. However, some pupils, particularly in the secondary phase, have significant gaps in their knowledge.

High levels of absence have contributed to this.

Pupils behave well. In the ...early years, children follow established routines.

As pupils move through the school, they show a readiness to learn. The school does not tolerate low-level disruption in lessons. When it does happen, the school deals with it effectively.

This is a calm and orderly school.

The school provides pupils with a wide range of clubs and activities. Some pupils make good use of these.

They develop new and existing talents and interests. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. It also gives them the guidance they need to make their next steps in education, training and employment.

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

The school is working in a context that provides significant challenge. It is experiencing the ongoing impact of the pandemic. This impact is most evident in regard to pupils' attendance and mental health.

The school, supported by the trust, is responding to these challenges with both commitment and intelligence. Indeed, the school has made progress to improve provision for pupils across all phases of the school.The school is developing a broad and ambitious curriculum.

From the early years to the sixth form, the curriculum is well-sequenced. It is designed to ensure that pupils build their knowledge and skills in a logical and meaningful way. In the early years, this helps children to develop across the seven areas of learning.

As pupils move through the school, the curriculum provides them with the essential knowledge they need. It also helps them to think and work like subject specialists. In the sixth form, the school has designed a curriculum that meets students' needs.

It provides progression onto higher education, apprenticeships and employment. However, in some subjects at key stage 3 and 4, the curriculum requires further development to enable pupils to gain a deep and secure knowledge.The school meets the different needs of pupils well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. The school provides staff with the training they require to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This helps pupils with SEND to make progress from their individual starting points.

From the early years to the sixth form, the school prioritises reading. It understands its fundamental importance to pupils' success in education and in their future lives and careers. From Reception, pupils learn to read using phonics.

Teachers and other adults teach phonics well. Pupils who need help with their reading get it. In Recep-tion and key stage 1, this helps pupils to keep up with their peers.

In key stage 2 and beyond, this helps pupils to catch up with their peers and become confident and fluent readers. The school also meets the language needs of those pupils who have recently joined the school from abroad.In the early years, the school has established a rich and purposeful learning environment.

There is a central focus on developing children's language and communication skills. Children's personal, social and emotional development is also given high priority. Early years staff promote children's health, for example through daily teeth brushing in school.

In the early years, children make effective progress from often very low starting points.In the primary and secondary phases, teachers have a secure subject knowledge. They revisit what pupils have learned before and give pupils the feedback they need to improve their work.

However, particularly at key stage 3 and 4, the quality of teaching is inconsistent. Some pupils are not given enough time to secure essential knowledge. While other pupils do not get enough opportunity to deepen and extend their learning.

In the sixth form, teaching is more effective in developing the depth of knowledge and understanding students need.Levels of pupils' absence are high. The school, supported by the trust, has made significant investment to address this.

It has worked with external agencies to develop a coherent and extensive attendance strategy. It has created extra posts of responsibility for attendance. As a result of this, pupils' attendance is improving.

The development of a positive school culture is also contributing to improved attendance.The school provides pupils with a comprehensive and age-appropriate personal development programme. Pupils learn about important issues such as relationships and equality and diversity.

They know and understand the importance of British values. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online and in the local community. Careers provision is a strength.

Pupils receive the guidance and information they need to make well-informed choices about their next steps.Trustees and local governors exercise their roles and responsibilities with appropriate rigour. They hold school leaders to account and provide strategic oversight.

Trust leaders work with school leaders to implement change. They do this in a way that is sensitive to staff workload. Staff enjoy working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects in the secondary phase, the key stage 3 curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunity for pupils to deepen and secure their knowledge. This means that some pupils do not acquire the foundational knowledge and understanding they need prior to commencing their key stage 4 studies.

The school should ensure that it further develops the key stage 3 curriculum in these subjects so that pupils gain the depth of knowledge they need. ? The quality of teaching is inconsistent, particularly at key stage 3 and 4. Sometimes, teachers move on to new learning without systematically checking pupils' understanding.

At other times, teaching does not extend and deepen pupils' learning. This results in some pupils not achieving well. The school should ensure that it provides teachers with the professional development they need, in both pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge, to secure a deep and coherent body of knowledge for all pupils.

• Levels of persistent absence are high. This means that some pupils miss out on too much of their education, have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve well. The school should continue to focus on reducing levels of persistent absence so that more pupils benefit from the school's recent curriculum changes.