Foxhole Learning Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Foxhole Learning Academy is highly ambitious for all its pupils. It has a 'no excuses' culture to ensure that pupils, regardless of their background, learn well.

This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know pupils as individuals. They help remove any barriers to learning.

This helps pupils to thrive both academically and socially.

The school has reset its behaviour systems. It has trained staff to ensure that they apply them consistently and fairly.

As a result, pupils typically behave well. On the small number of occasions they do not, staff quickly address this. Pupils say that bullying is not usually an... issue.

They trust adults to sort it out if it does. Pupils talk to visitors with impressive confidence, warmth and good humour. They are proud of their school.

Pupils have an active role in the running of Foxhole. Librarians help to promote a love of reading. The school council helps to decide on new playground equipment.

The school plans residentials to build pupils' resilience and character as well as furthering their academic knowledge. For example, pupils participate in a 'space camp' on the school grounds to learn more about the solar system.

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

Following the pandemic, leadership and staffing changed considerably.

The newly formed team gelled together quickly. In the words of one member of staff, 'We are all singing from the same hymn sheet.' Together with extensive support from the trust and the skilful leadership of the headteacher, they set about raising the bar for expectations of how much pupils learn.

The school and trust are rightly proud of how much the school has improved in recent years. However, there is no hint of complacency. Leaders at all levels, including trustees and governors, rigorously check the impact of the school's work.

In particular, they consider how well disadvantaged pupils are learning. They quickly address any weaknesses, such as writing, through regular, high-quality training.

The school has built an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.

This starts in the early years. Staff swiftly check what children can do when they start school. They adjust the curriculum accordingly to ensure they address any weaker areas.

In particular, the school has a strong focus on oracy, to help improve pupils' speaking and listening skills. While this work is in the relatively early stages, its impact is already starting to show. Staff prompt pupils, including those with SEND, to expand on their thinking orally.

This supports them to become articulate learners.

The curriculum is planned to a high level of detail. This supports teachers in knowing precisely what pupils need to learn.

Staff say this also supports them with their workload. Subjects are designed to incorporate the school's context. For example, the curriculum in art and design incorporates studies of local artists, who also visit the school.

This helps encourage aspiration for pupils.

Teachers explain new concepts clearly and check pupils understand them. As a result, pupils generally learn well across the curriculum.

However, sometimes teachers give pupils work that does not build on their prior learning. When this occurs, pupils do not deepen their knowledge fully.

Reading is the beating heart of the curriculum.

Carefully chosen texts ensure that pupils read a rich range of texts and authors. Staff teach pupils the phonics code well. They closely check how well pupils have learned this.

Staff quickly intervene and support those who fall behind. Pupils catch up rapidly. They read books precisely matched to the sounds they know.

As a result, pupils become fluent and able readers.

The school places a high emphasis on pupils' personal development. Pupils learn to work together when participating in sports tournaments.

They enjoy a range of clubs to develop their talents and interests, such as art and choir. Trips help to provide pupils with new experiences, such as sailing. In the early years, staff's high expectations support children to become independent and resilient.

Pupils feel that everyone at Foxhole is treated equally. They speak with empathy and compassion about some of their peers who need extra support with their behaviour. Pupils talk knowledgably about British values, such as respect and tolerance.

However, for some, their knowledge of religions and cultures different to their own is limited. This hinders their preparation for life in modern Britain.

Following a period of staffing changes, some parents and carers became unsettled.

However, this trust is now building back up. They welcome the open door policy of the school to discuss any concerns they have.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On some occasions, teachers give pupils tasks that do not consider what pupils already know or which match the high ambition of the curriculum. Consequently, pupils do not build on their learning fully. The trust should ensure it supports teachers to give work which builds on pupils' prior learning and is sufficiently ambitious.

• The personal development curriculum does not yet broaden pupils' knowledge and understanding of different cultures and religions well enough. As a result, pupils are not well prepared for some aspects of modern Britain. The trust should ensure that the personal development curriculum enables pupils to develop a secure understanding of different faiths and cultures to help prepare them for life in modern Britain.