Global Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders are accurate in their analysis of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

They have appropriate plans and capacity to improve the school. Middle leaders are beginning to improve the quality of teaching in their own subject areas. However, the quality of this work is variable.

Careers education is strong. The vast majority of pupils progress into education, employment or training. This is because they receive effective guidance and there are successful partnerships with businesses and further and higher education providers.

Governors ask challenging questions of leaders. They hold senior leaders to account for the progress ...that pupils make. Attendance has improved significantly and is now close to average.

However, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school remains high. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the sixth form is good. As a result, students make good progress.

They all move on to training or employment when they leave Global Academy. In Years 10 and 11, pupils are beginning to make better progress than they have in the past. This is particularly so in English and media studies.

Teachers in Years 10 and 11 do not consistently have high enough expectations of what pupils are able to achieve. As a result, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged, particularly in mathematics and science. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and have a trusted member of staff they can approach if they experience difficulties.

Information about this school

The Global Academy is a university technical college (UTC) which opened in September 2016. The principal took up his post in April 2018. The UTC is smaller than the average secondary school and has students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13.

It specialises in broadcast and digital media courses. The UTC is sponsored by Global and the University of the Arts, London. The Global Academy works with the London West Alliance Teaching School.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged students is above the national average. The school uses part-time alternative education provision at Capel Manor College, Acton and Innov8 Training and Development, Uxbridge for a very small number of pupils.