Goffs Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Goffs Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically enjoy their time at Goffs Academy. They are polite and respectful. Pupils value the good relationships they have with staff.

They feel safe and cared for. Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect for each other. Bullying is rare.

Pupils act with kindness towards their peers and embrace differences. For example, they recently organised a 'Culture Day', where they enjoyed celebrating the customs of other countries.

Pupils show pride for their school.

This is evident in their high standards of behaviour and smart and tidy uniforms. They move around the schoo...l site calmly and are respectful and attentive in lessons.

Pupils, including sixth-form students, live up to the high expectations that staff have for them.

They are well prepared for life beyond school and are provided with a wide range of suitable careers information. They participate well in lessons and benefit from work that is generally well suited to their needs.

The opportunities to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs, such as football and netball, are valued.

Pupils appreciate the high-quality sports and dance facilities that are available. Many pupils also enjoyed being involved in the recent production of 'Matilda'.

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

The school's curriculum is designed to develop pupils to be confident, responsible and articulate learners.

In the main, this is achieved very well. Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Many pupils are supported to study both a foreign language and a humanities subject, such as history or geography, at GCSE.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, benefit from a curriculum that builds on prior learning and deepens their knowledge over time.In most subjects, the curriculum is delivered well. In drama and music, for example, teachers introduce new learning very clearly.

They explain how new knowledge builds on what pupils already know. Questioning is used carefully to check understanding and to deepen pupils' thinking. Pupils receive ample opportunities to practise and consolidate their learning.

As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), remember what they are taught.

In a minority of areas, such as in science, lessons are not always delivered effectively. Teachers have good subject knowledge.

However, they are not always sufficiently skilled in helping all pupils to follow the intended curriculum. Sometimes, they do not check pupils' understanding before moving on to new learning. This leaves some pupils unclear about what has been taught.

In these cases, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise new knowledge and skills. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND, are not always secure in their understanding of the curriculum.

In the main, assessment is used well.

Most teachers are skilled at providing pupils with timely guidance that helps them to improve their work. Pupils respond to this feedback and gain confidence in what they can do. In some subjects, such as science, assessment is not used consistently well to identify any gaps in pupils' understanding and to inform future learning.

Pupils with SEND are generally well supported to achieve their potential. Leaders have appropriate support plans in place, which are readily accessible to staff. These plans provide clear strategies to help pupils access their learning.

Teachers use these effectively. Leaders monitor closely how struggling readers are doing. They use appropriate interventions to help these pupils to catch up.

This includes reading aloud with adults or sixth-form students. This is very effective in building pupils' confidence and fluency in reading.

Disruption to lessons is rare.

Routines are very well established. This means that pupils can concentrate on their learning without being distracted. In the rare case of disruptive behaviour, leaders act swiftly to ensure that learning continues.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. Pupils value the content and quality of these lessons. They have a strong understanding of a wide range of themes, including protected characteristics, staying safe and healthy relationships.

Sixth-form students are well prepared for life after school. They appreciate the careers advice they receive, as well as the opportunities to act as role models for younger pupils. Pupils of all ages can get involved in groups, such as acting as community leaders.

This helps them to develop a strong sense of solidarity across the different age ranges.

Governors and trustees provide appropriate challenge. They have a good understanding of the school's priorities.

Staff feel well supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong safeguarding culture within the school.

Staff are well trained to identify any pupil who may need extra help or be at risk of harm. Safeguarding leaders act quickly and effectively to ensure that pupils who need additional support receive it in a timely manner. They work effectively with external agencies, where appropriate, to keep pupils safe.

Safeguarding records are well maintained. Appropriate checks are carried out on adults who work at the school.

Pupils have a secure and age-appropriate awareness of how to stay safe, both online and offline.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is variability in how effectively leaders' curriculum intentions are implemented in some subjects. Sometimes, learning is not planned or adapted sufficiently well to support all pupils to achieve highly. Some teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding or address misconceptions before moving on to new learning.

This means that some pupils do not have a secure understanding of what has been taught. Leaders need to ensure that there are regular checks on pupils' understanding and that any gaps in learning that are identified are addressed swiftly.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2017.