Guru Nanak Sikh Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to do their best at this school.

Leaders encourage pupils to adopt the school's values and contribute to the school community. These values include helping others, being respectful and valuing individual differences. Parents and carers said how much their children love to go to school.

Pupils' behaviour in class and around the school is consistently excellent. Pupils are polite and personable. They are safe.

They are highly attentive in class and determined to do their best.

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school's curri...culum reflects these high expectations.

Leaders encourage pupils' talents and interests. They prioritise pupils' mental health. For example, each class in the primary phase has a well-being ambassador.

Pupils in the secondary phase attend a range of clubs and activities, including football, chess and the activities linked to achieving the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Staff organised an overseas visit to Switzerland for students in the sixth form to teach them about particle physics. Pupils are taught the importance of charity.

For example, the school recently donated almost 300 kilograms of food to the local food bank.

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

Senior leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for pupils in all year groups. Published academic outcomes for 2022 showed that pupils achieved highly, including in examinations at the end of Year 11 and in national assessments in reading and writing at the end of Year 6 and in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

A high proportion of pupils study and enter the GCSE examinations in English baccalaureate subjects. In Reception, leaders have designed a curriculum that develops children effectively in preparation for Year 1. All pupils study textiles, food technology and woodwork during Years 7 to 9.

Leaders have planned a range of A levels and vocational courses for students to choose from in the sixth form.

Leaders' curriculum thinking is typically clear across the school. In some subjects, for example in English, leaders thinking is particularly strong.

Here, pupils in Year 9 have a deep knowledge Shakespeare's use of a soliloquy in Hamlet. Leaders are in the process of connecting the primary and secondary curriculums so that pupils' learning builds seamlessly throughout their time in the school. In subjects such as design and technology, and geography, this work is already well developed.

Pupils study art and music from Year 1 to Year 9 and can choose to study these subjects at GCSE. In Reception, the curriculum supports children to expand their vocabulary. For example, children enthusiastically explained that lava comes out of volcanoes.

In the majority of subjects, teachers present new knowledge to pupils clearly. They provide pupils with sufficient time to practise and apply this knowledge before they introduce new material. Leaders have identified a few subjects across the school, including in sixth form and early years, where teaching does not as routinely check that pupils understand and remember what they have been taught.

In these subjects, sometimes the work that pupils produce is not as high quality as it could be.

Leaders have recently implemented a new and ambitious reading curriculum. This helps pupils to develop their reading fluency, expand their vocabulary and improve their comprehension.

Leaders have provided staff with the training that they require to deliver this curriculum confidently. Leaders have also implemented systems to identify and support any pupils who may need help to catch up with their peers.

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are appropriately supported to learn the curriculum along with their peers.

Staff ensure that pupils with SEND are helped to achieve the best academic outcomes possible. Where leaders have identified that support for a small number of pupils with SEND could be enhanced, they are already working closely with parents, staff and external agencies to provide additional support.

Pupils consistently maintain the highest standards of behaviour.

As a result, pupils' learning proceeds without interruption. For example, pupils in Year 1 concentrated carefully during story time. Leaders analyse behaviour patterns and put in place effective strategies for any pupils who need help to manage their emotions.

Pupils have high levels of mutual respect for one another. They are calm and respectful throughout the school.

Leaders organise a wide range of extra-curricular activities for pupils as part of a well-designed personal development programme.

This programme includes occasions for pupils to debate current affairs and to think about how their actions impact the wider world. For example, pupils in Year 10 spoke about sensitive issues with maturity.

Careers education is planned into the personal development curriculum from Year 7 onwards.

Sixth-form students were enthusiastic about the many career-themed opportunities they receive. These include presentations on apprenticeships, jobs fairs and from visiting professionals.

Leaders have high expectations of staff at this school.

Staff said that senior leaders are mindful of staff's workload and well-being. Those responsible for governance know and carry out their statutory duties appropriately.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that a well-trained team shares responsibility for leading safeguarding throughout the school. All staff know how to report any concerns that pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders provide a range of appropriate help for pupils who may need it.

For example, leaders have organised for a school councillor to be on-site four days per week to support pupils with any mental health concerns. Leaders also work with external agencies as appropriate to provide any help that pupils may need. Pupils are also encouraged to keep themselves safe and preserve their well-being.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teaching does not accurately reflect leaders' ambitious intentions. In these subjects, sometimes teaching does not consistently revisit prior learning. This means that sometimes pupils do not know and remember all that they should.

In other cases, teaching does not consistently identify and address pupils' misconceptions. As a result, pupils do not understand some of what they have been taught and they cannot connect new learning to prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teaching systematically revisits prior learning and identifies and addresses pupils' misconceptions so that pupils know, remember and can do more across all subjects.

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