Ipswich Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils trust adults to listen to, follow up, and help resolve, any worries they have. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

They value the school's help with issues they face in their wider lives. This includes the school chaplain who provides bereavement and counselling to support pupils' mental health.

Pupils experience some high-quality teaching that enables them to build knowledge well.

However, too often this is not the case, particularly where pupils are taught by cover teachers for extended periods. This means that some pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge and have not achieved well enough.

Pupils understand the school's expectati...ons for behaviour.

However, some do not follow these expectations consistently enough. Some pupils spend time outside of lessons as a result of their behaviour, missing important learning.

Pupils benefit from a rich range of personal development opportunities.

As part of the 'hinterland project' all pupils have had access to fully funded trips abroad to places, like France. This builds their cultural understanding. They also enjoy the range of clubs and competitive sporting fixture opportunities.

These support their social development well.

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

The trust and school have carefully planned the important knowledge pupils should learn in each subject. However, there is too much inconsistency in how well the intended curriculum is taught.

This is due to temporary teaching arrangements and because the school has not been rigorous enough in its challenge and support for staff. This has meant that some pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge and produce work that is not of a high enough standard.

The proportion of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is low.

This limits the range of knowledge pupils build. The school is already taking action to increase the proportion of pupils who continue to study modern foreign language and separate sciences during key stage 4.

Leaders have implemented an effective programme of support for those at the earliest stages of reading.

The precise barriers to pupils reading are quickly identified. Pupils receive well-targeted support that helps them to learn to read confidently.

The school has outlined clear and appropriate strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

However, staff do not use these consistently well enough. The school has not checked carefully how staff are using these strategies in the classroom.

The school has clear expectations for pupils' behaviour and provides suitable support to help pupils address the causes of poor behaviour.

However, some staff do not follow the school's behaviour policy consistently. This means that some pupils miss out on important learning. The use of unkind language is too frequent.

Some pupils have become too used to this and do not always report it to staff when they hear it.

Leaders have ensured that pupils' attendance has been on a path of improvement following the pandemic. Leaders quickly identify barriers to non-attendance and take prompt and appropriate action to address these.

Personal development is well promoted through an extensive programme of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). Pupils benefit from a comprehensive programme of careers support. This helps them to be well informed about their next steps.

The careers curriculum includes a range of expert input and guidance. For example, pupils recently learned about the inspirational role of women in the Royal Air Force, which also broadened their understanding of equality.

The trust knows the areas the school needs to improve and is providing regular school improvement support to help achieve this.

However, the school has not been rigorous enough in its challenge and support for ensuring consistency of high standards in teaching and pupil behaviour. For some staff this has impacted on their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that the curriculum is taught consistently well. Where temporary teaching arrangements have been in place, pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge. These gaps have not been addressed effectively enough, so pupils have not achieved as well as they should.

The school needs to ensure that both permanent and temporary staff receive appropriate support so that pupils receive a consistently high standard of teaching. ? The proportion of pupils who complete the EBacc is low. As a result, some pupils do not study a sufficiently wide range of subjects.

The school needs to continue its work to ensure that pupils in key stage 4 study an ambitious range of subjects, particularly in modern foreign languages and sciences. ? The school has not ensured that teachers provide the agreed support for pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could or produce high-quality work.

The school needs to ensure that all teachers use the identified strategies to support the needs of pupils with SEND consistently well. Some pupils do not behave consistently well, particularly when cover teachers are used. When this is the case, pupils miss important learning.

Leaders must ensure staff understand and implement the behaviour policy effectively. ? The use of offensive language is too common. The school needs to ensure that all staff follow the behaviour policy consistently and that all pupils understand and quickly report any unkind language they hear so it can be addressed promptly.