Jewellery Quarter Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

For some pupils, Jewellery Quarter Academy has not been a place where they thrive. Pupils recognise the recent improvements in the school's work to celebrate positive behaviour. Some also said that there is an improving environment in which to learn.

However, staff do not take a consistent approach when implementing the school's behaviour policy. Some pupils' behaviour can still be disruptive.

Most pupils conduct themselves well around the school.

They are polite to staff and visitors. Pupils said that they feel safe. They know who to talk to about any concerns that they may have.

However, some pupils are not certain that staff will address their con...cerns effectively.

The school's expectations of pupils' academic success are not high enough. Weaknesses in the design and delivery of the curriculum mean that many pupils do not achieve well.

They are ill-prepared for the next steps in their education, employment or training.

Pupils can recall some of what they learn in their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme, such as consent and county lines. The school offers many enrichment activities, including mentoring, chess, ukulele and the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme.

Pupils really appreciate these wider opportunities.

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

The school has experienced considerable changes to staffing, including to senior leadership roles, since the last inspection. This instability has, in part, contributed to the weaknesses at the school.

New leaders have begun to take the necessary steps to address these shortcomings, especially in relation to pupils' behaviour. However, the school, including the trust, has not stemmed the decline in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

Recently, some work has taken place to improve the curriculum.

The school has considered the order in which topics are studied and identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to develop. Even so, many aspects of the curriculum design and delivery are at the earliest stages of development. The improvements have not made a sufficient difference to pupils' learning.

Pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, do not progress well enough through the curriculum.

Teachers do not check pupils' understanding effectively. This means that gaps in pupils' learning remain.

Pupils continue to make the same errors. Some do not record information accurately. Many pupils do not have a solid foundation on which to build new learning.

The school is in the early stages of accurately identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and then putting the right strategies in place to help these pupils succeed. Many teachers do not use the current information outlined in pupils' learning plans to make the necessary adjustments so that pupils with SEND can learn.

The school identifies pupils who are weaker readers accurately.

However, there is variation in the support that these pupils receive. Important information about pupils' reading knowledge is not shared clearly with staff. This prevents these pupils from becoming fluent and confident readers.

In some lessons, pupils' learning behaviours are not positive enough. Some pupils become easily distracted. At times, pupils do not pay enough attention to their teachers' instructions.

This interrupts their own learning and that of others.

The school recently introduced new practices to support pupils' attendance. These new procedures are showing improvements in attendance rates.

However, although improving, there are some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who do not attend school regularly enough.

The current PSHE curriculum is carefully organised. Pupils can talk about what they know about keeping safe outside school.

However, because the curriculum is still new, pupils have gaps in their earlier learning. This limits their readiness for life in modern Britain.

It has been a particularly challenging time for the school.

However, there is now a growing sense of optimism. Staff are encouraged by the actions of the new leadership team. Many appreciate the school's actions to carefully consider their workload while introducing considerable change.

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's curriculum, in many subjects, is at the early stages of design and delivery. This work has not made a difference to pupils' achievement.

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils. The school must ensure that the revised curriculum is implemented effectively so that pupils learn all that they should in readiness for their next steps. ? Teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to identify the gaps that many pupils have in their previous learning.

There are not enough checks to ensure that pupils write and record with accuracy. The school must ensure that sufficient checks are made so that gaps in pupils' learning, including in writing, are identified and addressed to enable pupils to progress well through the curriculum. The school has not ensured that staff understand pupils' learning needs well enough.

It has not made sure that staff have the expertise that they need to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to help pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, to access learning. As a result, these pupils do not achieve well. Some are unable to read at a level appropriate to their age.

The school should ensure that pupils' needs are identified accurately, and that staff are well equipped to support these pupils to read fluently, access an ambitious curriculum and learn all that they should. ? The school's behaviour systems are in the early stages of implementation and are not fully established. As a result, there is an inconsistent approach from staff when establishing high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

At times, this leads to some pupils not behaving as they should. This disrupts the learning of others. The school should ensure that all staff implement the behaviour policy effectively, so that any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with consistently well.