King Edward VII Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects high standards of pupils' work and behaviour.

It reminds pupils that every minute counts in meeting these standards. Pupils are rising to this challenge. They know that they attend an inclusive school that has improved rapidly.

In the past, academic outcomes have been low. Now, however, the sense of ambition is abundantly clear. Lessons are engaging and focused.

Pupils learn well.

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They fully understand the new expectations for behaviour and attendance.

In response, they behave well and treat others with respect. Pupils move around the school calmly. They feel safe in school because they ...know that staff will act if they raise concerns.

All have a trusted adult to whom they can talk. The action the school has taken to improve attendance is having an early impact.

The school goes out of its way to develop pupils' character and interests.

Pupils and students in the sixth form are taught how to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. They are well-prepared for life in modern Britain. The house system instils a sense of motivating competition.

All pupils can participate in the wide range of sporting clubs and other activities on offer. Increasingly, they can take on leadership responsibilities.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious.

It ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum alongside their peers. The curriculum sets out what pupils will learn and the correct order in which it is taught. High-quality training and support from the trust have led to precise teaching.

Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to present new concepts clearly. They skilfully check pupils' work in lessons to spot gaps in learning. They address misunderstandings as they arise.

As a result, pupils progress well in a range of subjects.At key stage 4, the proportion of pupils studying subjects that contribute to the English Baccalaureate is increasing. This is in line with the government's national ambition.

Careers education is strong. Pupils are well-informed about their future opportunities. Students in the sixth form achieve the grades they need to follow their chosen pathways.

The school has tackled the need to improve pupils' reading with urgency and to great effect. The trust has supported this work well. Reading has become a central focus of school life.

Pupils read for pleasure every day. Staff provide pupils who find reading more of a challenge with skilled and effective support. This helps them to keep up and become more confident and fluent readers.

Support for pupils with SEND is improving. Teachers have recently received effective training. However, leaders know that they still have work to do.

This is because the plans written to support some pupils with SEND are not specific enough. Consequently, pupils with SEND do not always progress as well as they should.In the past, pupils did not achieve strong results in national examinations.

Poor behaviour and low attendance contributed to this. Staff and pupils welcome the way in which the school has firmly tackled these previous issues. The school has established clear expectations for behaviour.

Staff apply them consistently. Pupils now have positive attitudes to their learning and behave well. The number of suspensions and removals from lessons has fallen considerably.

Attendance has also improved, including in the sixth form. However, some pupils still do not attend regularly enough. Through their absence, these pupils do not benefit from the school's strong academic and pastoral support.

The school, with support from the trust, has robust plans to improve this. These plans are in the early stages of being implemented.Pupils take part in a wide range of enrichment activities.

Students in the sixth form take on active leadership roles, including in house competitions. They help pupils in the lower school with their reading. The relationships and sex education curriculum enables pupils to understand the personal decisions they make in an age-appropriate way.

The school develops pupils' character well. Pupils learn about the importance of staying safe. They know to respect and value people's differences.

They welcome the opportunities offered to make a positive contribution to society.Trust and school leaders set an ambitious pace for change. They build well on strengths and address weaknesses at speed.

The academy committee and trustees have considerable expertise. They have supported the rapid improvement in the school. Leaders work hard to communicate with parents and the local community.

Parental engagement and confidence are growing fast.Staff are invested in the school and the community. They feel well supported by leaders who manage their workload with sensitivity.

They want the very best for pupils and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, the school does not identify clearly enough the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

As a result, the adaptions made by teachers sometimes do not help pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified and that teachers use this information well to support learning. ? In the past, pupils' outcomes have been much lower than the national average.

In part, this is because some pupils did not attend school regularly enough. Some pupils still do not. With trust support, the school should prioritise and implement the actions they have planned to improve the attendance for all pupils who need it.