Leeds East Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. There are high ambitions for all pupils. The school nurtures pupils so they have the self-belief and resilience to succeed, whatever their background.

Pupils appreciate the support staff give them in lessons and around school. Warm and respectful relationships exist within the school community. Sometimes, pupils' behaviour outside of lessons does not meet the school's high expectations.

When this happens, the school skilfully guides pupils towards the right choices. The atmosphere in classrooms is calm and focused. Rewards are used to praise pupils' achievements.

The school's curriculum and the way in which it is taug...ht is now a strength of the school. This has not been the case over time. Some pupils also attend less well than they should.

Gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding have developed. Pupils have performed significantly less well than their peers nationally in external tests and assessments.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities that inspire pupils for their futures.

These include academic lectures given by staff and pupils, trips to universities, work experience and the 'Empower Programme' which introduces pupils to new ideas and experiences. Each day begins with a tutor period known as 'Guardian Time' in which pupils follow a deliberately planned curriculum. Pupils learn about important topics such as money management, careers choices and staying safe in their community.

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

The school has developed a curriculum which is exciting and relevant to pupils at the school. For example, in English and history, the school has thought carefully about the time periods, topics and authors that pupils will benefit the most from studying. The way that knowledge and skills are taught to pupils gets more complex over time.

This helps pupils gain a deeper understanding of their learning. The school is ambitious that all pupils will study a broad curriculum.

Staff are passionate about sharing their knowledge with pupils.

Opportunities for pupils to demonstrate what they have learned are becoming more frequent. At times, staff do not precisely identify what pupils can and cannot remember. New learning does not consistently build upon what pupils already know and can do.

This has led to gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding.

The school provides effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school identifies the specific support each pupil with SEND requires.

Staff use this information well to adapt individual resources and lessons. The school has accurately identified the gaps that some pupils have in their understanding of the curriculum. Specific interventions are planned to address these.

However, this has not been the case over time. The quality of education at the school has not matched pupils' needs as well as it might. As a result, some pupils have notable gaps in their knowledge and skills which hinder their academic achievement.

Many pupils join the school with low levels of literacy. The school has quickly identified what help each pupil might need. The school provides additional literacy lessons and interventions for a significant number of pupils.

The impact of this work is strong. Pupils enjoy regular opportunities to read for pleasure or as part of a group in integral reading sessions. The personalised learning centre is a dedicated area that provides support for pupils with a wide range of needs.

Literacy and numeracy support is regular and effective. The school works tirelessly to ensure pupils with SEND get the support that they need.

Some pupils are not benefiting from the education on offer at the school because they are absent too often.

The school has used several strategies to improve attendance over time. Additional capacity has been added to the attendance team. This has led to increased attendance for some, but not all, groups of pupils.

Staff benefit from a broad range of professional development opportunities. The school plan and implement high-quality training on a variety of topics. These include educating pupils with SEND, assessment, developing strong relationships and keeping pupils safe.

The school regularly monitors the impact of this work. They know where further improvements are required and take swift and effective action to bring these about.

Those responsible for governance support and challenge school leaders to ensure the school is providing the best quality of education possible for all pupils.

The school ensures that staff feel well supported and that workload is considered when changes are made.

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 work to improve the quality of education that pupils, including the most disadvantaged, receive has not led to consistent improvements in how well pupils achieve in national tests and assessments.

This is because the curriculum has not been well adapted to address gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills over time. Pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage in education, employment or training as they might be. The school should ensure the curriculum continues to improve and meet the needs of pupils precisely and that the impact of any adaptations are closely monitored to ensure pupils' achievement improves at pace.

• Across a range of subjects, the way that staff check what pupils know and remember is inconsistent. This hinders pupils from learning as much of the curriculum as they need to. The school should ensure that the way staff check what pupils know and remember precisely identifies the gaps pupils have in their knowledge and skills.

The school should regularly review the impact of this work to ensure it has the desired impact on pupils' knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. Some pupils miss out on too much of their learning. For some, this is because they do not attend school often enough.

For others, this is because their behaviour around the school building impacts negatively on their education. This leads to gaps in their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. The school should ensure that approaches to improving the attendance and behaviour of some pupils are embedded to bring about sustained improvement.