Leigh Academy Rainham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school wants them to be the best they can be. They appreciate that staff have high expectations of them, which pupils rise to very well.

The curriculum is interesting and ambitious. Pupils respond positively to their learning, working with focus, independence and resilience.

Pupils treat each other and adults with respect.

Kind, caring staff make sure that pupils are very clear on how to behave well. As a result, lessons are hardly ever disrupted. The school is very calm and orderly.

Pupils behave maturely, with high levels of self-control.

The school puts pupils' welfare and well-being at the forefront of its work. Pupi...ls are taught about staying healthy, managing risk and healthy relationships.

They are well-prepared for growing towards adulthood. Pupils feel confident to seek support should they need it.

The school offers an extensive and very well considered personal development curriculum.

The school values of 'dream, believe, achieve' underpin school life. Pupils are strongly encouraged to attend a wide range of clubs and activities, including many sports, music and debating. As part of the enrichment programme, pupils visit historical sites, theatres and foreign countries.

These activities help turn classroom learning into reality. Pupils develop their character well through activities such as fundraising and the Duke of Edinburgh award.

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

The school has thought carefully about how it has designed the curriculum.

It has ensured that pupils are taught interesting, relevant knowledge in each subject. Well-considered links are made between subjects which help root learning in reality. For example, when studying A Midsummer Night's Dream in English, pupils also learn about set design and planning a production.

The school's ambition continues as pupils move into key stage 4, where high proportions will study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects next year.

The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know in each subject and has made sure that it is logically sequenced. Pupils build up their knowledge well over time.

Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often. The school is becoming increasingly effective in supporting pupils who struggle to read to gain fluency and confidence.

The school supports the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively.

Staff have strong subject expertise, but a small number do not always use the most effective strategies when delivering learning. This means a few pupils do not learn as well as they could. Broadly speaking, teachers ask well-chosen questions to check what pupils have learned.

In this way, staff adapt their teaching to ensure any misconceptions are addressed. Pupils make very good use of their individual devices for independent learning. Almost all pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. The school sets out very clear, high expectations of how pupils should conduct themselves during lessons and around the school. Pupils understand the school's structured approach well, describing it as firm and fair.

There is a culture of warm positivity. When staff need to remind pupils about behaviour, it is done with respect and care. During lessons, attentive pupils focus extremely well.

They show tenacity and maturity in their learning. Pupils appreciate their teachers, understanding that calm, quiet classrooms help them to learn best.

Pupils are very safe here.

Pastoral support is very strong and the school places a high focus on pupils' mental health. Pupils trust adults to help them. They know that the school provides various, helpful ways for them to report any concerns that they may have.

The school has designed a personal development curriculum that truly enriches pupils' wider experience. It makes sure that disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, benefit greatly from the programme. Pupils have opportunities to make a positive contribution to school life and to the wider community.

They view roles such as student leaders and mentors to be important and valuable. Pupils receive timely information about careers and future pathways. The school has plans in place to further extend its already impressive careers guidance as pupils move into key stage 4.

Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and viewpoints. They are mature, empathic young people who readily accept difference. The school prepares them well for life in modern Britain and the wider world.

Leaders and those responsible for governance, work with drive and determination to continually improve pupils' educational experience. Ably supported by the trust, the school offers staff regular, high-quality training so that they can continue to improve in their roles. Staff are immensely proud to work here.

They feel very well supported with their workload and well-being. Parents also endorse the work of the school, with increasingly high proportions recognising the benefits of the school's approach.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Due to different levels of experience, a few teachers use less effective pedagogical strategies. This means that a small number of pupils do not always learn as well as they could across all subjects. The school should continue to provide high-quality training to ensure that all staff's pedagogical knowledge is equally effective.