London Enterprise Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

Respect for all' sums up London Enterprise Academy nicely. Pupils have pride in themselves and in their school. They are polite, courteous and welcoming.

They, too, are welcomed into school, regardless of their background or previous experiences. As a result, pupils trust their teachers and are comfortable talking to them about any concerns they may have. They know that any problems, however large or small, will be settled quickly and by the book.

This includes any concerns about bullying.

Pupils' well-being and social development are taken seriously by all staff. Pupils not only feel safe, they are safe because of the attention the school gives to ensuring ...good behaviour.

Staff are visible around the school, making sure that pupils move to lessons quickly. This creates a positive atmosphere where pupils and adults work together to learn. Pupils are taught about how to be responsible citizens and the importance of giving to others.

They learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way, an example of how the school promotes respect successfully.

Many pupils achieve well academically. The way subjects are taught has improved so that pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in later life.

Nevertheless, there is still some way to go to ensure that learning is consistently strong for all pupils, including in reading and for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who speak English as an additional language.

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

Over the past four years, the school has faced challenges in staffing and leadership. While there is much that the school does well, it has been hampered by a lack of capacity to develop the school's curriculum.

The governing body's evaluations of the school's strengths have been overgenerous. However, a series of senior appointments has improved leadership capacity. Senior and middle leaders' work to improve the curriculum and how it is taught is paying dividends.

In many subjects, senior and middle leaders have thought about where and when subject content should be taught. The curriculum for these subjects is now organised well. In many cases, teachers' understanding of how to teach their subject means that pupils' learning is strong.

The work given to pupils in mathematics, humanities and languages is organised well to support learning. Work to improve design and technology has taken on a new urgency.

Nevertheless, there remain weaknesses in the way pupils learn within subjects and across the school.

There are inconsistencies in the way learning is organised. For example, the use of assessment to check whether pupils have learned and remembered the essential facts is variable. Misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning are not routinely tackled, and this limits their understanding.

Although leaders and governors have rightly identified reading as a priority, pupils' literacy skills remain variable. Many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, read without the accuracy and fluency they need to access learning in other subjects. Pupils do not routinely read for pleasure.

Leaders have clear plans to broaden the range of reading books. At present, however, pupils do not always read books that are matched to their level of reading skill.

The support given to pupils with SEND is variable.

Although there are effective procedures for identifying pupils who need support with their learning, these are not used routinely in all classrooms. For example, the range of strategies to help pupils learn, including pupil profiles that give teachers advice on adapting their teaching, are not drawn on consistently. This hampers pupils' learning.

Pupils have positive attitudes towards their lessons. Their behaviour nearly always ensures that teachers can teach what they have planned. Behaviour is managed effectively.

The incidents of poor behaviour and fixed-term exclusions have fallen considerably. Attendance is strong.

Leaders ensure that pupils' well-being is given a high priority.

In-school counselling supports pupils' mental health. Pupils said that they find this especially helpful. There are a wide range of high-quality opportunities designed to promote pupils' personal development.

The citizenship programme, assemblies and the curriculum for careers help to prepare pupils effectively for the world after school.

Leaders consider staff's workload carefully, for example by reducing the amount of information about pupils' progress collected each year. Staff appreciate this, including leaders' actions to provide professional development.

Staff feel well supported and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding procedures and records are well organised and detailed.

Leaders carry out checks on the suitability of adults accurately and the arrangements for recruiting staff are suitably robust. Leaders check safeguarding practices thoroughly to ensure that timely action is taken if staff are worried about a pupil's safety or well-being. This is helped considerably by having a social worker on site.

Pupils get the right support when they need it. Leaders work closely with external agencies, such as social services and community health experts, and this helps to ensure that expert help is on hand for pupils who are at risk of harm. Leaders and governors react promptly when safeguarding issues in the school are raised.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are weaknesses in the way pupils learn within subjects and across the school. Assessment is not used consistently to check whether pupils have learned and remembered the essential facts. Misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning are not routinely tackled.

Leaders should ensure that ongoing assessment is used effectively to evaluate whether pupils are learning the intended curriculum. ? Pupils' literacy skills are uneven. Many pupils read without the accuracy and fluency they need to access learning in other subjects.

Pupils do not routinely read for pleasure. Leaders must ensure that the plans to broaden the range of reading books are implemented urgently. Leaders also need to ensure that reading remains a priority, including ensuring that pupils have the phonetic knowledge to read accurately and fluently.

• The support given to pupils with SEND is variable. Leaders need to ensure that the established procedures to support pupils with SEND are implemented effectively in classrooms. This will include training for staff on how to adapt their teaching for different pupils and maintain high expectations for all.