Longspee Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Longspee Academy provides a calm and nurturing environment for pupils to learn in. Many pupils arrive from failed placements elsewhere. Pupils receive the care and support they need to help them overcome the challenges they face and to learn.

As a result, pupils gain confidence and self-esteem, which helps them to progress well through the curriculum.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them.

When pupils are anxious, staff take effective and supportive action to enable pupils to re-engage with their learning. However, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they miss crucial learnin...g and have gaps in their knowledge.

Pupils are confident they have a voice. High-quality pastoral support and positive relationships with adults enable pupils to feel valued. Pupils have the opportunity to express their views on a range of local and national issues.

They understand healthy lifestyles and keeping safe.

Pupils relish the extra responsibilities the school offers, such as being members of the school council. In addition, pupils support the community through, for example, the local food bank and acting as park rangers.

These responsibilities develop pupils' social and leadership skills well.

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

Many older pupils have experienced long periods of time out of school prior to starting at Longspee. This means they arrive with significant gaps in their knowledge.

The school focuses on supporting each pupil. It wants them to become confident learners and responsible citizens. The school's vision of 'happy, safe, progress' shines through.

Staff strive for every pupil to experience success to enable them to lead fulfilling lives.

The school has an ambitious curriculum. Pupils can study a wide range of subjects.

Learning outside the classroom is a firm favourite, for example going shopping and visiting cafes. This helps pupils to practise their financial skills. The school wants pupils to gain the knowledge they need for their next steps.

The school is determined that every pupil will leave the school with GCSE success. Pupils have access to therapeutic provision such as equine and music therapy. However, this provision is hindered by some pupils' high absence rates.

This impacts on their learning. As a result, there are gaps in their knowledge. The school is working with parents and other agencies to improve pupils' attendance.

However, it is not showing the impact it requires.

The school sees reading as the gateway to pupils' success. Staff have the aspiration that all pupils will become, at the very least, functional readers.

Pupils understand the importance of learning to read to increase their independence as they grow older. Pupils in the early stages of reading benefit from highly effective phonics teaching. Reading books match the sounds that pupils know.

Staff are skilled in teaching reading. This means they are able to identify any pupils falling behind and provide the support they need to keep up. Pupils regularly get the opportunity either to read or listen to stories.

This helps pupils to increase their reading fluency and to develop a love of books.

Pupils' wider personal development is fundamental to the school's work. A well-designed personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum helps pupils to be kind, thoughtful young people.

They learn to respect and celebrate the diversity of the world in which they live. The school works closely with carefully chosen charities. As a result, pupils develop a sense of responsibility and empathy.

Visits, such as to the Lighthouse Theatre, Arts University Bournemouth and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, enhance pupils' learning.

The school puts helpful careers guidance and support in place. They do not put a ceiling on pupils' aspirations.

Work experience is carefully planned, and includes the military, engineering and working with children. The school is determined that any work experience is meaningful and supports pupils' talents and interests.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school often enough. As a result, they do not build their knowledge well over time and have gaps in their learning. The trust needs to ensure that the attendance strategy and work with parents are effective in ensuring that pupils attend regularly so they learn more successfully over time.

• There remains a legacy where older pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This means they are not able to access more complex learning to support future aspirations. The trust needs to ensure that learning is adapted to close any remaining gaps securely.

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