Morecambe Bay Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Morecambe Bay Academy are happy, polite and respectful. They said that they feel part of a close-knit community where everyone is valued. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, forge positive relationships with each other and with staff.

These relationships contribute well to a supportive environment where pupils feel safe. Pupils know that there is someone who they can turn to if they feel upset or worried.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond well to the high expectations that the school has of their conduct and achievement.

Behaviour around the school is orderly. If pupils fall short of ...the school's expectations, staff follow a rigorous and consistent approach to address any incidents of misbehaviour effectively.

The school is clear and ambitious in its drive to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

The school motto, 'belong, believe, achieve', underpins pupils' positive attitudes to learning. In the main, pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

The number of clubs and trips on offer for pupils continues to grow.

Students in the sixth form enjoy enrichment opportunities where they are encouraged to support charities and help in the local community. Pupils are proud of the opportunities that they have to become leaders or to help others by, for example, being reading partners or anti-bullying ambassadors.

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

In a short space of time, the school, together with support from the trust, has made substantial strides in improving the curriculum.

The school has developed an increasingly ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND. For example, more pupils choose to learn a language in key stage 4. This is helping to increase the number of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

Overall, current pupils learn the curriculum effectively and they achieve well. However, some older pupils have not benefited from the improvements to the curriculum. This is reflected in published outcomes.

The curriculum is well thought out and identifies the key knowledge that pupils, including students in the sixth form, need to learn. The school has broken down this knowledge into smaller steps, and topics are taught in a logical order. As a result, pupils successfully build upon and develop their knowledge over time.

For the most part, teachers deliver the curriculum with confidence and expertise. They explain new concepts to pupils with clarity. Teachers use assessment strategies skilfully to identify any gaps in pupils' understanding.

This is helping pupils to build a rich body of subject knowledge across the curriculum.The school has prioritised reading. For example, there is a spacious and inviting library for pupils to enjoy and visit regularly.

Added to this, the school has introduced strategies to encourage pupils to read more widely and discuss in depth the books that they have read. These initiatives are helping pupils to increase their enjoyment of reading for pleasure.

The school's systems for identifying pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read are in their infancy.

This means that a small proportion of older pupils have not received the timely support that they need to improve their reading knowledge. From time to time, this hinders how fully these pupils access the wider curriculum.

The school prioritises the early identification of pupils with SEND.

The school shares strategies and relevant information with staff so that the needs of SEND pupils are met. Pupils with SEND spoke positively about the support that they receive from staff. The school has the same high aspirations for pupils with SEND as they do for everyone else.

Most pupils behave well. They treat staff with due regard, and they display positive attitudes towards their learning. Most pupils and students attend school regularly.

The school works closely with parents and carers to remove any barriers that may affect pupils' rates of attendance. However, despite the school's efforts, some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. These pupils miss out on all that the school has to offer.

The school has a well-organised personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Pupils learn how to maintain healthy lifestyles and how to develop healthy relationships. The PSHE curriculum helps pupils to better understand the impact of their lifestyle choices.

The careers programme raises pupils' aspirations and prepares them well for the next steps in their education. Students in the sixth form value the individualised careers input that expert staff provide, which suitably prepares them for adulthood.

The school is committed to engaging positively with pupils and their parents.

For example, parents of pupils with SEND appreciate the opportunities to attend coffee mornings and workshops. Through these events, staff share information about how parents can better support their children's additional needs.

Trust leaders and governors share an ambitious vision for all pupils at the school.

They have a thorough understanding of the school's priorities for further development. Trustees provide appropriate support to the school while holding it to account effectively.

Staff said that they feel listened to by leaders.

They spoke enthusiastically about the changes that leaders have made to improve their workload. For example, the school has recently enhanced the support provided for subject leaders to enable them to further improve their curriculums.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A minority of pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This means that they miss out on important learning and a range of other opportunities provided by the school. The school should continue to support these pupils and their families to improve their rates of attendance.

• Some older pupils do not read as well as they should. This prevents some of these pupils from fully accessing the wider curriculum and learning well. As the school rolls out and embeds its reading strategy, it should ensure that older pupils' gaps in reading knowledge are identified and addressed quickly.