Mossbourne Community Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Mossbourne Community Academy changes pupils' lives for the better. The academy provides pupils with a far-reaching curriculum in and out of the classroom. Demanding rules and routines ensure that learning is front and centre at all times.

Pupils are taught to aim high in order to reach their full potential. Pupils' exemplary behaviour means that teachers are able to teach and focus on learning. Pupils settle immediately so that no time is wasted.

They listen, answer questions and get on with their work without fuss. As a result, pupils learn exceptionally well, achieve the highest results in examinations and leave school fully prepared for the next steps in their live...s.

Some pupils we spoke with felt that some of the rules are too strict.

However, they know that the rigorous routines help them to learn and keep safe. Pupils are not worried about bullying and know who to talk to if they were to have concerns. Nevertheless, they would like more opportunities for their views to contribute to the way things are done.

Pupils are extremely respectful of others. They accept different lifestyles and points of view without prejudice. Pupils welcome the work the academy does through the personal, social, health, careers and economic (PSHCE) programme.

For example, they appreciate the way the academy's careers programme helps them make informed and unbiased choices about their future.

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

Through their attention to detail, leaders and governors ensure that pupils are given the tools with which to achieve their dreams. Nothing is left to chance.

The academy provides a highly effective education that enables pupils, and sixth-form students, to reach first-rate outcomes. The deliberate focus on making sure that pupils' behaviour is impeccable is fundamental to the academy's success. It underpins the extremely well-planned curriculum, the excellent atmosphere in lessons and the single-minded attention to learning.

Great thought has been put into what pupils should learn and the order in which they learn it. Planning across the academy is sophisticated. As a result, pupils make the connections between different pieces of knowledge and develop their skills and understanding most effectively.

Teachers ensure that pupils are exposed to the very best of what has been written and said over the years. For example, English teachers have chosen powerful speeches over the past 150 years or so to help Year 7 pupils develop their understanding of persuasive writing.

In all subjects, the curriculum is planned most effectively to ensure that new knowledge is taught in a way that builds on previous learning.

Each lesson, and each unit of work, takes pupils' learning forward in a logical way. Teachers are experts in teaching their subjects. They know when to move on to new work and when to recap on previous learning.

Teachers are authoritative and know their subjects inside out. They have extremely high expectations. The consistency with which this is done across the academy is one the reasons for pupils achieving so well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who are disadvantaged, also achieve the highest standards. The provision for pupils with SEND is first class, including for those pupils who attend the additional resource unit. Leaders also give priority to disadvantaged pupils to help ensure that they, too, realise their full potential.

Teaching is adapted expertly to ensure that pupils' and students' needs are met fully.

The academy's wider curriculum enriches and extends pupils' learning substantially. It includes the Bourne Scholar programme where pupils learn about a wide range of ideas, events and views such as philosophy, ancient civilisations, climate change, politics and Hackney's history.

In addition, there is an extensive array of extra-curricular opportunities. These range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, sports clubs and teams to music, creative activities and the Mossbourne Rowing Academy. In the sixth form, students also have many opportunities to learn outside the classroom, for example through the weekly enrichment programme.

The academy provides dedicated support to apply for university, including Oxbridge. This, and the bursary programmes, help students gain places at some of the top universities in the country and overseas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' welfare and safety are a high priority. Leaders ensure that policies and procedures are robust and take account of the most recent government guidance. All staff understand the specific safeguarding issues in the local area.

Leaders work closely with external agencies to help mitigate some of the more significant local issues. This includes those related to gang culture and child sexual exploitation.

Leaders and governors ensure that the trust maintains robust records of the vetting checks.

Training is carefully organised so that staff are well versed in how to identify and report concerns. Pupils and students are taught about staying safe in the locality. They know about keeping safe online and the dangers of the inappropriate use of social media.