Northampton International Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There are some substantial concerns about this school.

Many parents and carers, pupils and staff who expressed a view are worried about safety at the school. Many of these pupils say that they are unhappy here.

The behaviour in the primary phase is much better than in the rest of the school.

However, some pupils in the primary phase say that they do not feel safe and that older pupils disturb their learning. Many of the pupils that inspectors met in the school's secondary phase said that they believe the poor behaviour they experience every day is having a negative effect on their education. Pupils' behaviour in this phase regularly disrupts lessons.

...>Some staff say that they feel overwhelmed by the poor behaviour of the pupils in the secondary phase. They feel that they do not get the help they need from leaders to do their jobs well.

Many pupils do not feel that school leaders deal with bullying effectively.

They say that they report bullying but nothing changes. Some parents are frustrated because they feel that leaders do not listen to their concerns about bullying.

Leaders are mindful of the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on pupils' well-being.

They have put in place strategies to support pupils in this, including through setting up the new mental health hub.

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

Leaders, including those from the trust, and governors have failed to act swiftly enough to address poor behaviour. They have not supported staff adequately to help them manage pupils' behaviour effectively.

Too many pupils in the secondary phase are late to lessons, behave poorly in lessons or remain in the corridors when they should be in classrooms learning. They disrupt others' learning. Too many show a lack of respect to staff and to other pupils.

Too often, pupils' behaviour, particularly outside of lessons, makes other pupils feel unsafe. Inspectors saw pupils behaving poorly. Sometimes, staff did not challenge this behaviour.

A significant proportion of staff, parents and pupils do not have confidence in the leaders' ability to bring about the necessary improvements.

Some pupils in the secondary phase are concerned about the lack of equality and the presence of harassment from other pupils. They say that the regular racist and homophobic remarks of some pupils make it hard to be different in the school.

Leaders have taken some measures to resolve this. It is too soon to see what impact these measures will have.

Leaders have started to construct a well-considered curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.

Leaders recognise that this process is not yet complete. In some subjects, leaders have identified the important knowledge they want pupils to learn. In these subjects, teachers plan lessons that enable pupils to build their knowledge and skills step by step.

This enables pupils to remember more about what they have been learning and learn new knowledge. This is best seen in the primary phase and in some subjects in the secondary phase. However, this is not the case in all subjects.

In some, pupils do not learn the important knowledge that they need to engage with new learning.

Many pupils in the secondary phase who expressed a view said they were fed up with the constant change of teachers. They say that the new staff do not always know what the pupils have learned previously nor what they need to move on to next.

The impact of COVID-19 on staff's absence across the school has made the situation worse.

Some parents whose children have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel that staff do not cater well for their needs. The appointment of a new special educational needs coordinator has begun to have a positive impact for pupils with SEND in the secondary phase.

New leadership has brought greater stability to the sixth-form provision. Students appreciate the support these new leaders provide. Students have good attendance and most benefit from quality teaching from knowledgeable staff.

However, this is not the case in all subjects. The careers advice and guidance provision does not help students prepare for future opportunities and employment consistently well.

Teaching pupils how to read as soon as possible is a priority for leaders.

This starts in the early years as children learn to use their phonics skills to decode the books they read. Some struggle with this and do not always get the expert help they need to become fluent readers. Leaders have not made sure that all staff have had the training they need to help pupils learn to read.

Sometimes, the books pupils read are not well matched to the sounds they know. This makes it harder for them to become confident readers as quickly as possible.

Children in the early years enjoy structured learning opportunities.

They also enjoy 'learning invitations' when playing. These help them to understand how best to behave and to treat others, including through learning to take turns.

Pupils have access to a range of sporting opportunities outside of school hours.

Some pupils say that they enjoy trips to the pantomime and visits to universities. Pupils in the primary phase engage well with personal development lessons. However, older pupils do not take lessons in personal, social, health and economic education seriously.

As a result, some older pupils miss out on important knowledge they need for life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Too many pupils, and some staff, do not feel safe in school due to the behaviour of some pupils.

They have little confidence that the leaders will address concerns about their safety.

Leaders have not ensured that staff maintain accurate registers. For example, they do not record pupils' absence correctly.

Leaders are not effective in addressing occasions when pupils who are present at school choose to miss lessons.

Leaders have not maintained the improvements to safeguarding noted at the previous inspection. They do not always maintain detailed, accurate records of their work to keep pupils safe, including vulnerable pupils.

Leaders do not have a sufficiently precise understanding of the number and nature of incidents that have taken place that could be a safeguarding concern.

Leaders involve appropriate outside agencies to safeguard pupils. However, leaders have not always acted with sufficient urgency to ensure that pupils get the support they need.

Pupils in the school's secondary phase have not had enough teaching to ensure that they know how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that pupils and staff are safe or feel safe at the school. A significant number of pupils, staff and parents have raised concerns about safety at the school.

Many feel leaders do not listen to them when they raise these concerns. The behaviour of pupils, particularly outside of lessons, makes other pupils feel unsafe. Some female pupils feel that leaders are unconcerned about their welfare, especially around the access to toilets.

Leaders do not ensure that their systems for registering attendance are accurate. Leaders need to ensure that their actions, systems and procedures work effectively to make sure that staff and pupils are safe and feel safe. ? The behaviour and attitudes of some pupils at the school are poor.

Many staff struggle to manage frequent incidents of poor behaviour and feel unsupported by leaders. This behaviour is having a significant negative impact on pupils' learning, particularly in the secondary phase. Many pupils, staff and parents feel that leaders do not listen to their concerns about behaviour and safety.

Leaders should ensure that the necessary change is brought about to the school's culture, including through engaging with all stakeholders, so that all pupils may be able to engage with learning and be successful. ? There is not a well-planned and sequenced curriculum in place that builds from the early years through to Year 11. This means that pupils do not always learn the important information they need at the right time.

Leaders need to ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are coherently planned and sequenced so that pupils can build up their knowledge over time. ? A significant number of pupils in the secondary phase do not value the school's personal development programme. Not all staff have the knowledge they need to deliver topics on the programme.

Pupils are missing out on important knowledge they need for life in modern Britain. This is reflected in the way some pupils treat others who are different from them. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils benefit from a high-quality and engaging personal development programme, taught by staff who have the necessary knowledge of the topics they deliver.

• The implementation of the phonics programme is not yet consistent, including in the early years. Not all staff have the subject knowledge that they need. They do not always address misconceptions.

In some cases, books do not match the sounds that pupils know. Some pupils at the very early stages of reading do not get the right teaching at the right time to help them build on what they already know. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge they need so that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics.

• Some students in the sixth form do not have access to appropriate careers advice and guidance. This means that they do not receive the help they need to make well-informed choices about their next steps. Leaders must ensure that there is an effective programme of careers advice and guidance in place so that students get the expert support they need.