Padgate Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Padgate Academy is a caring and welcoming learning environment for pupils. New arrivals to the school, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, are helped by staff to settle in quickly.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' learning about tolerance and respect, in order to establish a culture where diversity is valued and celebrated. Pupils are confident to report incidents of harassment to teachers and know that they will be... taken seriously.

Leaders take effective action to tackle incidents of bullying. This helps most pupils to feel happy and safe in school.

Staff have increased their expectations of pupils' attendance, behaviour and achievement.

The majority of pupils work hard to meet these high expectations. This is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. Most pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education or training.

Pupils benefit from a rich and diverse range of activities to supplement their learning, including trampolining, design club and creative writing. Pupils positively contribute to the school community through becoming ambassadors for areas such as reading, anti-bullying and pupil well-being, as well as participating in the school council.

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

Subject leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum.

Leaders have carefully considered the knowledge that is most important for pupils to learn. They ensure that teachers are clear about what they should teach and when this content should be taught. This helps pupils to connect their new knowledge to what they have learned before.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They choose suitable approaches and resources which help pupils to understand their learning well. That said, from time to time, in a few subjects, teachers do not act to address some pupils' misconceptions quickly enough.

This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Leaders have recently increased their focus on pupils' reading knowledge. They have identified some pupils in key stage 3 who find reading more difficult.

Leaders have implemented appropriate support for these pupils, which is helping them to catch up quickly with their peers. However, some older pupils do not receive the help that they need to become confident, fluent readers. On occasion, this affects how well these pupils access the wider curriculum.

Leaders have established rigorous systems for identifying pupils with SEND. Most teachers utilise the information that they receive from leaders to make suitable adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum, which meet the needs of pupils well. Pupils who attend the specially resourced provision are supported by highly trained staff.

Leaders are ambitious for what these pupils can achieve, ensuring that they access the same high-quality curriculum as their peers.

Leaders have identified that, in the past, pupils' poor attendance has had a negative impact on their academic achievement. As a result, they have implemented a range of strategies which have been successful in improving the attendance of pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

Pupil's conduct in lessons and around school is typically calm and orderly. Leaders' systems to promote positive behaviour are understood by staff and pupils. This helps teachers to deal with rare incidents of disruption to learning quickly and effectively.

Leaders have designed a rigorous and cohesive programme to support pupils' wider development. Pupils' learning is enhanced through assemblies, speakers and workshops which bring their learning to life. Leaders provide comprehensive careers support for pupils from Year 7 to Year 11, which helps to prepare pupils well for their next steps.

Trust representatives have worked to stabilise leadership in the school following a period of significant turbulence, including by strengthening the governing body. This has ensured that governors have the knowledge and skills required to provide effective support and challenge for leaders in the school.

Governors, leaders and staff at all levels value the opportunities that the trust provides for training, support and collaborative working.

Leaders have taken effective steps to reduce staff's workload and to provide support for staff well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have firmly established systems for staff to report concerns about pupils.

Staff receive regular training and updates, which keep safeguarding in the forefront of their minds. They are vigilant to the signs that a pupil may need help.

Leaders have strong relationships with external agencies and they are proactive in seeking advice when needed.

They are tenacious in their efforts to secure help for their most vulnerable pupils.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about local risks and online safety. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the dangers that they may face in their local community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not check on pupils' learning with sufficient accuracy and rigour. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge which are not identified or addressed quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that they support teachers to use assessment strategies successfully to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning more rapidly.

• Leaders have not sufficiently prioritised identification and support for older pupils who struggle with reading. As a result, some older pupils are not getting the help that they need to develop their reading knowledge so that they keep up with their peers. Leaders should roll out their existing strategies to ensure that older pupils benefit from the same effective systems and processes as those in younger year groups.