Penrice Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The school provides an exceptionally high quality of education which results in students making outstanding progress. By the end of Year 11 attainment is above average and rising year-on-year.

Students' achievement is high in all years. Current work shows that students reach above average standards. Students are proud of their school.

They feel safe and say bullying is uncommon. Students display exemplary attitudes to learning and behave extremely well in lessons and around the school. Students thrive because the school is a very caring, inclusive community with excellent support systems in place.

The curriculum is very ...well planned and provides students with an interesting range of subjects and topics which ensures that they enjoy school. The principal brings inspiration and a powerful sense of direction to all leaders and staff. Robust performance management systems reward and encourage staff at all levels to ensure students succeed.

The very experienced governing body is exceptionally effective. Governors provide a high level of both support and challenge. Pupil premium funding is used very effectively to narrow the gap between the rates of progress of different groups of students.

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the students is outstanding. By embracing modern technologies, students in Years 7 to 10 are given the opportunity to extend and challenge their learning in the classroom. The vast majority of teaching is good and outstanding.

Information about this school

Penrice Academy converted to become an academy in April 2011. When its predecessor school, called Penrice Community College, was previously inspected by Ofsted in March 2011, it was judged to be outstanding. Penrice Academy is a larger-than-average-sized, mixed, 11 to 16 comprehensive school.

Almost all students are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium is below average. In this academy, this additional money allocated by the government is for looked after children and those eligible for free school meals.

The proportion of disabled students and those with special educational needs supported by school action is below the national average, as is the proportion of students supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. The school is leading the School Direct programme for the Peninsula Teaching School Partnership and is a National Teaching School. The school has an International Schools Award, Artsmark Gold status and a Healthy Schools Award.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum levels expected for students' attainment and progress for secondary schools. The school enters students early for GCSE examinations. Students do not attend any off-site alternative provision.