Sir Robert Pattinson Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sir Robert Pattinson Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Dale Hardy.

This school is run by a single-academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rev Canon Alan Robson.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils build positive relationships with staff at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy, which helps them feel safe and happy.

Staff clearly communicate high academic expectations, and pupils strive to meet them.

The house system fosters community and encourages friendly competition. Pupils take pride in representing their houses, partici...pating in events, earning points and celebrating successes together.

The school rewards positive behaviour, effort and achievement through a well-established system of rewards and achievement cards. These motivate pupils to excel. Sporting achievements receive recognition through ties, which symbolise individual and team successes and promote a culture of extra-curricular contribution.

The school integrates its core values into its daily practice. Positive relationships between pupils reflect inclusivity and fairness, while academic challenges and personalised support inspire ambition, resilience and mutual respect.

Pupils engage in a wide range of enrichment activities that enhance their personal development and expand their horizons.

International trips to Italy and France provide valuable cultural and educational experiences. Sports clubs, including football, netball and badminton, improve physical well-being and nurture individual talents and interests.

Most parents and carers praise the school's supportive environment and recognise improvements in their children's confidence and academic success.

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

The curriculum is ambitious, meeting the needs of all pupils. At key stage 4, the curriculum offers pupils four options, which allows them to pursue a broad and balanced education. Staff guide pupils effectively to ensure that their choices align with their interests and future aspirations.

At key stage 3, the school gives pupils opportunities to study two languages, which builds their confidence and linguistic skills. This approach is encouraging more pupils to study a language at key stage 4, supporting the government's English Baccalaureate ambition.

Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum.

They present information clearly, which engages pupils effectively in most cases. High-quality explanations and modelling feature across most parts of the curriculum. However, some staff do not check pupils' understanding of key knowledge effectively enough, which makes it harder for some pupils to build securely on prior learning.

Despite this, most pupils develop knowledge and skills across the curriculum. This is reflected in provisional 2024 national test results and in pupils' work.

The school identifies pupils' needs through effective systems and processes.

Staff share strategies with teachers to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some teachers do not implement these strategies consistently enough. This results in some activities not meeting pupils' needs and prevents some pupils with SEND from achieving as well as they should.

There is effective support for pupils who are at the early stages of reading. Trained staff deliver an age-appropriate phonics curriculum to improve reading and spelling skills. The school encourages a love of reading by pairing sixth-form students as buddy readers with Year 7 pupils.

Staff model reading for pleasure, creating a positive reading culture. Pupils use the library regularly and engage in reading activities.

The school's carefully considered curriculum teaches pupils well about relationships, safety and careers.

Lessons address topics such as consent, healthy relationships and online safety. The school promotes fundamental British values through assemblies and classroom discussions. Pupils explore protected characteristics, which fosters inclusivity and equality.

Careers education is comprehensive and includes valuable activities such as CV writing, mock interviews and university visits. 'Drop-down days' and workshops enhance pupils' life skills further. The school fosters pupils' social and moral development through various leadership roles such as being house captains, participating in fundraising events and leading whole school projects.

All this work supports pupils to become well-rounded individuals, ready to take up their role in modern Britain.

The school creates a very calm and orderly environment through clear routines and high expectations of behaviour. Leaders investigate repeated misbehaviour, analyse root causes and provide tailored support which helps pupils become better behaved.

Bullying is rare. The school addresses any concerns about bullying swiftly and effectively.

Pupils attend well.

The school is highly alert to changing attendance patterns and monitors closely each pupil's attendance. The school implements effective strategies to reduce persistent absence. Staff address pupils' barriers such as attendance anxiety through workshops and parent guides, which have reduced persistent absence.

The sixth form provides a highly supportive environment. Teachers deliver expert instruction and offer tailored personal development sessions. Careers guidance, such as mock interviews and university application support, prepares students for future pathways.

Weekly mentoring opportunities help students develop leadership skills, and enrichment sessions encourage personal growth. This provision equips students for higher education, training or employment. Students are proud to be a part of 'RP6th'.

They value their education here.

Trustees understand their statutory responsibilities and hold leaders to account well. Leaders prioritise staff well-being and provide many professional development opportunities such as the 'rise and shine' briefings.

The school is well led and managed. Leaders work effectively and continue to raise standards and implement actions to improve the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teaching does not consistently check that pupils have remembered essential knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not have the pre-requisite knowledge they need for future learning. The school should ensure teaching checks routinely that pupils have secured the knowledge they need for later learning.

• The strategies to support some pupils with SEND are sometimes used inconsistently. When this happens, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that the appropriately identified strategies are used consistently and effectively to support all pupils with SEND learn the curriculum.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.