Sir William Robertson Academy, Welbourn

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher provides strong leadership and clear direction to staff, parents and students. He receives strong support from skilled senior leaders and an effective governing body.

Effective partnerships with the Redhill Teaching Schools Alliance and the Minster Teaching Schools Alliance have helped improve the quality of teaching, leadership and management in the academy. Students study a range of exciting subjects. Learning outside the classroom includes educational visits, residential trips, sporting competitions, work experience, volunteering to support local charitable organisations, drama, music and the arts.

Students enjoy being... at the academy and are completely safe when in it. They understand how to assess risks, and know how to keep safe when they are in the community. The academy's 'theme days' make a valuable contribution to its teaching about safety.

The academy provides good support for students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Students' behaviour is good. They are courteous and respectful.

They cooperate well with adults to make the academy a calm, harmonious and productive place. Students make good progress and achieve well across a range GCSE subjects, including English and mathematics. Teaching is good.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They teach with authority and enthusiasm. Lessons are engaging and enjoyable.

Teachers mark students' work to a good standard. They tell students precisely what they need to do in order to improve, and consistently follow the academy's marking and assessment policies. Disadvantaged students, disabled students, those who have special educational needs and the most-able students all make good progress.

The sixth form is good. Leadership and teaching are good and students taking academic courses generally achieve well. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not always challenge Key Stage 3 students to work hard and produce their best.

Not all teachers use questions effectively to make students think hard and deepen their learning. The sixth form does not offer enough vocational courses.

Information about this school

The academy is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.

Most students are White British. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is well below average. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well below average.

The academy has an above-average proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs. The proportion of disadvantaged students, who receive support through the pupil premium, is below average. This is additional funding for students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.

The academy meets the government's current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. A very small number of Year 10 students are educated off-site at The Acorn Free School (alternative provision school), Lincoln. The academy is involved in partnerships with Redhill Teaching Schools Alliance, The Minster Teaching Schools Alliance and Bishop Grosseteste University.