St Bede Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school.

They know that they have a voice and that adults listen to them. Pupils are eager to drive positive change in the community. For example, they are keen to engage with politicians to bring about improvements to their local area.

Pupils are proud of their recent campaign to increase the number of accessible green spaces close to the school. In this way, pupils are well prepared to be responsible citizens.

Pupils uphold the 'St Bede Way'.

They care about others and organise a wealth of fundraising activities for their chosen charities. Pupils take on positions of responsibility enthusiastically because they want to make a dif...ference. For example, pupils who act as 'mini mentors' enjoy helping others to solve problems.

Pupils know exactly how staff expect them to behave. They follow the school's 'seven Ss' by moving around the building sensibly and with a ready smile. In this way, pupils help to create a quiet and orderly environment.

Pupils understand that they are expected to give their best in lessons. They rise to the school's high expectations of their achievement. They listen attentively and show respect to their teachers and to each other.

Pupils across the school typically achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

With the support and guidance of the trust, the school has revitalised its curriculum over recent years. The school values its staff and prioritises their ongoing training.

Staff appreciate the school's efforts to ensure that workload has been manageable during this time of focused curriculum development.

Starting in the early years, the school has purposefully designed pupils' learning to build well from year to year in all subjects. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not checked sufficiently well that revised curriculums are being implemented as intended.

In these subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as effectively as it is in others. Some pupils' knowledge is uneven in these subjects as a result.

In most subjects, the school's approaches to assessment are well established.

Staff make effective checks to find out what pupils have remembered and understood. They use this information well to quickly spot and address pupils' misconceptions and adapt future teaching. In these subjects, pupils have frequent opportunities to revisit earlier learning so that they do not forget it.

They recall knowledge fluently as a result. However, in a small number of subjects, staff's checks on pupils' learning are not as effective. This means that staff do not identify well enough what pupils have understood and remembered over time in these subjects.

Occasionally, this limits staff's ability to adjust future teaching to take account of gaps in pupils' knowledge.Throughout the early years, staff interact skilfully with children to develop their communication and language. Children learn to use an increasingly wide range of vocabulary.

They are introduced to phonics as soon as they join the Reception class. Staff are experts in teaching early reading. They make sure that pupils practise their reading using books that match the sounds that they have learned.

Most pupils secure a strong knowledge of phonics. Staff provide prompt help for pupils who are behind with their phonics knowledge to support them to catch up quickly. This means that pupils learn to read confidently and fluently in readiness for key stage 2.

Staff throughout the school are attuned to pupils' different needs. They identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately. Staff use their expertise to make careful adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum to enable these pupils to learn well alongside their classmates.

The school's programme to support pupils' personal development is well thought out. Pupils embrace the wide range of experiences on offer to them. These opportunities include trips and visits to places of artistic and cultural significance, such as galleries and museums.

The personal, social and health education curriculum mirrors the strengths found in other subjects. It is carefully designed to build pupils' knowledge in an age-appropriate way from the early years to Year 6. Pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships, including online.

They understand that they live in a diverse society.

Pupils show care and compassion for others. They display positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well.

This is reflected in their regular attendance at school.

The school involves parents and carers in their children's education effectively. For instance, parents enjoy and value regular 'stay and play' sessions.

They also appreciate the guidance that they receive to support their children's reading. This includes access to a wide range of reading materials.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school does not ensure that checks on pupils' learning provide teachers with the information that they need to identify and address pupils' missing or insecure knowledge. This means that some pupils' misunderstandings or gaps in knowledge occasionally go unchecked. The school should ensure that staff check exactly what pupils know and understand so that they learn more effectively over time.

The school has not put in place strong enough systems to assure the quality of the curriculum in a small number of subjects. As a result, there is some unevenness in how well the curriculum is implemented in these subjects. The school should check that teachers are delivering subject curriculums equally well and provide appropriate support where this is not the case.

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