The Beech Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Beech Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The Beech Academy has an ethos that promotes hard work, enthusiasm and friendship, which threads through the school community.

Staff skilfully use what they know about pupils to support them when they find aspects of life challenging. The vision at Beech Academy is based around 'turning I can't into I can'. Staff and pupils work hard to realise this vision together.

Staff nurture and encourage pupils throughout the school to learn and interact with each other well. Pupils develop empathy and are kind, polite and friendly. The school provides effective support for pupils who experience d...ifficulty.

Staff act quickly to prevent negative situations from escalating. Occasional disruption to learning is well managed, so pupils can concentrate on their studies. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place to learn, where bullying is rare and, when it occurs, is resolved by staff.

Pupils enjoy coming to school, as they feel valued.

Staff are committed to helping pupils achieve as well as they can. The curriculum is well planned and adapted for each of the school's pathways, at Fairholme Drive and Westfield.

Staff know pupils' needs and make sure that they take these into account when planning activities.

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

At Beech Academy, most pupils have communication and interaction needs, including a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition (ASC). Leaders make sure that the development of pupils' social and personal skills is a priority.

Leaders have clear plans in place that enable them to provide appropriate support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff understand pupils' needs very well and meet their needs in the classroom. Pupils visit places beyond the classroom to develop their learning.

For example, pupils visited Chatsworth House to look at Nordic decorations. Pupils in the nurture provision used this as inspiration for their 'Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' inspired afternoon tea. Pupils made scones and read aloud poems that they had written about themes in the novel.

Leaders have developed clear curriculum plans, which are well sequenced. In some subjects, leaders have not set out the precise knowledge pupils should learn. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

Teachers deliver lessons skilfully. Staff are passionate and well informed about supporting pupils with SEND. Teachers check pupils' progress through the curriculum well.

The curriculum presents many opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. Nevertheless, some pupils do not access a sufficiently broad range of enrichment activities that meet their wider learning needs. This prevents some pupils from developing their talents and interests as fully as they could.

Pupils who have not yet learned to read well continue to follow the school's phonics programme. Leaders keep a close eye on each pupil's progress. They make sure that extra support is in place for those pupils who are struggling to keep up.

Pupils enjoy reading to the school's therapy dog, Millie. The progress made by pupils in reading makes a strong contribution to future adulthood and independence.

Pupils are very well prepared for the world beyond school through the school's 'steppingstones careers programme'.

Pupils gain the knowledge, skills and qualifications that allow them to proceed with their next steps. Leaders ensure that these meet pupils' interests and aspirations. For example, pupils apply for 'jobs' in school.

Leaders interview pupils for these roles. Pupils are then line managed in their jobs by senior staff. Staff discuss the progress made and the skills gained in their jobs with pupils.

Pupils learn responsibility through this.

Students in the sixth form enjoy a curriculum that prepares them well for adulthood. They study academic courses and learn how to look after themselves so that they can be as independent as possible.

Students complete work experience and undertake a 'safe and independent' travel programme. The school has strong links with a further special education provision.

The Trust and academy council are diligent in holding leaders to account for their actions.

Staff feel that the school is well managed. Staff work together effectively so that pupils feel well looked after and receive a good-quality education. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school's leaders.

Staff appreciate the training they receive to be effective in their roles. Staff highlighted that they welcomed support from leaders, particularly with matters relating to well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding of pupils is an absolute priority for all staff. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained, with frequent updates, so that they can identify if a child is at risk. Procedures to report concerns are clear, known and used by all staff.

Teachers and leaders share information well. Leaders work very closely with external agencies and are persistent in ensuring that pupils get the help they need.

In personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, pupils learn successfully about keeping themselves safe.

For example, pupils learn how to stay safe when using the internet.

Leaders are robust in ensuring that the checks made when staff are recruited are thorough.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not set out precisely the detailed knowledge pupils should learn.

This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that a well-sequenced curriculum with the detailed knowledge pupils need to learn and that meets the needs of all pupils and enables them to succeed in each subject is in place across the school. ? Some pupils do not access a sufficiently broad range of enriching activities, which meet their wider learning needs, at lunchtime.

This prevents some pupils from developing their talents and interests as fully as they could. Leaders should evaluate the range of enrichment opportunities that are on offer to pupils and seek to extend these further so that pupils' wider learning and development needs are met fully.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.