The Belvedere Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Students' achievement is outstanding. Students make rapid progress in a wide range of subjects. Teaching is of a high quality.

Teachers have high expectations of all students. Students regularly enter into a detailed dialogue with their teachers about how to improve their work, are challenged further, and make rapid and sustained progress as a result. On occasion, students' progress is slowed in lessons because they sometimes have to wait to be given more challenging tasks.

Students' behaviour is impeccable. They are courteous and polite, relate very well to each other and to adults and are very happy at the academy. They are enth...usiastic about their learning and this contributes significantly to their progress.

Attendance is above average. Students feel very safe and the academy is rigorous in keeping all students safe. They are cared for very well.

The well-being of all students is as highly regarded as their academic success. Parents, staff and students are very positive about the academy and value the quality of education and the care that it provides. The Principal, governors and senior leadership team provide outstanding leadership which has guided the academy successfully through a period of significant change.

They have ensured that high standards have been maintained. The focus upon improving teaching and learning and the attention given to students' personal development and, therefore, their overall achievement, result in the academy being highly effective. Middle leaders cannot always be held precisely to account because plans for improvement at departmental level are not sufficiently detailed or subject specific, so outcomes are difficult to measure.

Sixth-form provision is outstanding. The leadership of the sixth form is highly effective and students make excellent progress. Sixth-form students make a positive contribution to the life of the whole academy.

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of students is outstanding and is an integral part of academy life. Students are, therefore, very well prepared for the next stage in their education and for life in modern Britain.

Information about this school

The Belvedere Academy is a smaller-than-average secondary academy for girls, with a sixth form.

The academy does not use any alternative provision for its students. Most students are of White British heritage. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is much lower than average.

The school converted to an academy in 2007. Its predecessor school was a selective, independent school for girls. This was still the case for Years 9, 10 and 11 during the previous inspection in 2010.

It is sponsored jointly by The Girls Day School Trust (GDST) and HSBC. Since the previous inspection the number of students on roll has increased significantly, including in the sixth form, and the academy now takes girls from around 65 feeder primary schools in the area. The academy has two governing bodies, one drawn from staff and parents at the academy and the local community and the other led by its sponsors.

The proportion of students who are disabled or who have special educational needs is lower than average. The proportion of disadvantaged students who are supported through the pupil premium funding is lower than average. The pupil premium is additional funding to provide support for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.

The academy meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress. The academy has specialisms in modern foreign languages and science. It holds various awards, including the Liverpool Inclusion Charter Mark and the Arts Council England Artsmark Gold award.

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