The East Manchester Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have transformed the school into a place where pupils are happy and safe. Staff welcome pupils each morning with a warm smile and genuine care. Adults know pupils as individuals and provide them with high-quality pastoral support.

Teachers are patient, calm and considerate of pupils' needs. The East Manchester Academy (TEMA) is a beacon of hope and aspiration for pupils.

The learning environment is purposeful and orderly.

Pupils behave well in lessons and they try hard. They receive well-earned praise for their efforts. The school community is proud of how much behaviour has improved.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils' learning and achieve...ment. Pupils enjoy learning new knowledge and concepts. They are remembering much more than they did in the past.

However, the delivery of the curriculum is inconsistent across subjects. Consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should in some areas of the curriculum.

In this diverse community, pupils are keen to celebrate each other's differences.

Most pupils refrain from using discriminatory and derogatory language or engaging in bullying. If this does happen, leaders deal with it effectively.

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular activities available through the TEMA offer.

For example, pupils take pride in performing in productions, visiting the theatre and participating in sport events. They equally embrace leadership roles, including those available through The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

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

Leaders, members of the interim management board (IMB) and trustees have overhauled the quality of education for pupils.

The impact of the improvements made since the previous inspection is tangible. For example, pupils have developed positive attitudes to learning. They attend school regularly and are punctual to lessons.

Pupils, irrespective of their background, are being more fully prepared for success in their future lives. Most importantly, pupils are enjoying learning.

Leaders have crafted a curriculum which increasingly meets the needs of all pupils.

Pupils with SEND access the same subjects as their peers. All pupils are learning a curriculum which is broad and balanced.

Leaders have thought carefully about the essential knowledge that pupils must learn.

They have successfully organised the curriculum to build on what pupils have learned previously. Evermore, pupils are exposed to a rich and deep body of subject knowledge. The positive changes that leaders have made to the design of the curriculum in key stage 3 are raising pupils' aspirations.

For example, an increasing number of pupils follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

Teachers are engaging in a carefully planned programme of ongoing training to support them to deliver the curriculum increasingly well. Teachers are discussing and debating the most effective approaches to helping pupils to learn.

Pupils recognise that the curriculum is much more accessible, relevant and interesting.

Although improving, teachers' delivery of new knowledge remains uneven across subjects. For example, in some subjects, teachers are less confident about selecting the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn new topics.

Some of the choices that teachers make do not allow pupils to retain information sufficiently well. Some pupils also have gaps in their learning, which have been exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders and teachers are developing their approaches to check how well pupils are learning new information.

Some subject leaders are well on the way to refining the systems that they use to assess pupils' learning and development. For other leaders, the journey of improvement remains a work in progress. For example, in some subjects, teachers do not adopt the most useful assessment strategies to test that pupils have secured new knowledge.

Leaders have suitable strategies in place to pinpoint which pupils find reading more difficult. Through the 'TEMA Reads' initiative, staff successfully help pupils to develop their reading knowledge. For example, there is an effective focus on reading for pleasure as well as the development of pupils' literacy and vocabulary knowledge.

Those pupils at the early stages of learning to read are catching up quickly due to a well-implemented programme of phonics.

The leadership of SEND is developing apace. Leaders have overhauled how they identify, assess and support pupils with more complex learning needs.

Pupils in the i-Hive centre engage well with additional support, for example with regulating their behaviour and emotions. Nevertheless, in some subjects, teachers are not as confident in adapting the delivery of the curriculum for these pupils. This is preventing some pupils with SEND from achieving consistently well.

Leaders have taken a bold and effective approach to pupils' personal development. Pupils said that they enjoy personal development lessons. They learn about age-appropriate sex and relationships education.

Pupils have access to a well-designed range of careers education activities. They are more confident in articulating how the programme to support their personal development is helping them to take their place in modern Britain.

Members of the IMB and trustees have an accurate and detailed oversight of the quality of education.

Community partnerships, effective links with other schools, and leaders' outward-facing approach to school improvement are reaping rewards for pupils.Leaders protect staff's workload and well-being. Staff and pupils are delighted to be a part of this vibrant learning community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Members of the IMB and trustees regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their systems to safeguard pupils. This includes a regular review of the policies, including those relating to the use of reasonable force, and those involving child-on-child abuse, especially racism and homophobia.

Staff receive regular training on how to identify the potential signs of neglect or abuse in pupils. Leaders provide staff with frequent updates about the key challenges and concerns that may be affecting pupils, including those in the local community. Leaders work very well with external agencies, when required.

They are persistent and insistent in seeking out appropriate and timely support for pupils.

Leaders provide extensive wraparound care and support for pupils and their families. For example, the school opened on Christmas Day for in excess of 300 families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers do not select the most appropriate activities to deliver new subject content to pupils. This prevents some pupils from achieving consistently well. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the necessary knowledge and expertise to make the most appropriate pedagogical choices to deliver the curriculum effectively.

• Leaders' systems to assess how well pupils are learning the curriculum are being developed in some subject areas. This means that some teachers do not fully know how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. Leaders should work with subject leaders to finalise the systems to check how well pupils are retaining new knowledge, skills and concepts.

• Leaders are in the process of upskilling staff to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not learn all that they should. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders and teachers are well trained to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.