The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have experienced a lot of changes in staffing since the last inspection. This has had a detrimental effect on their quality of education. Leaders' expectations of pupils' achievement are too low.

Pupils have not achieved well over time. This is especially true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This situation is no better for those pupils currently attending the school.

Leaders, together with staff, have raised their expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils reported that behaviour is improving. Most pupils behave well in lessons and during breaktimes.

However, some pupils continue to demonstrate occasional boisterous... behaviour in corridors. In addition, some pupils do not behave well in lessons. This makes it difficult for other pupils to learn.

Pupils feel safe. They know that they can speak to adults if they have any concerns. Pupils reported that staff would deal with bullying quickly if it did happen.

Pupils who are new to the school feel well supported. This helps them to settle quickly into the school community.

Many pupils spoke positively about the wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as sports and the school musical production.

They can take part in trips and visits to outdoor residential centres. Pupils on the Bosco group have opportunities to develop their leadership skills, such as leading assemblies on mental health and well-being.

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

Despite leaders' and governors' efforts since the previous inspection, they have not secured sufficient improvement to the quality of education that pupils receive.

This remains inadequate. A lack of clarity about the school's future, financial concerns and considerable turbulence in leadership and staff have all hampered leaders' progress in bringing about much needed change. As a result, pupils continue to underachieve.

They are ill-equipped for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

Leaders are reviewing and refining the school's curriculum. Subject curriculums are at very different stages of development.

In some subjects, leaders identify the knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when they want teachers to deliver the content. This helps pupils to build on their prior learning. However, many other subject curriculums are unclear.

Some teachers do not know what pupils should be taught. This leads to pupils learning disconnected facts. They are not able to build up a rich body of knowledge about the subjects that they study.

Many teachers do not use assessment strategies sufficiently well to check if pupils have understood their work or to identify any errors and misunderstandings. As a result, teachers are not alert to pupils' misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge.This means that pupils are moved on to new learning without first securing their understanding.

This stops them from building on what they know and can do.

A small minority of subject leaders are not subject specialists and do not have the subject-specific knowledge to improve their subject areas. This hinders the capacity of leaders to bring about swift improvements.

Leaders have raised the profile of reading in the school. Pupils who have fallen behind with reading are identified promptly and supported effectively. This is helping these pupils to become more fluent and confident readers.

Leaders have introduced some new strategies to encourage all pupils to read for pleasure. This is developing pupils' love of reading. Across the curriculum, teachers focus on developing pupils' subject-specific vocabulary.

This helps pupils to improve their understanding of key words.

The provision for pupils with SEND is poor. Although leaders have improved their systems to identify pupils with additional needs, teachers are ill-equipped to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to help these pupils succeed.

These pupils tread water over time. They do not achieve well.

Many pupils behave well in lessons.

However, some teachers do not follow the procedures for managing pupils' behaviour closely enough. This means that staff find it difficult to teach and pupils find it difficult to learn. A small minority of pupils continue to misbehave during breaktimes.

Leaders ensure that pupils have the opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions. Pupils learn the importance of respecting differences between people. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and sex education and health education.

Pupils receive helpful careers guidance. They have opportunities to visit universities. This helps to raise their aspirations.

The headteacher and his newly formed senior leadership team are providing much-needed stability. Despite the considerable turbulence in the school, staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload.

Governors have tried to be proactive.

For example, they have secured the services of an external consultant. This is helping them to be more knowledgeable about the education that pupils are receiving. Governors have increased their level of challenge and support provided to leaders.

However, their efforts have been hampered by the uncertainty of the school's future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are vigilant about the potential risks that pupils may face.

Staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training. They know how to spot potential signs of abuse and what to do if they have any concerns. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable pupils.

Leaders regularly check the safety of pupils who sometimes attend another setting.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about risks that they might face outside school, including the dangers related to gang and knife crime. Pupils are taught how to stay safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In many subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about the knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need about what should be taught. This stops pupils from building on what they know.

Leaders should ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking so that teachers are clear about what they should be teaching and when this should take place. ? In many subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to check on pupils' understanding of previous knowledge. This means that they move on to new topics without making sure that pupils know and remember their earlier learning.

This hampers pupils' achievement. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively to identify pupils' errors and misconceptions so that they can build their knowledge securely over time. ? Provision for pupils with SEND is weak.

Many pupils with SEND do not receive the support that they need. Consequently, these pupils do not achieve well. Leaders must ensure that staff are suitably trained so that they are able to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND within their classes.

• Some teachers do not follow the school's behaviour policy closely enough. Consequently, a small minority of pupils misbehave during lessons and social times. This hinders pupils' learning.

Leaders should ensure that staff apply the behaviour policy consistently so that pupils' behaviour improves in lessons and around the school. ? A small minority of subject leaders are not subject specialists. They do not have the subject knowledge to lead their areas of responsibility.

As a result, they do not have the capacity to bring about much-needed change to the curriculum or to support staff in delivering the curriculum. Leaders must ensure that these subject leaders receive the help that they need to be able to lead their subjects with expertise.Leaders and governors may not appoint early career teachers.