The Victory Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The Victory Academy is a welcoming and caring school.

Staff-pupil relationships are strong. This means that pupils recognise that the school has 'got their back' and has their best interests at heart, even those who do not find learning easy. Pupils celebrate and respect difference.

One pupil summed this up, saying, 'You can be who you want to be here.'

Leaders set high standards for learning and routines, and most pupils learn to follow these. The quality of pupils' learning across the different subjects they study is good overall, and most pupils enjoy learning.

Staff strongly promote the well-being of their pupils.

The school rules are u...nderpinned by the 'Victory Values' of respect, pride, belief and being your best self. Leaders' expectations for pupils' behaviour are high.

Most staff insist pupils follow these expectations, but a very small number do not reinforce them at every opportunity. For many pupils, the school is the safest place they know. Staff deal well with incidents of bullying, although pupils are not always aware how they have been resolved.

Pupils are encouraged to think independently in lessons. They learn to take on responsibility through extra-curricular activities. Representatives of the student council feed back to leaders and staff every term.

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

Leaders have worked on improving the curriculum in recent years to ensure that it is ambitious for all pupils. In the past, too few pupils took a modern foreign language at key stage 4. As a result, the school fell short of the government's national ambition for studying the subjects of the English Baccalaureate.

However, school leaders are addressing this with vigour. The number of pupils studying languages has now increased throughout the school.

Pupils study a wide range of subjects.

In each subject, leaders have set out the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn as they move from Year 7 to Year 13. This content is logically sequenced so that what pupils learn becomes progressively more complex. The most important learning is regularly revisited so that it is lodged in pupils' memory.

Leaders adapt the curriculum well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They get to know these pupils well and build an accurate picture of each pupil's needs.

Leaders prioritise reading.

There are regular opportunities for pupils to read. Many pupils arrive at the school with reading abilities that are much lower than expected for their age. The school provides a lot of support for these pupils, including phonics teaching.

Leaders recognise there is more to do in strengthening the expertise of staff, to support the weakest readers effectively.In most subjects, teachers are experts and they use their expertise to ensure that learning is well organised. Teachers typically introduce new learning through clear explanations.

Teachers have a strong focus on developing pupils' spoken skills. Lessons provide opportunities for pupils to work together to discuss and debate what they are learning. Teachers' subtle tweaks within lessons ensure that individual pupils get the help they need.

However, disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges in staffing have led to inconsistencies in a small number of subjects. Consequently, some pupils have missed large amounts of learning. The public examination results in 2022 reflected this.

Since then, leaders have taken swift action to address gaps and improve pupils' achievement.

Teachers ask questions that make pupils think deeply. These questions also help teachers to check on pupils' learning.

As a result, teachers address the gaps that remain in pupils' knowledge. Pupils receive written and verbal feedback on their work. However, sometimes this feedback is not as precise as it could be.

Leaders are taking effective action to improve pupils' attendance and punctuality, identifying that there are too many pupils who do not get to school or lessons on time. This means that they miss important learning. Leaders are working hard with families and other agencies where there are specific difficulties.

Pupils receive regular guidance about their next career steps. Careers advice is particularly helpful for older pupils and sixth-form students. Well-established routines help pupils form good habits that will be useful later in life.

Leaders provide many opportunities outside the classroom. These include visits to universities. The student services team supports pupils well with any problems they are facing.

Pupils find this pastoral support helpful.

Governors and the multi-academy trust know the school very well. They have invested in additional resources to help pupils catch up.

The multi-academy trust has helped the school to recruit and retain staff. Leaders streamline systems so that staff workload is manageable. Staff morale is high and they value the professional development opportunities they have.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is well led. There is an experienced and skilled safeguarding team.

The multi-academy trust provides expert guidance and training. Employment checks are carried out diligently. Governors and leaders know the local community and the possible risks to pupils.

Staff at all levels are vigilant. The school's strapline is 'what if I'm right?'. Staff dutifully report any concerns.

The safeguarding team has strong relationships with outside agencies and seeks additional help whenever it is needed.

Pupils trust the members of the safeguarding team and take their advice. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, in and outside school and online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the curriculum and the management of pupils' behaviour are not consistent across all subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure the planned curriculum is delivered consistently in all subjects, with staff rigorously following the expected approaches to ensuring good behaviour, so that pupils and students achieve as highly in these subjects as they do elsewhere.

• Staff lack the specialist training to help the weakest readers, and reading interventions are not always matched precisely enough to pupils' needs. As a result, these pupils' reading is not improving as quickly as it should. Leaders should ensure that staff are sufficiently skilled to support these pupils.

• Leaders do not always communicate clearly enough about the actions taken to address bullying. This means that some pupils are not confident that bullying is being addressed and followed up, when in fact it is. Leaders should improve their communication about such incidents so that everyone is clear about the specific actions that have been taken to tackle bullying.