Titan Aston Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils join Titan Aston Academy having had a disrupted education.

Many arrive with a negative view of school. Leaders are highly committed to giving pupils every chance to succeed. They strive to provide a high-quality education that will give pupils the knowledge and skills that they need for the future.

Leaders are making strong progress towards this goal and the school is well led. However, they know there is still work to do. Staff expect pupils to work hard, do their best and 'aim high'.

Most pupils rise to the challenge and enjoy school.

Staff welcome pupils into school each day. They have put clear day-to-day routines in place.

T...his helps staff identify any concerns about pupils. Pupils say they are not worried about bullying. They are confident that if it happens, staff will help.

Staff take the time to get to know pupils. They are proud to be part of the school. Pupils know that staff care about them and want them to do well.

Everyone treats each other with respect. Staff challenge any poor behaviour from pupils calmly and consistently. They work with pupils to help them develop strategies to manage difficult situations.

This helps pupils to manage their emotions and improve their behaviour.

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

Leaders want to create a school where all pupils achieve well, regardless of their past experiences. They have constructed a curriculum based around the qualifications pupils need for life after school.

It is founded on a strong academic base, blended with vocational qualifications and complemented by a rounded personal development programme.

In some subjects, such as religious education and personal, social, health and economics education (PSHE), leaders have planned a curriculum that builds pupils' learning over time. However, in some other subjects, it does not set out the important knowledge that pupils will build on.

This means that teachers are sometimes not alert to what pupils should already know. Subsequently, they do not have the resources to hand to respond when pupils get stuck. Consequently, at times, some pupils struggle to learn.

Pupils complete regular assessments. Teachers use these to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. However, teachers are sometimes too reliant on these.

They do not always adapt their teaching when gaps in pupils' learning become evident in lessons. Interventions in English and mathematics are not linked to the curriculum. This means that pupils do not always get the help they need.

This is especially true for pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge. Leaders have not put a structured programme in place for these pupils in order to help them improve their reading.

Leaders consider pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities when they join the school and share this information with teachers.

This helps teachers to meet pupils' specific needs.

Most pupils join the school with a history of poor or non-attendance. Leaders systematically analyse and tenaciously address the reasons behind this.

They work with pupils and families to encourage pupils to attend. Staff constantly review and adjust their approach. Consequently, many pupils' attendance improves.

Where attendance remains low, leaders work closely with other agencies to get pupils into school.

Support for pupils extends well beyond the academic. Many pupils benefit from well-tailored individual mentoring.

In the 'OASIS' room, pupils settle in when they join the school and have a safe space to go to during the day. Some pupils attend for emotional support, while others attend for academic interventions.

Most pupils face significant challenges outside of school.

Many are at risk of criminal exploitation or gang affiliation. Staff understand the reality and extent of these risks and address these directly. They routinely challenge views and attitudes that are at odds with fundamental British values, for instance by inviting in ex-offenders to talk about knife crime.

Leaders have constructed a PSHE curriculum to support this work. This gives pupils a range of valuable information and broadens their horizons. Pupils learn about different careers.

Staff continually encourage pupils to think about their future. They help pupils to apply for college courses or apprenticeships and take them on 'taster' days. Leaders supplement this work with trips and visits, from canoeing and theatre trips to learning how to use public transport and going out to a restaurant.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have put safeguarding pupils at the heart of their work. They ensure that pupils and staff feel safe and are safe in school.

Staff are well trained and alert to the safeguarding risks pupils face outside of school. They report any concern swiftly, no matter how small. Leaders follow these reports up promptly and work closely with other agencies to ensure pupils get the help they need in a timely manner.

The culture of safeguarding is strong.

Leaders carry out thorough checks on the suitability of adults working in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out the foundational knowledge and understanding that pupils need to recall and draw on when learning something new.

This means that teachers are not always well prepared for the stumbling blocks caused by lost or missed learning. Leaders need to identify the most important knowledge that pupils need in each subject and ensure that this is systematically and logically built into the school's planned curriculum. ? Leaders gather a range of useful information about pupils on entry to identify gaps in their knowledge, but sometimes teachers are overly reliant on this information and do not respond to the gaps in pupils' knowledge or the misconceptions that emerge during lessons.

This hinders pupils' learning. Leaders need to ensure that teachers and those leading interventions systematically check pupils' knowledge and understanding and adapt their teaching accordingly. Leaders should also ensure that interventions are well matched to pupils' needs and are linked to pupils' learning in lessons.

• Some pupils arrive at the school without the reading skills that they need to access the secondary curriculum. The school's system for teaching pupils to read is not effective for those who do not yet have the basic phonics knowledge and skills. Leaders should put in place an appropriate phonics programme for those who need it, alongside suitable interventions for those who need additional help with decoding and fluency.