Tregonwell Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school When pupils are admitted to the academy, their attainment is often well below that expected for their age. Despite this, after entry to the academy, they achieve outstandingly well.

The proportion of pupils achieving five good GCSE passes including English and mathematics is rising strongly. Attainment is now broadly average and pupils make outstanding progress in all subjects. As last year's school leavers showed, almost all pupils move on to college or training when they leave the academy.

Pupils rapidly improve their attitudes and behaviour because they each have imaginative and highly effective individual plans aimed at improv...ing these areas, which staff consistently apply. Pupils thrive because each school is a very caring and inclusive community and has excellent support systems for them. Teaching is outstanding over time because it is never less than good with constant examples of lessons where pupils' learning is outstanding.

The teaching of reading, writing and communication is a particular strength across all subjects. All staff work very effectively together throughout the schools in the academy and support staff make a strong contribution to lessons. This ensures that all pupils join in fully and make outstanding progress.

Leadership and management are outstanding. The executive headteacher is determined and relentless in his focus on improvement. The leadership team is extremely effective in developing the skills of the staff and supporting them to take on additional responsibilities.

At the heart of this success is their shared belief that consistently high-quality teaching and tailored support for each pupil is essential. Members of the governing body know the academy very well and provide consistent support and challenge to drive improvement. The academy works very effectively with the local authority through their outstanding outreach service, to support other schools.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the academy and appreciate the excellent progress their children make.

Information about this school

Tregonwell is a multi-academy trust formed over the last two years with provision for supporting pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. There are three different educational settings or services in the academy.

They are the Nigel Bowes campus for primary-aged pupils, the Petersfield Campus for secondary pupils, and the Throop Learning Centre for pupils with significant emotional or medical needs. Tregonwell converted to become an academy in September 2011. When its predecessor school, The Bicknell School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.

The multi-academy trust has an executive headteacher and there are heads of school in the primary and secondary settings. The governing body is the trust board of the multi-academy. Each setting also has a smaller board to assist in the governance.

Almost all pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The vast majority of pupils have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. A minority have autism spectrum disorders.

Some pupils have a combination of these. Most pupils are from a White British background and speak English as their first language. Around 80% of the pupils are boys.

There are around 60 pupils permanently on the academy roll, but up to 151 pupils from a number of primary and secondary schools, who may not be solely on the academy roll, attend various sessions at the academy as part of 'alternative learning programmes'. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is well above average. This is government funding that the academy receives for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are in local authority care and the children of military personnel.