Wath Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to have the highest expectations of success at this inclusive school. They aim to achieve standards of high aspirations, act with integrity and adopt a positive mindset in all they do.

Pupils are reminded of these standards in all aspects of school life, including throughout the sixth form.

Pupils say they enjoy lessons and feel challenged and supported by teachers. They make excellent progress in most subjects and achieve well. They behave in a calm and orderly manner and are attentive in lessons.

Pupils enjoy exceptional development opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom. They learn many different life skills to help prepare th...em for the wider world. Pupils learn how to debate through a structured programme and build oracy skills as they progress through school.

There is an extensive careers programme to ensure pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education or employment.

Pupils are happy and safe. They have trusted adults that they can talk to if something is worrying them.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and about local dangers such as those found at Manvers Lake.

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

Leaders have made huge strides in improving the quality of education in recent years. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils.

The curriculum is designed to raise aspirations and ensure that pupils achieve qualifications that unlock future opportunities. Pupils make excellent progress in most subjects and leaders are relentless in their drive to continually improve the curriculum. The school is well on the way towards providing an exceptional quality of education for its pupils.

Teachers are well trained and enthusiastic, and they reflect on how to improve their practice. They use a variety of teaching strategies to help pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn new content. In a minority of subjects at key stage 3 and key stage 4, assessment is not consistently used to identify precisely how pupils are to improve.

Where this happens, teachers do not always act on assessment to ensure that pupils are clear on their next steps. This has an impact on pupils' success in building and remembering more knowledge over time.

Leaders have prioritised reading.

Leaders use carefully researched strategies to support pupils who are at the early stages of reading. A culture of reading is celebrated through teacher 'reading champions'. This helps to ensure that reading is embedded throughout the curriculum.

Staff are trained in reading strategies and act as role models to pupils by talking about books that they enjoy reading.

The school has very high expectations for pupil behaviour. Pupils behave very well in and outside of lessons.

There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils attend lessons regularly and are attentive in class. Instances of bullying and misbehaviour are rare and are quickly dealt with by staff.

Pupils who have complex emotional needs receive individual and tailored support.

Pupils receive an outstanding programme of personal development. They are taught life skills that prepare them well for the outside world.

For example, they learn about relationships, finances, mental health and fundamental British values. They learn to debate controversial issues that involve morality and diversity and provide balanced arguments. Pupils are well educated about careers through discovery days, visits to universities and through 'career of the week' activities in tutor time.

Pupils benefit from a very large number of clubs and activities that they can take part in.

Students in the sixth form are unanimous in their positive view of the school. They are keen, ambitious, articulate and enthusiastic about their studies.

They benefit from a wide range of academic and vocational courses that are well taught by expert teachers. Beyond lessons, there is an extensive range of experiences available, including a medics club, sporting activities, scholarship programmes, visiting speakers, work experience and additional study programmes. Students take up leadership positions and act as coaches or mentors to younger pupils.

Students in the sixth form achieve excellent outcomes and are very well supported to progress to the next stage of their education or employment.

Leadership of the school is exceptional. Staff feel very well supported.

They say that their well-being is a priority. Governors and trustees provide the vision and expertise that help the school to improve. They are actively involved in the life of the school and regularly visit the school to ensure they have a good understanding of school performance.

They provide regular challenge to school leaders and are driven to improve the life chances of young people in the community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school.

The school places pupils' welfare at the heart of everything it does. Staff are well trained and know how to deal with any issues when they arise.

Vulnerable pupils are quickly identified.

Their welfare is frequently reviewed by a panel of leaders from across the school. Where pupils need additional help, the school acts swiftly and involves other agencies where needed. The school is tenacious in following up issues.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, both in the local environment and online. Pupils feel safe at the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? Across a minority of subjects, there is some inconsistency in the use of assessments to effectively help pupils learn and remember more.

There is variability in the clarity and precision of feedback provided to pupils about how to improve. Leaders should ensure that assessment is consistently used to identify component knowledge that is missing and that this information is then fed back to pupils and acted on. This will help all pupils to progress through the curriculum, knowing more and remembering more.