Welland Park Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Senior leaders and governors act with integrity and a strong sense of moral purpose. Their priority is to make the best decisions for the pupils in their care.

The recent addition of a new key stage has been managed successfully. Leaders are ambitious for the pupils and staff. A positive culture of aspiration permeates most aspects of school life.

Many pupils achieve well academically and in their personal development. Senior leaders have an incisive understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Their plans for improvement are precise and focused.

The pastoral care of pupils is a notable strength of the school. Pupils f...eel well supported, safe and happy. Most pupils thrive.

Safeguarding is effective. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils can follow a broad and balanced curriculum. While subject leaders are very positive about their roles, there are inconsistencies in how rigorously they monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility.

Leaders provide pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with additional support. However, leaders, including governors, do not have a secure oversight of the provision for these pupils. Pupils in key stage 3 and key stage 4 make good progress in most subject areas, including English and mathematics.

Most teachers are enthusiastic and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are confident, resilient learners, who are not afraid to make mistakes. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to plan clear sequences of learning.

This is particularly the case in mathematics. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is very well promoted and supported by a well-thought-out curriculum. Pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in education or training.

Pupils conduct themselves extremely well in and around the school. They have excellent attitudes to learning. Bullying is rare.

Teachers do not all follow the school's policy on feedback. Not all pupils reflect on their learning and improve their work. Some teachers do not make effective use of questioning to explore and deepen pupils' understanding.

Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are too often absent or temporarily excluded from school, compared with their peers.

Information about this school

Welland Park Academy is an average-sized secondary school. The school became an academy in February 2012.

In September 2016, the school accepted Year 10 pupils for the first time. The school had its first set of GCSE examination results for Year 11 pupils in August 2018. The principal took up the position in September 2012.

In September 2016, a new vice-principal was been appointed and more recently two new assistant principals have joined the senior leadership team. There is a growing number of pupils on the school's roll. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.

The proportion of pupils with SEND, including those with an education, health and care plan, is below average. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school uses the following alternative providers for a small number of pupils: Leicestershire Education Business Company Ltd, The Way of the Horse and Enstruct.