Winton Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Winton Academy continues to be an outstanding school.

The principal of this school is Leon Lima. The school is part of the United Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sir Jon Coles, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Greenhalgh.

What is it like to attend this school?

Winton Academy is highly ambitious for all pupils. At its heart is the desire to develop young men who are excellent learners, highly effective communicators and compassionate individuals. Pupils leave the school with impressive qualifications that prepare them well for their future st...udies and careers.

The school ensures that pupils have the confidence to enter their adult lives as well-informed and active citizens.

The behaviour of pupils at this school is exceptional. The school has high standards for pupils' conduct.

On the very rare occasion where behaviour falls below the standard expected it is rapidly addressed. Pupils value this clarity and the disruption free learning that takes place as a result. Pupils are polite and courteous to adults and each other.

They enjoy taking part in events such as the international food festival to widen their understanding of the world. There is a warm and inclusive culture within the school.

The school's house system is a vibrant part of school life.

Pupils engage in a rich range of activities while representing their house. Sports fixtures, escape room challenges and academic Olympiad events enable many pupils to contribute to winning the annual competition. Through 'house service' pupils volunteer in the local community.

For example, leading arts workshops and coffee and chat in local care homes. Pupils see these projects as opportunities to give back and help others.

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

The curriculum has been skilfully planned so that pupils' knowledge builds securely over time.

Pupils make links to their prior learning when studying new topics. For example, their deep understanding of historical time periods enables them to analyse English texts to a greater depth. This is preparing pupils exceptionally well for sixth-form and higher education.

Pupils learn a rich range of vocabularly across the curriculum. They practise using this vocabularly in their own written and verbal answers. As a result, pupils are eloquent and confident when talking about their learning.

Assessment is a strength of the school. Teachers use questioning to swiftly identify if a pupil has misunderstood or not remembered any aspect of their work. Activities and the curriculum are then adapted to provide additional support.

Equally, when pupils have grasped concepts securely, they are rapidly introduced to more demanding work. This means that all pupils learn the curriculum exceptionally well.

The school identifies the precise needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.'

The Gateway' hub helps pupils with their academic and personal needs effectively. For example, by providing mental health support and mentoring. This supports pupils to attend school regularly.

Pupils read frequently and widely. Subjects introduce pupils to demanding fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils learn how to analyse and interpret them in different contexts.

The school identifies pupils who would benefit from additional help with their reading accuracy or confidence. These pupils quickly develop their skills and enjoyment of reading. Stories shared as part of the school's reading programme inspire pupils to question and debate.

They enjoy considering different viewpoints beyond their own. Extra-curricular activities further engage pupils with reading for pleasure. Author visits, book clubs and reading challenges are regular features of the school calendar.

The citizenship curriculum ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and look after their well-being. A comprehensive careers programme includes individual advice and guidance for all pupils.

Pupils visit universities, attend careers fairs, meet apprenticeship providers and take part in work experience to help them decide their future path. Pupils leave this school well prepared for the future world of work.

The trust provides high-quality professional development opportunities for staff.

This both ensures that they are highly effective in their current roles but are also able to further develop their careers. The trust is proactive in looking after the well-being of staff. Winton Academy is proud to share their expertise with other schools and education providers.

They see this peer support work as part of their commitment to providing a high-quality education for all.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in 11–12 December 2018.