Winton Community Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Winton Community Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's culture is one of care and ambition for all.

The school has grown recently, and leaders have embraced the opportunities this brings. For example, pupils now benefit from improved resources and option choices in the arts. Most current pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are making good progress through the planned curriculum.

Staff also provide varied and much-valued extra-curricular experiences. For example, pupils gleefully spoke to inspectors about a recent photography trip to New York.

Leaders have high expec...tations of behaviour.

Most pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful. Pupils overwhelmingly feel safe in school.

They understand that bullying is not tolerated, but it does happen sometimes. Pupils know who to speak to in these instances. Staff take effective action to resolve such issues.

Leaders and pupils take discrimination very seriously. Leaders listen to what pupils tell them. For example, pupil focus groups are supporting anti-discrimination work, linked to issues such as racism and homophobia.

Most parents and pupils understand and appreciate the actions staff take regarding bullying and discrimination. Leaders continue to develop different ways of communicating their actions with parents.

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

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils.

They have established a broad curriculum from Year 7 onwards, which prepares pupils for relevant and ambitious next steps. Leaders have reviewed the range of subjects on offer, especially at Key Stage 4. Consequently, more pupils take languages, and thus the English Baccalaureate.

Subject leaders and teams work with the trust to ensure the curriculum is well organised. The knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is sequenced logically. In most subjects, pupils are taught by enthusiastic and specialist teachers.

Most teachers present information clearly and provide opportunities for pupils to practise applying what they have learned.

Teachers check understanding regularly and provide useful feedback to pupils. Leaders carefully identify how to support pupils with SEND and make sure that teachers have the knowledge they need to provide this support.

Teachers and other adults adapt teaching appropriately and meet pupils' needs well. However, in some cases, teaching does not consistently ensure that pupils can recall and apply what they have learned securely enough.

Leaders are passionate about reading.

Pupils who need help to learn to read fluently receive effective support. Staff pinpoint gaps in pupils' knowledge accurately and target help accordingly. Pupils improve their fluency and comprehension well over time.

Staff receive appropriate training to teach reading. Pupils have frequent opportunities to explore varied texts every week. Furthermore, the new library really promotes reading for pleasure.

Staff take time to get to know pupils. They forge positive relationships with pupils. These relationships contribute to the generally purposeful atmosphere in school.

Since returning from the restrictions linked to COVID-19, the conduct of some pupils does not meet the school's high and reasonable expectations. Leaders have acted decisively to respond to this through the behaviour policy. Welfare and SEND staff support those pupils with additional social and emotional needs ably.

Leaders acknowledge that work to further improve behaviour is ongoing, especially as the staff and pupil numbers grow.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider development. The personal development curriculum is well thought through.

Pupils learn useful knowledge, including how to make and maintain healthy relationships. Careers education is particularly strong. It is thoughtfully planned, with opportunities to meet with multiple partners from the world of work, apprenticeships and post-16 education.

There is bespoke provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. This ensures that all pupils have a secure understanding of the high-quality options available after Year 11.

Those responsible for governance have established strong systems for support and challenge through trust leaders.

Staff appreciate leaders' actions to help manage their workload and provide more time for curriculum development. Staff are happy and feel well-supported in school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and those responsible for governance place a very high priority on safeguarding. Rigorous checks on staff ensure they are fit to work with pupils. Regular training and updates mean that staff understand the risks pupils face.

Staff are vigilant and report concerns swiftly. Leaders make and pursue external referrals relentlessly. In school, leaders have developed an impressive range of specialist partnerships which mean that pupils and their families receive targeted support where necessary.

Pupils learn how to navigate risk, for example in the community. They have trusted adults who they can talk to if they have worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The delivery of the curriculum is not yet consistently effective across the school.

In some lessons, teachers do not select approaches or activities which ensure that all pupils are learning and remembering the curriculum as intended. Leaders should continue to train and support staff so that teaching is effective across the school. ? Some staff do not apply the school's behaviour systems effectively.

Consequently, a minority of pupils do not always respect the school's expectations and their conduct disrupts the lessons and the school day. Leaders should ensure that all staff, especially new and cover staff, are supported to use the school's approaches consistently.

Background

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

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 good in January 2018.