Workington Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Without exception, pupils, and students in the sixth form, are immensely proud of their school.

Pupils are polite and courteous. They are eager to share with visitors all that the school has to offer. The extensive personal development curriculum provides pupils with a plethora of opportunities that enable them to flourish.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils readily sign the school pledge to demonstrate their commitment to upholding leaders' high standards. Pupils were unanimous in their view that discriminatory behaviour is not tolerated by anyone in the school community.

The mantra, 'not in our school' permeates classr...ooms, the assembly hall and corridors. This helps to ensure that the school is a safe, happy place where pupils are accepted for who they are. Staff deal with rare incidents of bullying swiftly and resolutely.

Teachers expect all pupils to succeed. Pupils and students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a well-thought-out curriculum. They achieve well.

Pupils and students spoke passionately about the support that they receive from staff in relation to their mental health and well-being. Pupils said that if they have any concerns, staff tackle these worries quickly.

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

Leaders' improvements to the curriculum over the past two years have been tangible.

Ambitious for all pupils, irrespective of ability or background, leaders have ensured that pupils study a broad range of subjects. The curriculum has been well-thought-out across all three key stages to ensure that pupils can build their knowledge and skills well over time. By the end of key stage 3, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the demands of key stage 4.

Pupils achieve well.

In key stage 4, pupils can choose freely from a wide range of subjects that meet their interests and aspirations. Leaders have acted judiciously to increase the proportion of pupils following the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

Leaders have thought deeply about the content within the curriculum and the order in which this should be taught. Leaders' diligence in curriculum thinking has meant that by the end of key stage 4, pupils have secured a rich body of knowledge across many subjects. This affords pupils the choice to take advantage of the vast curriculum offer in the sixth form.

The curriculum in the sixth form is highly effective. Teachers present subject matter in a clear and logical way. Students in the sixth form are well prepared for university, employment or apprenticeships.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge for teaching. They select appropriate activities to help pupils to know more and remember more of the curriculum. Pupils and students regularly draw on a range of prior knowledge, applying this to more sophisticated concepts.

Consequently, their learning is rich.Senior leaders have thought carefully about the whole-school approach to assessment. Their new assessment system which has been introduced into Year 7 is closely aligned to the knowledge identified within the curriculum.

This enables teachers to ascertain how much of the curriculum that pupils have learned more effectively. This approach is working well. However, in Years 8 and 9, the current approaches to assessment do not always furnish teachers with the information that they need to identify pupils' misconceptions quickly enough.

Leaders have clear plans in place to roll out their new assessment system across all of key stage 3 from September 2022.

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly so that they get the support that they need to access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers are adept at enabling these pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), to gain the knowledge that they need.

Pupils with SEND achieve as well as other pupils.

Leaders are prioritising reading. They have accurately identified the deficits in pupils' reading knowledge and made this information available to all staff.

Well-trained staff support younger pupils to catch up quickly. However, leaders are in the early stages of implementing the reading curriculum across the school. This means that in some subject areas, leaders and teachers do not confidently know how to support pupils who find reading difficult.

Consequently, some older pupils do not catch up as quickly as they should.

In lessons, relationships between pupils and their teachers are strong. Pupils and students learn without disruption.

They attend school regularly.Leaders develop pupils' spiritual and moral awareness well through a strong programme. Pupils and students value how well prepared they are for life in modern Britain.

They assume many responsibilities, such as sports leaders and school councillors, with pride.

Governors and trustees have supported and challenged leaders effectively to improve the quality of education since the previous inspection. Staff feel well supported.

They described how leaders have taken effective steps to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained in safeguarding arrangements.

They provide regular safeguarding briefings to keep staff up to date with pertinent issues.As a result, staff are fully conversant in the processes for keeping pupils safe. Knowledgeable about local safeguarding concerns, staff are highly alert to the dangers that pupils may face online and in the community.

Staff report concerns about pupils and students promptly. When needed, staff make timely referrals to external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, said that they could approach leaders about a wide range of safeguarding issues in an age-appropriate way.

Safeguarding features prominently in form time and assemblies.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In Years 8 and 9, the assessment systems do not give teachers the same quality of information as they do in Year 7. This sometimes makes it more difficult for teachers to identify misconceptions or pinpoint where pupils have missing knowledge.

As a result, a small number of pupils do not progress through the curriculums as well as they should. Leaders should roll out their new assessment systems across key stage 3 to ensure that approaches to assessment are linked to the knowledge within the curriculum and that teachers use these approaches consistently well. ? Leaders are in the early stages of implementing their reading curriculum across the school.

This means that in some subject areas, leaders and teachers do not confidently know how to address pupils' missing reading knowledge. Consequently, some older pupils continue to find reading difficult. Leaders should ensure that staff are fully trained in how to deliver the reading curriculum effectively.