Fenland academy rated as 'Requires Improvement' for second consecutive Ofsted inspection

Neale-Wade Academy in March, which is part of The Active Learning Trust, has been rated as Requires Improvement for the second consecutive inspection.

Inspectors found that not enough progress had been made to upgrade the rating received by the school at its inspection in December 2021.

The report did note that recent changes within the trust had made a positive impact on the rate of school’s improvement and that this was the beginning of delivering rapid and sustainable improvement.

Among the aspects of the school that was praised was the redesign of the curriculum and the support offered to pupils with special educational needs. Inconsistencies were found in the delivery of the curriculum.

It did, however, raise a number of concerns including that not all staff have defined to pupils the expectations of behaviour. This has led to ‘boisterous behaviour’ in social spaces and use of inappropriate language which is not dealt with quickly, causing disruptions to lessons.

Teachers were also found to not routinely check learning that pupils have missed, causing them to struggle to learn new content.

In setting out how the school needed to improve, the report stated:

- Not all teaching is precise enough to support pupils effectively, including those pupils with SEND, to learn the intended key information set out in curriculum plans. This means that pupils do not understand what they have been taught. The school should ensure that teachers are supported and equipped to choose the most appropriate strategies to ensure that all pupils are consistently provided with the key knowledge needed to progress.

- Teachers do not always use effective strategies to determine exactly what all pupils know and if they are ready to move on. At times, pupils have not fully understood what has been taught. This is not addressed, and pupils are unable to complete learning activities to the depth required to secure the knowledge they have been taught. The school should ensure that teachers routinely check all pupils’ understanding of key knowledge and adapt their approaches to address gaps and misconceptions.

- Teachers do not always identify and focus clearly enough on the most significant gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Consequently, pupils who are behind in their learning are not able to catch up as quickly as they should. The school must ensure that curriculum planning and teaching swiftly identify and address pupils’ most significant gaps in knowledge.

- The school has not ensured that its behaviour policy is consistently applied. The result of this is that the behaviour of some pupils interrupts the learning of others. Some pupils use language that is inappropriate in social spaces. The school should make sure that all staff implement the behaviour policy consistently and effectively.

The full Ofsted report can be viewed online.