Aspire Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 March 2023

Pupils enjoy coming to Aspire Academy. They feel safe and they enjoy their lessons. Leaders expect all pupils to behave well and to do their best. Leaders organise enrichment activities and therapies that supplement the curriculum so that pupils gain the social and emotional skills that they will need for their future lives. Relationships between pupils and the adults that work with them are strong. Adults understand pupils' different needs and adapt lessons and other activities so that these needs are met. Staff are expert at spotting if a pupil needs extra help managing their behaviour or emotions. They step in quickly to support, for example by suggesting going outside to jump on the trampoline or moving to a relaxing space for a short while. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem, but if it did happen that it would be sorted out quickly. Leaders have put in place lots of different clubs and activities for pupils to get involved in. These extra activities are carefully chosen to match the pupils' particular interests. Football and other physical activities are a popular choice and pupils often experience success and enjoyment in sports for the first time at the school.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, it is not clear what the key bits of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember are. This means that in these subjects, pupils find complex tasks difficult because they do not have a secure understanding of the underlying knowledge they need in order to succeed. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, including those aimed at supporting pupils' social and emotional development, the key skills and knowledge are clearly identified so that teachers know what to teach and in which order.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)