Bmat Stem Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 January 2023

Pupils enjoy learning at BMAT STEM Academy. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Pupils say that the school is a good place to study because staff know them well and treat them as young professionals. Pupils have chosen to attend the school to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. They benefit from the network of local and national employers with which leaders liaise. Pupils particularly enjoy doing project work with sponsor organisations. Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly. Pupils are respectful to each other and to staff. Pupils know that staff deal with bullying instances quickly on the rare occasions that they happen. Pupils are happy and safe in the school. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, receive the information they need to help them with their next steps in education, employment or training. This helps them make well-informed decisions about their future. Pupils feel valued. Their voice brings about changes in their school. For example, they changed the school menu to make it healthier. The school council organise fundraising activities that matter to pupils in the school. These include cancer charities and support for Ukrainian families.

What the school should improve

• In a minority of subjects, leaders have not clearly articulated the key information that pupils need to know and understand. Where this is the case, it is not clear for pupils how new learning connects with what they have learned previously. This limits how well pupils are able to deepen their understanding. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans clearly set out the sequence of learning that will most effectively support all pupils to know more and remember more over time.
• While pupils can usually verbally articulate what they know and remember with confidence, some pupils struggle to write down what they know. Expectations of pupils' writing is not high enough. This means that pupils do not accurately express what they know and understand. Leaders should ensure that there is a common approach to writing so that what pupils write is a more accurate reflection of what they know and remember.

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