Buildwas Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 June 2024

Following a period of decline in pupils' outcomes, new leaders have raised the expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils are beginning to benefit from positive changes happening at Buildwas Academy. Gaps in pupils' knowledge are now being addressed across the school. Pupils are rising to these higher expectations. Positive relationships between pupils and staff are very important here. Pupils speak highly of the adults and show great respect towards them. Any unkind behaviour, such as bullying, is dealt with quickly and sensitively. Pupils share their worries with named adults. As a result, pupils say they feel happy and safe. Pupils enjoy a range of responsibilities. Older pupils, for instance, oversee the 'friendship bench' at playtimes. They help pupils make friends with each other. Pupils experience a range of extra-curricular activities, such as residential trips and some after-school clubs. Leaders have plans in place to increase and broaden this offer further. Pupils facing personal difficulties are well supported by the whole school community. This demonstrates their motto, 'A small school with a huge heart'.

What the school should improve

• In mathematics and English, gaps in pupils' knowledge have developed over time. Pupils are beginning to catch up. However, in different areas of the school there is variation in pupils' achievement where pupils have fallen behind in the past. The school should continue its work on strengthening the curriculum and identifying and addressing the gaps in pupils' learning, so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum.
• Many foundation subjects have only been implemented recently. Leaders do not yet know the impact of the newly implemented curriculum on pupils' learning over time. The school should continue its plans to embed the new curriculum and ensure it has the desired impact on pupils' knowledge.
• The processes to identify and review the needs of pupils with SEND are not sufficiently rigorous. This means that some pupils do not get the help they need to achieve well quickly enough. The school should review its procedures for identifying and reviewing the needs of pupils with SEND to ensure that they receive timely and effective support to help them succeed.
• The support planned to meet the specific needs of some pupils is too broad and not specific enough. This means that some pupils are not consistently receiving the support they need to achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff develop the expertise to understand the specific barriers to pupils' learning and accurately put in place the support needed for these pupils.

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