Carlton Road Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

Carlton Road Academy is a welcoming school. Positive relationships are at the heart of the school's work. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they are happy and feel safe. They know they can talk to any adults if they have any worries. Pupils explained, 'Our teachers support us if we need help in our lessons or with absolutely anything else in our life.' The school wants all pupils to achieve their best. Although published outcomes are lower than the national average in several areas, pupils achieve well from where they start. The school carefully considers its diverse community. Pupils' learning supports their language and communication development. This supports pupils' achievement because, for many, English is an additional language. Pupils are curious and interested in their learning. They are polite in their conversations with staff and each other. At lunch time pupils play happily alongside each other. The school supports pupils to develop their physical health. They enjoy using the outdoor resources such as the athletics track to exercise. Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils access a range of wider opportunities. They explain that their jobs help the school community and teach them about responsibility. Pupils are particularly proud of these extra responsibilities such as being a member of the 'Pupil Parliament'.

What the school should improve

• The school's phonics programme is not delivered as consistently well as it could be. This means that some pupils are not being taught to read as well as they might. Leaders need to ensure that staff teach phonics with consistent strategies so that more pupils learn to be confident and fluent readers.
• In some subjects, the school has not identified what specific key knowledge pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not consistently build a secure depth of knowledge. The school should ensure that it finalises its curriculum thinking to identify specifically what pupils should learn, and when, so that pupils develop knowledge which builds cumulatively year-upon-year.
• Rates of persistent absence are still too high. This means that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not benefit from the full education that they need. The school should ensure that strategies to reduce persistent absence continue and are sustained to change the culture of attendance for pupils.

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