Cedar Mount Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 January 2026

Pupils are pleased with the changes that leaders have recently made. They appreciate that leaders’ work to improve behaviour has helped to create calm and purposeful lessons. Pupils speak positively about what the school now offers, from their learning to the range of enrichment activities. Pupils know that they have to 'be in it to win it', and this motivates them to attend school regularly and engage in their education. Many pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as becoming prefects or running the ‘Cedar shop’, where they exchange merits for small rewards. Pupils feel happy and safe in school. Pupils are proud of the diversity in their school community. They value difference and show respect for one another. Bullying is rare and addressed quickly if it happens. A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, including some who speak very little English when they arrive. These pupils are supported well to settle in, helping them to feel part of the school’s friendly and harmonious community. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, have benefited from leaders’ focus on inclusion. However, the support in place to reduce barriers to learning remains inconsistent. Some pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, receive effective support. Leaders’ work to ensure that this is the case for all pupils is ongoing. Leaders have strengthened the curriculum so that it is broad, ambitious and logically sequenced. Even so, variability in the quality of teaching means that pupils do not learn as well as they should across all subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and their achievement varies between subjects. This is reflected in pupils' achievement in national examinations, which is typically below the national average.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that improvements in teaching are embedded and applied consistently across the school, so that pupils learn and achieve well in every subject.
• Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment information effectively so that teaching is informed by what pupils already know and can do, and build their knowledge securely over time.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen staff expertise and ensure that they have useful information about pupils’ needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that barriers to learning are reduced consistently well.

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