Charlton Park Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 June 2023

The school is safe and welcoming. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and their welfare, care and safety are at the centre of everything that leaders and staff do. This includes making sure that all pupils, and students in the sixth form, are given the skills they need to live as full a life as possible. For example, the personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is especially strong and well thought out. It gives pupils and students lots of opportunities to develop their life skills and to understand the world outside school. The programme of learning for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) is highly effective. Teachers and learning support assistants (LSAs) work closely with pupils to give them an individual programme based on their complex needs. The wide range of resources supports this work extremely well. As a result, pupils in the PMLD classes get a high-quality experience of education. Staff make learning fun and build strong relationships with pupils. The success of this work shows in pupils' positive attitudes and behaviour and in their enjoyment of school. Parents and carers confirm this. Some said that their children enjoy school so much that they want to be there in the holidays. Learning is purposeful, with opportunities for older pupils to gain external qualifications and to go on to college.

What the school should improve

• The work to improve the curriculum is not as well rooted in teachers' everyday practice as it needs to be. In some cases, staff lack detailed knowledge about the curriculum. On occasions, this limits some pupils' learning. Leaders need to ensure that the actions they are taking to develop the curriculum, including staff training, are embedded securely in practice.

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