City of Peterborough Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 July 2024

The changes made since the previous inspection are welcomed by pupils. They can see how behaviour has improved. They enjoy learning within a culture where respectful interactions have become the norm. Consequently, pupils are happy in school. They feel safe, cared for and valued. Pupils benefit from the school's unwavering belief that everyone can achieve the highest peaks of success. Pupils respond to this belief by working hard. They have become resilient, and keep trying, when work becomes challenging. As a result, pupils produce high-quality work and achieve well in their examinations. Pupils take great pride in their school and in one another. They cherish learning about each other's beliefs and experiences. This fosters a deep sense of tolerance and respect. Pupils celebrate their friends' successes with as much enthusiasm as their own. Doing so strengthens bonds between pupils from diverse backgrounds and builds a strong sense of community. Pupils are generally polite and engaging. Pupils enjoy learning in a typically calm and respectful environment. Learning is rarely disrupted by the behaviour of others. In the rare cases where pupils' conduct falls below the school's high expectations, staff deal with it quickly and consistently.

What the school should improve

• Teachers do not always successfully identify when pupils are ready to move on with or deepen their learning, because they do not adapt their teaching to cater for this well enough. This means that pupils do not always have access to the resources they need to develop the depth of understanding of the subjects they study that the school intends. The school should ensure that teachers routinely check pupils' understanding and adapt their teaching, so pupils can move on to the next stage of learning when they are ready.
• The changes to the school culture, in terms of how pupils treat each other, have not been fully embedded. This means that, on occasion, pupils use language that is inappropriate and offensive. The school should ensure that they continue to build a positive culture in the school where all are respected and valued.

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