Compass Community School Athelstan Park

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

Before joining the school, pupils have missed significant parts of their education. Consequently, they arrive with considerable gaps in their curriculum knowledge. However, the school does not help pupils to close these gaps sufficiently well. Pupils do not develop a solid foundation on which to build new knowledge. They experience variability in the quality of education and provision at the school. Pupils have education, health and care (EHC) plans that determine how their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) should be met. Therapy and education staff work together to support pupils' social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs successfully. The school's provision for pupils' personal development, including encouragement to develop their interests, is strong. Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment experiences. They particularly look forward to cooking meals. They learn about healthy bodies, minds and how to stay safe, including online. Pupils are proud to take on responsibilities such as representing their peers in the school council. Daily routines are well established. Positive working relationships exist between staff and pupils. Expectations for pupils' behaviour are well understood. This contributes to the calm and orderly school environment. Pupils are safe. They enjoy social times together and work collaboratively in lessons.

What the school should improve

• Staff do not have a secure knowledge of the curriculum's content and expectations. As a result, in some subjects, learning activities are not well matched to the intended learning outcomes. Pupils do not secure knowledge and understanding as well as they should. The proprietor body should support staff to develop their knowledge of the school's curriculum so that it is implemented effectively.
• Gaps in pupils' subject knowledge and what pupils already know are not always accurately identified. This means that subsequent learning does not help pupils to secure new knowledge or build on prior knowledge well enough. The proprietor body should support the school to accurately identify what pupils know and can do, what knowledge gaps need addressing and what they need to learn next.
• The proprietor body's checks on the quality and implementation of some of its policies lack rigour. This means that records are incomplete and do not help staff to support the pupils effectively. The proprietor body must assure itself that the school has the necessary support and resources to implement its policies and procedures to a sufficiently high standard.

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