Dene Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 November 2023

Dene Academy is a caring and nurturing school. Staff know pupils very well and they have high aspirations for what they can achieve. In lessons, pupils are keen to meet these expectations. Pupils receive high-quality pastoral care and they enjoy warm relationships with staff. This helps to create a positive culture in the school. Dene Academy is an inclusive school where pupils are safe. The school provides a warm welcome for pupils, especially those seeking safety and support. The school's positive work in this area is reflected in its recent award of 'School of Sanctuary' status. Pupils respect the differences in other people. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous. Bullying sometimes happens. A small number of pupils say that the school does not always act as quickly as it could when bullying occurs. Pupils are offered a wide range of opportunities to develop their interests. For example, pupils enjoy attending a range of lunchtime and after-school activities, such as karate, chess and music. Many pupils are also taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and the Diana Award. These experiences enable pupils to develop their leadership and mentoring skills so they can help others in their community. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility by taking on leadership roles as head students, ambassadors and prefects.

What the school should improve

• The school's use of assessment is less successful in some subjects than it is in others. This means pupils do not remember knowledge consistently well across all areas of the curriculum. The school should further embed the use of assessment, and associated strategies, to help pupils to remember important knowledge.
• In a minority of subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means pupils do not have a secure and deep knowledge of the curriculum. The school must ensure that the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn is mapped out consistently well across all subjects.
• Recently, there have been a number of changes in leadership at different levels. The school should ensure that all leaders continue to receive support and professional development, so that they can monitor and evaluate the school's work accurately and take effective action so the school continues to improve.

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