E-ACT Crest Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 March 2026

This is a caring and inclusive school where all pupils are welcomed, whatever their backgrounds and needs. Pupils benefit from a strong culture of care that is evident across the school. They feel safe in school and appreciate the support that they receive from staff. They know exactly who to turn to if they need help. Pupils feel confident celebrating their own culture and the cultures of others, for example through the school's culture days. As a result, the school has a friendly atmosphere, and pupils feel a sense of belonging to their school community. Staff at the school get to know pupils well. They quickly identify the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school ensures that new pupils settle in well. Many pupils join the school during the school year, and many arrive with barriers to learning. Effective strategies to overcome these barriers are put in place. Most pupils feel well supported. They generally progress well through the curriculum from their starting points. Pupils enjoy their learning, and most are committed to doing their best in class. However, there is variability in how well some teaching checks what pupils know. Most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve in line with national averages. However, some pupils and, in particular, sixth-form students do not make as much progress as they should. Leaders are aware of this and have put strategies in place to address these inconsistencies. Improvements to the curriculum and teaching are starting to have a positive impact on pupils currently in the school. Expectations for behaviour and conduct are clear and understood by all. Leaders have introduced routines, for example morning 'line-up', that help to create a settled start to the day. Pupils respond well to these clear routines. Behaviour in lessons is typically calm and focused, and pupils learn without disruption. When bullying happens, leaders take appropriate action to stop it. Pupils recognise this.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teaching meets pupils’ needs consistently well through highly effective adaptations in lessons, both to secure and deepen pupils' knowledge and to ensure that they make as much progress through the curriculum as they can.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers are skilled at checking pupils’ understanding and starting points so they can expertly adapt teaching effectively, enabling pupils to achieve highly.
• Leaders should ensure that recent actions to strengthen achievement in the sixth form are fully embedded and lead to consistently positive results for all post-16 students.

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