Eaton Bank Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 February 2025

Most pupils at Eaton Bank Academy benefit from a high-quality education. They rise to the school's high expectations for their achievement, proudly demonstrating the school's values of ambition and optimism. Typically, pupils are eager learners. Students in the sixth form demonstrate growing independence, for example they make purposeful use of self- guided study time. Pupils treat each other kindly. They interact politely with staff. This positive behaviour reflects the respectful culture in the school. Pupils' successes, such as their accomplishments in sport and the arts, are widely celebrated. Student leaders in the sixth form serve as positive role models to younger pupils, for example by listening to them read and by leading assemblies. Pupils know how to seek help if they are worried about anything. This helps them to feel happy and safe at school. When pupils report bullying, the school deals with it effectively so that it rarely recurs. Many pupils value the wide range of experiences that the school provides. For example, pupils in Year 7 build their confidence by taking part in a bushcraft residential, while older students participate in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, teachers do not make effective use of the school's chosen assessment strategies to identify pupils' misconceptions. This means that some pupils do not learn the curriculum in these subjects as securely as they could. The school should ensure that staff are fully equipped to identify and remedy pupils' misconceptions so that they can learn successfully in these subjects.
• Some disadvantaged pupils have had irregular attendance in the past. Others still do not attend school as often as they should. Over time, this has created gaps in these pupils' knowledge and hindered their achievement across the curriculum. The school should boost its efforts to help these pupils to attend school more often. It should also ensure that staff use effective strategies to address these pupils' missed learning.
• The school's personal development programme has not successfully addressed some pupils' misconceptions about bullying. A minority of pupils are not confident that the school will deal with bullying and discrimination effectively. This means that they are reluctant to speak out when these problems occur. The school should strengthen its approach to anti-bullying education so that pupils' worries are allayed.

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