Edgar Wood Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 June 2026

Pupils are delighted by the improvements that leaders have recently made to the school. In particular, pupils appreciate that staffing has stabilised and many cited their teachers as the best thing about school. Warm and positive interactions between staff and pupils begin when pupils line up in the morning and continue throughout the day. Pupils feel listened to and supported. They trust that staff will not give up on them. Pupils, including the high proportion who are disadvantaged, feel a clear sense of belonging. They are increasingly proud to be part of this school community. Most pupils respond positively to the clear boundaries that leaders have established for their behaviour. Well-established routines, enforced with warmth, help pupils know what to expect. As staffing has stabilised and the quality of the curriculum and teaching has improved, so pupils have become increasingly invested in their education. In the main, they progress well through the curriculum. Classrooms are typically calm and orderly places where pupils can get on with the job of learning. Pupils' positive attitudes are reflected in their increasing rates of attendance. Staff are adept at identifying any additional support that pupils might need and ensuring that appropriate help is at hand. This helps pupils to overcome any barriers that might impede their engagement in learning, or prevent them from benefitting fully from all that the school offers. For instance, many pupils relish opportunities to go on trips, perform in the school production or attend extra-curricular clubs, including skateboarding and chess. Pupils appreciate opportunities to work with leaders to influence further change in the school. For instance, the junior leadership team were consulted about changes to the school's mobile phone policy. Pupils embrace leadership roles that enable them to support their peers, including as anti-bullying ambassadors and behaviour mentors. They take pride in helping to shape a culture of tolerance and support, in which pupils are free to be themselves and bullying is not tolerated.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to embed effective use of assessment strategies, so that staff use assessment information to inform their teaching consistently well.
• Leaders should continue to embed strategies for improving pupils’ handwriting, so that pupils can communicate fluently and effectively in writing across the curriculum.
• Leaders should continue to implement their strategy to reduce any ongoing barriers to pupils' attendance, so that the number of pupils who attend school regularly continues to increase.

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