Farringdon Community Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 June 2026

Pupils' experience of school has considerably improved over time. Behaviour is now calm and purposeful. Positive relationships permeate the school. Teaching ensures that pupils learn the intended curriculum well and make positive progress throughout their education. Many pupils are proud of what they achieve from day to day. The school's ‘iAspire’ and 'PROUD' initiatives promote individual success and celebration, while ‘Applause Moments’ encourage each pupil to strive for their best. Leaders and staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Lesson routines have become rapidly embedded so that pupils understand precisely what is expected of them. Pupils are becoming increasingly confident and keen to contribute. Pupils experience an increasingly broad and ambitious curriculum. The new school building provides excellent facilities to support a wide range of subjects. Pupils treat their environment, staff and one another with respect. Bullying is rare. Pupils say that staff would deal with issues effectively if they did occur. Pupils’ achievement has improved steadily over time in many subjects. In some subjects, this improvement has been more rapid. Staff understand the support different pupils need to succeed. Barriers to learning are quickly and effectively removed. Many pupils thrive because they have the help they need to achieve their potential. Parents are typically very positive about changes to the school of late. Pupils and parents appreciate the high-quality pastoral support on offer. Pupils are very well cared for. They feel safe and are confident to report any concerns they might have to an adult. The school is a caring, inclusive place where individual pupils are well understood by staff. Pupils now attend school much more regularly than they once did. However, poor attendance amongst some pupil groups remains a challenge that leaders are working to overcome.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that pupils consistently achieve highly across all curriculum subjects and that this is reflected in above-average outcomes in national tests and examinations over time.
• Leaders should ensure that attendance improves rapidly so that it is in line with national averages or above them, including for identified groups, and that persistent absence continues to fall.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a secure and detailed knowledge across the personal, social, health and economic curriculum, including about their future employment and education opportunities, so that they are very well prepared for life beyond school.

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