Five Acres High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 June 2026

Pupils talk passionately about their pride in being a member of the Five Acres High School community. Pupils feel a sense of belonging and safety that gives them the confidence to engage with all that the school offers. Pupils embrace the school values of determination, confidence, creativity, ambition and respect. They value their education. As a result, they attend well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils value the warm, respectful relationships they have with their peers and staff. Pupils have high expectations of themselves. They behave very well, with older pupils acting as role models. Learning takes place without disruption. On the rare occasions bullying occurs, pupils are confident to report it so that it can be swiftly resolved. Pupils enjoy learning the broad and ambitious curriculum. Where pupils have barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, staff take time to understand their individual needs. Pupils recognise the lengths that highly skilled teachers go to, to help them. This means that pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, make excellent progress from their starting points. Pupils achieve highly across a wide range of qualifications. The school’s commitment to developing pupils' individual character is exceptional. Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to develop their talents. For example, by taking part in societies for music, drama and sports. Leaders use their knowledge of the local area to help pupils learn about healthy lifestyles. They have won awards for teaching pupils about the nutritional benefits of fish, alongside the cooking skills they need to prepare meals. Pupils proudly wear the Character Education badges they have earned for completing challenges such as representing the school in competitions or taking part in careers events. Pupils take their responsibilities to both the school and wider community seriously. This means that they are well placed to make positive contributions to society, both now and in the future.

What the school should improve

• Leaders and those responsible for governance should continue to enhance curriculum implementation so that exceptional standards of teaching have a transformational impact on the achievement of all pupils in all areas of the curriculum.

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