Garstang Community Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 March 2024

Pupils' enjoyment of school has increased in recent times. Most show a keen interest in learning. They respond well to the school's raised expectations for their academic outcomes. In some subjects, pupils achieve well, but this is not the same for others. Some pupils are not benefiting from the positive changes to the curriculum as quickly as they should. This is because some of these changes have been implemented too slowly. Pupils are typically polite and they show respect to staff and to each other. They value the friendships that they forge during their time in school. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy. The new behaviour systems are followed well by most staff. This has led to improvements in pupils' behaviour. However, a small proportion of pupils continue to misbehave. This spoils the learning of their peers. The school has worked with the trust to enhance the strategies used to tackle bullying. Nevertheless, some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not feel confident in reporting their concerns to teachers. This is because they feel that the issues they raise would not be resolved effectively. The school offers a wide range of clubs and trips to expand pupils' interests. Pupils relish the chance to take part in a variety of sporting events. Some pupils enjoy representing their school at local community competitions. These opportunities help some pupils to build their confidence when working as part of a team.

What the school should improve

• Assessment strategies are not used consistently well across different subjects. As such, the misconceptions and gaps in subject knowledge that some pupils have are not remedied well enough. Consequently, some pupils do not build a secure body of knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers can use assessment strategies effectively to help pupils to succeed.
• The new behaviour systems are not used consistently well by some staff. At times, this means that the poor behaviour of some pupils hinders the learning of others. The school should ensure that the strategies to address poor behaviour are understood and followed across the school.
• Some pupils do not have confidence that their concerns about bullying will be resolved. This stops some pupils from sharing their worries and lessens their enjoyment of school. The school should ensure that it enhances its approach to improving the relationships pupils have with their teachers so that pupils gain confidence in reporting their concerns.
• At times, the school does not communicate the changes to its policies and procedures clearly enough. As such, some staff, parents and pupils continue to have negative perceptions of the school's provision. The school should ensure that it clarifies the reasons behind some of its improvement work so that it re- establishes the trust of stakeholders and boosts staff morale.

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