Guilsborough Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 October 2023

Pupils have mixed feelings about the school. Some pupils enjoy school and say that it has improved. However, some pupils said they do not like school. Students in the sixth form speak positively about their experience at Guilsborough Academy. Pupils feel safe in school and know who they can talk to if they have any concerns. However, some pupils said that bullying happens and they often hear homophobic language. They are not always confident that the school will deal with these issues. Some pupils do not report the concerns they have. Most lessons are calm and orderly. There is some low-level disruption that sometimes stops others learning. Most pupils have good attitudes to learning. However, some pupils choose to do little work in lessons. Pupils said that staff are not always fair or consistent when dealing with behaviour issues. Some pupils do not behave well at unstructured times. Sometimes pupils are boisterous when going to lessons and they do not always follow staff's instructions. Pupils have a range of opportunities to learn about different careers. There is a variety of clubs that pupils can attend. For example, some pupils attend chess, football, netball and art clubs. Many pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes when explaining new topics, teachers present too much information. This confuses some pupils as they cannot take in everything the teacher has covered. Pupils do not always understand the work they need to do and cannot complete tasks fully. The school should ensure that teachers know how to break new information down into manageable chunks so that pupils understand what they need to learn.
• Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding of what they have learned. This means that they do not always address misconceptions or gaps in pupils' knowledge. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Teachers should ensure that they systematically check pupils' understanding so that they can address any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions.
• Not all teachers use the information they have about the needs of pupils with SEND to adapt their teaching for these pupils. This means that sometimes these pupils cannot access the curriculum and they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers know how to use the information they get about the needs of pupils with SEND so that these pupils can fully access the curriculum.
• Staff do not always use the school's agreed approach to managing behaviour. At times, expectations for how pupils should behave are too low. This means that there is low-level disruption in some lessons. Some pupils' behaviour at unstructured times is poor. This makes some pupils feel uncomfortable. The school should ensure that all staff use the school's behaviour system consistently so that pupils know and meet the school's expectations.
• Some pupils said that bullying and homophobic comments happen frequently. Some pupils do not have confidence in how the school deals with these issues and therefore they do not always report concerns. The school should ensure that all pupils know how to report any bullying or the concerns they have about other pupils' language. The school should also ensure that pupils know how they deal with concerns so that pupils have confidence in how the school deals with these issues.
• Some teachers do not always cover important elements of the personal development curriculum. This means that some pupils do not have a secure understanding of fundamental British values or equalities. They are not well- enough prepared for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that there is enough time to deliver all the personal development curriculum so that all pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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