Jesmond Park Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 June 2022

Pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum. Teachers help pupils to build knowledge and skills across many subjects. Pupils can describe how teachers help them to remember their learning over time. Leaders have worked hard with teachers to improve the quality of education. The curriculum in subjects such as history and modern foreign languages is now much better than before. Pupils are experiencing effective teaching. There is variance in how well teachers adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Provision is strong for pupils with higher levels of needs. It is less secure for those accessing lower levels of support. Senior leaders have plans in place to continue to improve the quality of education. Most pupils behave well. They focus on their learning in lessons. Adults build positive relationships with pupils. Pupils are encouraged to respect one another in this highly diverse school community. The majority of pupils attend well. Leaders are putting new approaches in place to support those who find it harder to attend. Staff take bullying seriously. They have put systems in place to capture pupils' concerns. This includes any concerns that may arise over sexual harassment. The majority of pupils whom inspectors spoke with feel safe in school. They say that staff take bullying seriously and deal with problems that arise. However, some pupils and parents have less confidence in how well concerns are addressed.

What the school should improve

• There is variability in how well teachers adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. The strong practice in the sixth form and for pupils accessing sensory support are not consistently reflected elsewhere. Leaders should provide teachers with clearer information and guidance to help them to better meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.
• Some strategies to support reading are not well developed. The work to develop pupils' vocabulary is not supported by consistent phonics teaching for the weakest readers. Leaders should accelerate the implementation of the phonics programme so that pupils get the support that they need to be able to read well.
• On some occasions, teachers can move pupils on too quickly before they have checked that ideas have been securely understood. This can lead to gaps in learning. Leaders should work with teachers to refine assessment practice. This will help them to better check that pupils are learning the intended curriculum.
• While more parents and carers are putting their faith in the school, a significant minority remain concerned about aspects of the school's work. These include concerns on behaviour, SEND provision and communication. Leaders should develop strategies to communicate effectively with all parents and involve them more purposefully in the improvement journey.

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