John Cabot Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 5 November 2024

This is a welcoming school, where pupils are well prepared for their next steps. In Years 7 to 11, pupils attend John Cabot Academy (JCA), where they know the vision well: 'Empower yourself. Empower your community.' Pupils take pride in this statement and are proud of the diversity of their community. This extends into the CLF Post-16, where their ethos of 'Care Believe Achieve' is fully realised. Students in the post-16 provision come from a wide range of schools. Across the whole school, pupils feel a strong sense of belonging. Pupils in JCA and students in the post-16 enjoy their time at school. They receive a high- quality education. They feel motivated to succeed. Teachers encourage and support them to do this effectively. The school has high expectations of pupils. Lessons are calm and focused. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm. Pupils are safe and have trusted adults with whom they can share any concerns. Staff help pupils to explore different beliefs and cultures. Pupils show very high levels of respect for the views and lives of others. Pupils are encouraged to be active members of the school community. At JCA, many pupils join the wide range of councils, such as equality, neurodiversity and LGBT. In the post-16 provision, pupils take on leadership roles within their houses. Feedback to leaders from these groups leads to meaningful change, like adjustments to the school uniform.

What the school should improve

• Assessment is not always used precisely enough. This means that, sometimes, teaching does not accurately identify when pupils have not understood key learning. The trust should ensure that all teachers use assessment effectively to identify and promptly address misconceptions.
• Many pupils do not read for pleasure as widely or as often as they should. This means opportunities to develop their reading fluency and comprehension beyond the curriculum are limited. The trust should ensure that pupils are encouraged and supported to read a rich and diverse range of texts regularly.

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