John Port Spencer Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 May 2022

Pupils value the education they receive at John Port Spencer Academy. They benefit from the dedication of staff and leaders who are committed to providing them with a high-quality education. There are strong relationships between pupils and staff. Most pupils are happy at the school. They know that staff will keep them safe and look after them. Pupils show their appreciation of staff in the way they respectfully respond to them. Pupils' conduct around the school is worthy of admiration. They are polite, helpful and respectful of each other and adults. They focus on their work in lessons, with very little distraction. Most pupils say that when bullying happens, staff resolve any issues effectively. Leaders are determined to help all pupils achieve their best. The curriculum is broad. There is a wide range of subjects available for pupils to study, including in key stage 4 and the sixth form. Leaders have focused on improving the quality of education that pupils receive. However, this commitment has not yet extended to the personal development curriculum. Leaders are beginning to take action to ensure that pupils are helped to develop as a whole person.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not assured themselves of the quality of the personal development curriculum. A significant number of pupils feel they have not been taught enough about the important aspects of personal development because there is not enough time given to it. They feel that what they are taught is poor quality and is repeated to the point where it does not interest or challenge them. Some parents and carers feel that this is an area the school needs to address. Leaders need to ensure that the personal development curriculum is suitably ambitious and fully prepares pupils for life in Britain.
• Leaders have not ensured that all teachers use assessment effectively. The assessment that teachers use in some subjects does not always enable them to identify misconceptions or gaps in pupils' knowledge. In these subjects, there is a risk of pupils being moved on to new learning before they have a secure understanding of the current topic. Leaders need to ensure that teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to use assessment effectively to help pupils embed knowledge so that they build their understanding successfully over time.

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