Lady Lumley's Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 April 2024

The motto at Lady Lumley's School is 'be our best'. This is promoted throughout the school, including academic studies and pupils' wider personal development. Pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum. In 2023, pupils at Lady Lumley's School made similar progress to other schools in national assessments. However, most pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds do not achieve as well as their classmates. Recent changes to the curriculum have allowed the school to encourage pupils to see themselves as members of a diverse modern Britain. Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds through the form time reading programme, assemblies and the 'life' curriculum. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Pupils behave well in lessons and there is a calm atmosphere in classrooms and at social times. Bullying can happen and there are instances of derogatory language. The school takes any incidents seriously and acts quickly to address these issues. Students in the sixth form are proud to be at Lady Lumley's. They value the positive relationships that they have with staff. One student told the inspectors, 'It is like being part of a family'. This comment was typical of many others.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers check that pupils have understood what they have been taught before moving on. However, this is not consistent. Furthermore, some teachers do not use this information to inform their teaching. As a result, misconceptions or gaps in knowledge are not always addressed. The school should ensure that teachers are trained and supported to check that pupils understand what they have been taught, and use this assessment information to inform their teaching.
• Attendance for some pupils is too low. This means that they miss out on valuable learning. The school must ensure that they analyse attendance trends and act strategically to secure improved levels of attendance across the school.
• A small number of pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of the protected characteristics or fundamental British values. Others occasionally demonstrate a lack of respect and tolerance for others. The school must ensure that pupils understand this important knowledge so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• In some areas, the school is not effectively analysing and interpreting the information that is available to them to inform their actions. This means that the oversight of some areas of the school is not as strong as it could be. This includes the off-site provision hosted by the school. The school needs to carry out thorough and careful analysis of information linked to improvement priorities. The multi-academy trust must further support leaders to ensure that they have strong oversight of their key areas of responsibility.

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