Laycock Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 September 2022

Pupils enjoy school. They are proud to wear their school uniform. Pupils are respectful to each other and to adults. Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well. Pupils feel safe in school. Staff care deeply about the well-being of pupils. Pupils know adults will listen to them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils' good behaviour around school contributes to a calm environment. Bullying is not tolerated. On the rare occasions it happens, adults resolve it quickly. Pupils make a strong contribution to the life of the school. For example, they take on responsibilities such as playground buddies, cloakroom monitors and school councillors. Pupils are very active and enjoy the excellent facilities in the school playground. They describe everyone as friendly. They say that no-one is ever left on their own at playtimes. This is a school at the heart of its community. Leaders have built a strong partnership with parents. Many parents and carers appreciate the work the school is doing to help their children develop personal and academic skills.

What the school should improve

• Currently, teachers' knowledge and expertise vary in some foundation subjects, for example history. As a result, planned work for pupils is not always closely matched to the intended curriculum. This affects some pupils' attitudes to learning, presentation of work and knowledge of these subjects. Leaders should explore ways of providing subject-specific training for staff to ensure that there is consistently high-quality teaching in all subjects.

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