Louth Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 February 2022

Although Louth Academy is situated on two separate campuses, staff and pupils agree that it feels like one school. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils. Staff care about pupils' education and their well-being. Most pupils said that they feel safe at school, and that they enjoy attending. Leaders have very high expectations of pupils. These relate to what pupils can achieve academically, and how pupils conduct themselves around the school. Over time, pupils meet these expectations. Pupils told us that many lessons challenge them, and that the school is helping them become more independent. There is a firm focus on developing pupils' aspirations by giving them all, as school leaders call it, an 'aspirational education'. Pupils generally behave well and show respectful attitudes. However, in a small minority of lessons, there are incidents of off-task behaviour. Pupils value the new reward system. It allows them to exchange reward points for stationery, sports equipment and reading books. There are times when some pupils fall out with one another. Staff are on hand to support pupils when this happens. Pupils told us that bullying does occur, but teachers deal with it quickly.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not ensured that all teachers implement the curriculum consistently and securely. Some teachers select activities that do not precisely support the curriculum's intent. This can limit pupils' opportunities to learn the most important knowledge in some lessons. Leaders should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum is embedded securely and consistently across all subjects.
• Leaders have not ensured that all teachers manage the behaviour of pupils consistently. In some lessons, teachers do not challenge instances of low-level disruption and off-task behaviour effectively. When this is the case, time for learning is lost. Leaders must ensure that all staff understand how to challenge low-level disruption and off-task behaviour consistently.

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