Mulberry Academy Woodside

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 February 2022

The new headteacher, with the support of governors, leaders and staff, is taking appropriate steps to bring about rapid change. Pupils said that these changes have improved their school. Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils. They challenge all pupils to be the best that they can be. Most pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well across the curriculum. If any bullying takes place, staff deal with it quickly. The behaviour of pupils in class and around the school is typically calm. However, a few teachers do not apply the new behaviour policy consistently enough. There are a range of clubs and activities that pupils attend, including chess and drama clubs. Pupils are regularly encouraged to debate and discuss ideas. They can play an active part in school life by becoming a prefect or member of the school council. Leaders promote pupils' character development through the 'Woodside Shared Values'. These values actively encourage pupils to try their best, support each other and celebrate differences.

What the school should improve

• A small minority of staff do not consistently implement the new behaviour policy. As a result, low-level disruption in a few classes is not challenged swiftly enough. Leaders should ensure that all staff share the same high expectations of pupils' behaviour and that they are supported to follow the school's behaviour policy fully.
• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is not sufficiently developed. For example, plans for the Year 9 summer term are still in development. Leaders have worked hard to develop their curriculum to date and have shown the capacity to do this work well. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders and governors should ensure that the curriculum continues to be developed so that there is clarity about what pupils should know and be able to do in all subjects in Years 7 to 11.
• The rates of persistent absence in the school are too high. This means that some pupils do not attend school frequently enough and so miss out on important learning. Leaders are currently addressing this through a range of appropriate actions. It is critical that governors and leaders carefully monitor the impact of these actions so that they can be refined and updated if necessary.

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