Netherwood Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 March 2024

This school is determined to improve the life chances of its pupils. Pupils feel safe at this school. They have good relationships with teachers and trust adults. They learn to respect differences through the 'it stops now' campaign and have tolerant attitudes toward others. Pupils feel that bullying gets dealt with effectively when it occurs. Pupils and staff think that recent changes to behavioural policies and teaching have made a significant and positive difference. The vast majority of pupils behave sensibly in lessons and around the school. They understand routines and expectations such as moving with 'pace and purpose' from one lesson to the next. Pupils that attend school regularly make good progress through the curriculum. They benefit from well-planned lessons and well-trained staff. Some pupils do not attend regularly. Some pupils get suspended frequently. These pupils do not make as much progress as they could. Pupils have opportunities to become leaders and influence the school. For example, the school council has been instrumental in introducing a one-way system to improve lesson transition. Prefects act as role models and support events such as coffee mornings for local residents. Pupils widen their cultural experiences through a range of trips and visits. For example, pupils have opportunities to attend bushcraft camps and trips to Spain and New York.

What the school should improve

• In some lessons, teaching is not adapted sufficiently well to meet the needs of some pupils. In some cases, the most able pupils are not fully challenged and specific support for pupils with SEND sometimes lacks precision. The school should develop adaptive teaching methods to ensure that all pupils, including those most able and those with SEND, make good progress through the curriculum.
• Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, do not attend lessons regularly enough and miss too much learning. The school should continue to ensure that systems and resources to improve attendance are well embedded and that work continues with the community to improve attendance for all groups of pupils.
• Suspension rates for pupils, although improving, are still high. As a result, some pupils miss too much learning. The school should continue to refine systems for managing behaviour and develop positive attitudes to learning among all pupils, thereby reducing the number of suspensions.

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