Progress Schools - Thrapston

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

Pupils do not benefit from a good quality of education. The school has not ensured that staff have the skills and knowledge that they need to teach the curriculum consistently well. The proprietor has not identified and addressed areas of weakness at the school well enough. Pupils have varied experiences of the school. They are not supported as well as they should be to manage their behaviour and to feel calm and settled. The school has not provided pupils with the help that they need to use respectful language and to engage positively with staff and their peers. Despite this, some pupils do report that they feel that they have benefitted during their time at the school. Pupils say that they have a trusted adult to whom they could turn with any worries. Staff are ambitious about what pupils can achieve. Some pupils make progress through the curriculum from their starting points. This is particularly the case in relation to pupils' study of English and mathematics and most pupils achieve GCSE qualifications in these subjects. Pupils are not as successful in building their knowledge across the rest of the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that there are high expectations of the work that pupils will complete or that this work is matched well to pupils' starting points. This means that pupils can find work too easy or too difficult and they have gaps in their understanding, particularly in subjects, such as science. The school should ensure that pupils are provided consistently with work that is appropriate given their existing understanding and that expectations of the work that pupils should complete are clear.
• The proprietor has not ensured that staff feel well supported when helping pupils to behave well. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how staff apply the behaviour policies that the school has in place. This makes it difficult for pupils to make good choices about how they behave. The school should ensure that staff feel supported and clearly understand the school's approach to managing pupils' behaviour.
• The proprietor has not been able to establish a culture in which pupils use respectful language and demonstrate the value of good manners. This means that pupils are not as well prepared for life beyond school as they should be. The school should ensure that the school's culture consistently promotes the importance of good manners and the use of appropriate language.
• The school has not ensured that pupils develop their understanding of fundamental British values, protected characteristics and how to develop their talents and interests. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be. The school should ensure that pupils have the knowledge, understanding and experiences that they need to engage successfully with life in modern Britain.
• The proprietor has not ensured that staff have the information and guidance that they need to fulfil their roles effectively. As a result, pupils' experiences of school are not as valuable and positive as they should be. For example, in relation to the behaviour they experience and the quality of education that they receive. The school should ensure that staff have sufficient information and guidance to be able to provide pupils with a high-quality experience of education.

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