Robin Hood Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 September 2022

Pupils are happy and enjoy school life. They build positive relationships with staff and each other. They are confident to talk to staff if they have any worries. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils learn a lot about personal safety through lessons, assemblies and activities. Pupils behave well in classrooms, at playtimes and around school. They treat staff and each other with respect. Pupils strive to collect the 'carrot' tokens issued for good conduct and courtesy. As a result, lessons are rarely disrupted, and the school environment is calm and harmonious. Pupils understand what bullying is. When reported, leaders deal firmly with any breaches of the school policy. Trust and school leaders have high expectations. They have created a well organised curriculum in order to provide pupils with a good education and raise their aspirations for the future. For example, 'University Challenge' sessions, on Friday afternoons, allow pupils to develop other talents and interests, such as sewing or speaking Spanish. They also work with revered local organisations, such as the Birmingham Rep Theatre and Birmingham Ballet. Most parents have positive views of the school. Leaders work hard to involve parents in their child's education. This includes inviting them to school workshops.

What the school should improve

• There is variability in how well some subject content is delivered. This leads to uneven progress for pupils in some classes. Leaders should determine where additional development is needed to ensure that the intended curriculum is implemented consistently and to a high standard in all classes.
• Some of the lowest-attaining pupils in reading are not identified or assessed accurately. They are not provided with the right support or books matched to their ability. Consequently, they struggle to master the skills needed to become fluent and confident readers. Leaders should ensure that these pupils are identified accurately, and that they receive the help and appropriate reading material to ensure that they catch up quickly.
• The numbers of pupils who are persistently absent has risen over time. While some of this is due to COVID-19 illness, too many pupils do not attend school regularly. This means that they miss vital lessons, and this impedes their progress. Leaders should continue to work with parents to instil the importance of regular attendance so that pupils achieve as well as they should.

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