Sir Bernard Lovell Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

Pupils at Sir Bernard Lovell Academy are proud of their school and enjoy their learning. Leaders, with the support of the trust, have planned an ambitious curriculum. This allows pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding across a broad range of subjects. Pupils in key stage 4 typically successfully complete the qualifications that they need to move on to their next steps. However, students in the sixth form do not achieve as highly as they should in their chosen academic courses. The pastoral support offered to pupils is highly effective. The school's determination to provide the best experience for all pupils is clear. Pupils feel safe and have positive relationships with adults and their peers. The school has high expectations for behaviour, which means that pupils can learn without disruption. Bullying is rare and never tolerated. Pupils attend well. They know how important it is to access learning. The individual barriers that pupils have for either their learning or wellbeing are carefully identified. Staff take steps to reduce these for pupils, for example with mental health support or reading intervention. Pupils are well prepared for adult life through the high-quality personal development programme. Pupils understand the importance of school values, such as cooperation and honesty, in helping them to understand active citizenship. Activities such as house competitions and the school production help to develop pupils' talents and interests. The student leaders are proud to be ambassadors for the school and develop their leadership skills. For example, they give presentations at open evenings. Pupils enjoy representing the school through sporting competitions and volunteering. Sixth-form pupils act as role models, including as buddy readers for younger pupils.

What the school should improve

• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that the actions taken to improve the quality of post-16 provision are embedded to raise the attainment and improve the educational experiences of students swiftly and effectively.
• Leaders should ensure that highly effective formative assessment is consistently used across all subjects so that pupils build securely on their prior learning and achieve highly.

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