Southfields Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 February 2023

Teachers know their pupils well. Pupils and their families appreciate this happy and welcoming school. Pupils are safe here. Pupils behave calmly and sensibly in lessons and around the school. They are respectful to each other and to their teachers. Pupils and sixth-form students said that bullying is rare. It is sorted out by staff if it does occur. Staff deal with any incidences swiftly, and pupils trust them to do so. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, and plan the curriculum carefully. All pupils have a broad range of courses to study. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum content is well organised, and taught by staff who have strong subject knowledge. Pupils enjoy taking part in extra-curricular clubs and activities, including coding club and many sports and music events. Leaders take care to organise these so that many pupils are able to attend. Pupils have been taught how to keep themselves safe, including how to stay safe online. Typically, pupils said that there is always someone in the school they can go to if they need to talk. Staff are proud to work in the school and feel well supported by leaders.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, strategies designed to help pupils to memorise and recall previous learning are not well selected. This means that, sometimes, pupils are not helped to remember subject content that they have previously covered. Leaders should ensure that pupils are helped to build secure knowledge and understanding in all subjects in order to be ready to tackle more challenging ideas and content.

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