St Michael's Community Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 June 2026

Each day starts positively at St Michael’s Community Academy. Pupils greet each other warmly and feel ready to start the day. Pupils feel safe and cared for. The school’s values of courage, ambition, respect and excellence shape daily life. Pupils work hard, support one another and take pride in their achievements. Pupils enjoy school. They understand the importance of being punctual and present. They value their friendships and benefit from a culture where wellbeing is a high priority. Incidents of bullying are rare. If they do happen, they are dealt with decisively. Many pupils join the school throughout the year, including those who are at the early stages of learning to speak English. They quickly become part of the school community. Pupils behave positively and show respect towards others. They learn in calm and purposeful classrooms. Staff provide effective support for pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions. This helps these pupils to learn in a settled environment. As a result, pupils, including those in the early years, engage well in learning. Despite this, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders know this is a priority. They are taking positive actions to ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, secure the skills and knowledge they need to be well prepared for the next stages of their education. Older pupils take on leadership responsibilities. For example, play leaders help younger children feel included during breaktimes. Pupils feel valued because of the contribution they make to the smooth day-to-day running of the school. Pupils have access to a variety of clubs and enrichment activities, including athletics, cricket and chess. These opportunities help them to develop confidence, teamwork and feel proud to be part of the school community.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to identify and support the historic gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that all groups of pupils progress through the curriculum and achieve consistently well.
• Leaders should continue their work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence across the school, for all groups, including children in the early years.
• In the early years, leaders should ensure that staff consistently model the correct techniques using resources that children need to learn and develop across all areas of learning.

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