The CE Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2025

Many pupils arrive at the school having experienced a disrupted education, often following permanent exclusion from their previous setting. Understandably, both pupils and their parents or carers may feel anxious about the future. In response, experienced staff at this school offer immediate reassurance. They invest time in building strong, supportive and trusting relationships with each pupil. The school ensures that every pupil feels heard and understood. Staff guided pupils back into learning, helping them to settle in quickly and confidently. The school has high expectations for all pupils, aiming to equip them for successful futures. Pupils achieve well from their various starting points and are suitably prepared for their next steps. These might be to move back into a mainstream secondary school or another destination that is right for them. In lessons, pupils are typically respectful to staff and each other. They know that they are expected to follow the well-established rules and routines. Over time, pupils learn to manage their behaviour effectively. They feel happy, valued and safe. To support their wider development, pupils enjoy taking part in a varied range of trips and activities, which are woven into the curriculum, for example trips to the theatre, such as to the ballet in London, or to see the Knife Angel sculpture. Pupils cook for each other on a daily basis, sharing food together, such as tacos.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum are not matched to the needs of the pupils. Some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff develop expertise in a range of adaptive teaching strategies to meet pupils' needs.
• There are occasions when staff's checks on pupils' learning are not as effective as they should be. As a result, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready and gaps in their knowledge persist. The school should ensure that teachers have the necessary expertise to identify and address pupils' misconceptions or knowledge gaps before introducing new learning.
• There is some variation in how well the school's high expectations and approach to managing pupils' behaviour are applied. Occasionally, this results in learning being disrupted for some pupils during lessons, or bad language not being addressed effectively. The school should ensure that all staff are supported to implement its approach to managing pupils' behaviour well.

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