The Courtyard Islington

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 February 2023

Parents and carers, pupils and staff associated with this school sing its praises. Pupils say the school staff support them really well. They feel safe and enjoy coming to school. Staff build positive and trusting relationships with pupils as the first and most important step to their future education. Throughout the day, staff check how pupils are feeling and identify any support that might be needed. Pupils learn how to talk about their emotions and develop strategies which help them to remain calm and ready to learn. Pupils say that staff listen to them and understand. Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils have time and space to understand their own unique qualities. They learn to celebrate their strengths and to make plans for their future lives. Diversity and inclusion are championed in the school at every level. This includes the pupil body. There is a very strong ethos of tolerance and respect that permeates the school. New pupils and staff settle into this positive culture very quickly. Leaders have well-established systems to support pupils' behaviour. Leaders' vision for a positive approach to behaviour is shared universally. Bullying is never tolerated.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders have not identified the component knowledge that pupils should learn before they move on to more complex tasks. This means that pupils do not consistently acquire a deep knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should fine tune the curriculum so that it is very clear exactly what pupils should learn and remember in all subjects.

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