The Heights Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

There is a warm and caring welcome to pupils at this school. Many pupils have had negative experiences of education. Some have missed significant chunks of their education before joining The Heights Academy. The school's aim to help develop 'confident individuals, respectful citizens and successful learners' is the foundation of the work here. Pupils work hard and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They appreciate and benefit from the support they get from staff. The school has high expectations and ambitions for pupils. Staff are dedicated to providing support. However, current inconsistencies in how the curriculum is being delivered mean pupils are not achieving as well as they could be. Behaviour around school is mostly positive, but sometimes pupils find it difficult to meet the school's high expectations. There are times when the behaviour of some pupils causes upset to others. Pupils are safe because staff are vigilant and supervise them closely and sensitively. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Staff get to know pupils well and genuinely have their best interests at heart. There is a positive, happy atmosphere around the school and in lessons.

What the school should improve

• Pupils are absent from school too often. This means they are missing learning. The school should work with parents and carers to reduce absence so that pupils fully benefit from the education the school offers.
• There is variability in how well teachers understand the learning needs of pupils. As a result of this, some activities are not well matched to the needs of pupils. This impacts on how well pupils achieve and the extent to which they engage with their learning. The school should provide staff with the necessary support to ensure they match activities closely to the learning needs of pupils so that pupils achieve well.
• Some pupils miss learning and parts of lessons too frequently. The ways in which staff help pupils to re-engage are well meaning but vary in effectiveness. This means that some pupils miss more of their learning. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to implement a consistent approach to helping pupils reduce levels of anxiety so that learning time is maximised.
• The school has not been successful in how effectively it communicates with parents who have concerns about how well their children are provided for. This has led to some parents feeling dissatisfied with aspects of the school's work. The school should seek ways to develop and foster positive relationships with parents so that they are active partners in their children's education.
• The school has not been successful in checking the effectiveness of its own work. This means that areas needing improvement have not been identified as well or as quickly as they could. The school and trust should ensure that appropriate checks are made to identify where school improvements are necessary and that swift actions are taken to address these.

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