The Rural Enterprise Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2024

The Rural Enterprise Academy offers a curriculum for pupils who are interested in sustainability, environmental and land-based subjects. However, too many weaknesses in how the curriculum is organised and taught mean that pupils do not achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not have their needs accurately identified and assessed. They do not progress well. Pupils' behaviour in lessons is generally calm and orderly. Some pupils are disengaged in lessons because lessons are not adapted to meet their needs. Too often, when pupils do not meet the school's behaviour expectations, they are not supported to prevent further repeat incidents. As a result, the number of consequences for these pupils remains high and their behaviour does not improve. There are significant concerns about the school's approach and lack of strategic oversight of safeguarding. The school has not ensured that there is a vigilant culture to safeguard pupils. This leaves pupils at risk of harm. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, do not attend school often enough. The strategy to help improve their attendance is not working. This means that too many pupils do not receive their education entitlement.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that information about safeguarding is kept in an organised and useable way. As a result, interventions are not always timely or effective and pupils continue to be at risk. The school should make sure that safeguarding records provide effective oversight of actions to ensure pupils receive the support they need at the time they need it to be safe.
• The school has not completed appropriate checks, including safeguarding checks, for external placements pupils attend. This means pupils are at potential risk of harm. The school should ensure that placements pupils attend are suitable to meet their needs and that they are safeguarded.
• Patterns of pupils' attendance are not monitored nor analysed effectively. Attendance remains low. The school does not always know where pupils are, why they are not in school and if they are safe. The school should analyse attendance data rigorously and use it to inform appropriate actions and interventions to support pupils and their families.
• Pupils do not benefit from a high-quality education. The curriculum is not sequenced in a coherent way. This means learning is not always linked well to what pupils already know and so they struggle to remember their learning. The school should ensure the curriculum in each subject is sequenced well so that pupils can build on their knowledge over time.
• The curriculum is not adapted to meet the needs of pupils. This means that pupils struggle to access the curriculum. The school should ensure learning opportunities are adapted to meet the range of pupils' needs and take into account their starting points.
• Reading has not been prioritised for those who struggle to read. The school does not know if the support in place is helping the pupils to improve their reading. The school should ensure it implements effective strategies to support pupils at the early stages of reading so they can catch up quickly.
• There is a lack of strategic oversight of what is happening in the school. As a result, insufficient action has been taken to tackle weaknesses at the school. As a result, pupils are not receiving an acceptable standard of education. The school should ensure effective monitoring of actions taken enables a clear understanding of their impact, and that there is increased accountability.
• Pupils who require support to help improve their behaviour are not getting the help they need. Too many pupils receive repeat consequences for poor behaviour. The school should ensure the analysis of behaviour data and effective interventions support these pupils to improve their behaviour.
• The school does not monitor the destinations of pupils effectively. There are an increasing number of pupils leaving the school who are not in education or employment. The school should use information about pupils' destinations effectively to ensure they get support to help them secure appropriate next steps.
• It is strongly recommended that the school does not appoint early career teachers.

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