The Victory Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 February 2023

The Victory Academy is a welcoming and caring school. Staff-pupil relationships are strong. This means that pupils recognise that the school has 'got their back' and has their best interests at heart, even those who do not find learning easy. Pupils celebrate and respect difference. One pupil summed this up, saying, 'You can be who you want to be here.' Leaders set high standards for learning and routines, and most pupils learn to follow these. The quality of pupils' learning across the different subjects they study is good overall, and most pupils enjoy learning. Staff strongly promote the well-being of their pupils. The school rules are underpinned by the 'Victory Values' of respect, pride, belief and being your best self. Leaders' expectations for pupils' behaviour are high. Most staff insist pupils follow these expectations, but a very small number do not reinforce them at every opportunity. For many pupils, the school is the safest place they know. Staff deal well with incidents of bullying, although pupils are not always aware how they have been resolved. Pupils are encouraged to think independently in lessons. They learn to take on responsibility through extra-curricular activities. Representatives of the student council feed back to leaders and staff every term.

What the school should improve

• The implementation of the curriculum and the management of pupils' behaviour are not consistent across all subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure the planned curriculum is delivered consistently in all subjects, with staff rigorously following the expected approaches to ensuring good behaviour, so that pupils and students achieve as highly in these subjects as they do elsewhere.
• Staff lack the specialist training to help the weakest readers, and reading interventions are not always matched precisely enough to pupils' needs. As a result, these pupils' reading is not improving as quickly as it should. Leaders should ensure that staff are sufficiently skilled to support these pupils.
• Leaders do not always communicate clearly enough about the actions taken to address bullying. This means that some pupils are not confident that bullying is being addressed and followed up, when in fact it is. Leaders should improve their communication about such incidents so that everyone is clear about the specific actions that have been taken to tackle bullying.

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