The Winsford Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

The school has recently raised its expectations of pupils' conduct. It uses its 'STAR' behaviour routines to share guidance on what is expected of pupils. However, staff do not manage pupils' behaviour consistently well. Frequent derogatory language, and unkind behaviour towards each other, spoils some pupils' experiences of the school. Furthermore, many pupils miss school regularly, which makes it harder for them to learn and take part in school life. The school has raised its aspirations of what pupils should know and how well they should achieve. Pupils now study a wider breadth of subjects at key stage 4. Nevertheless, the quality of curriculum delivery is weak. Consequently, most pupils underachieve considerably. Pupils have various opportunities to expand their interests and nurture their talents. For instance, pupils enjoy participating in cheerleading club and sporting activities. Some pupils take part in The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The school has begun to deliver its '10 pledge,' which helps to widen pupils' knowledge of the world. However, some pupils do not learn about the world of work when they should.

What the school should improve

• The intended curriculum is not delivered well across most subjects. This means that pupils do not build their knowledge well over time. The school should ensure that staff develop the knowledge and skills to design learning activities that help pupils to progress successfully through the curriculum.
• Staff do not identify gaps in pupils' understanding and have low expectations of the quality of work that pupils produce. This means that misconceptions are not addressed well, and pupils' learning is not secure. The school should ensure that staff use effective assessment strategies to help address gaps in pupils' knowledge and raise achievement.
• The school does not provide enough well-tailored support to help pupils in key stage 4 who struggle with reading. As a result, many older pupils cannot read well enough and this limits how well they access the curriculum. The school should ensure that it provides effective support for all pupils who struggle with reading so that they can access the curriculum well.
• Staff do not apply behaviour management systems consistently well. Consequently, off- task or inattentive behaviour remains unchallenged. The school should ensure that behaviour expectations are applied fairly and consistently so that pupils learn without interruption.
• Many pupils, particularly pupils with SEND, miss school frequently. This limits their progress through the curriculum. The school should strengthen its attendance strategies so that barriers to attendance are removed and absence levels reduce.
• Some pupils are not confident that staff address derogatory language and unkind behaviour effectively. This impacts negatively on their views of the school. The school should ensure that it strengthens how it tackles unkind behaviour and derogatory language so that pupils' experiences across the school are more positive.
• The school does not ensure that Year 8 and 9 pupils receive sufficient encounters with organisations and employers. As a result, these pupils are not informed about possible career choices as well as they should be. The school should ensure that suitable careers guidance and learning opportunities are designed for younger pupils so that they are better informed about their next stage in education and future employment.

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