Walney Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 May 2025

The school's ambition for pupils has not been high enough in recent years. This is beginning to change. Pupils now benefit from a new and improved curriculum. Historic and longstanding weaknesses are now being addressed. Recent changes are beginning to improve how well pupils learn the new curriculum. However, there remains significant variability in how effectively the curriculum is delivered. Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. Pupils say that they feel safe. Most pupils enjoy their learning and have positive attitudes towards school, but a significant minority still do not attend well enough. Sometimes lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour. However, since joining a new multi-academy trust, the school has raised its expectations of pupils' conduct. More pupils now live up to these expectations. Most follow school routines correctly and behave well in lessons. Pupils take part in a variety of clubs and activities that broaden their interests. For example, they participate in sports clubs, and some have recently enjoyed a ski trip. Pupils are supported to develop leadership skills through roles such as charity ambassadors, careers leaders and sports leaders. Pupils are keen to prepare for and participate in their upcoming school production.

What the school should improve

• In some curriculum areas, teaching and the tasks pupils are set do not enable pupils to apply what they have learned in sufficient depth. This hinders them from progressing through the curriculum. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught well so that pupils deepen their understanding and achieve well.
• Methods for checking pupils' understanding are not consistently effective. As a result, some gaps in pupils' knowledge and misconceptions go unnoticed or are not responded to promptly enough. The school should ensure that staff have the curriculum knowledge and skills to assess pupils' learning and adapt the curriculum so that pupils build a secure knowledge base for future learning.
• The inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum have resulted in pupils not having the knowledge and understanding needed to achieve highly in external examinations. This impacts how well pupils are prepared for life after school. Leaders should ensure that their work to develop the quality of education leads to improvements in pupils' performance in external assessments.
• In some subjects, staff do not adapt teaching well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. When this occurs, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. The school must ensure that teachers use the information provided about pupils with SEND to adapt teaching effectively, so pupils learn the intended curriculum securely.
• The school's support for struggling readers lacks consistency and rigour. This leads to some pupils falling behind as they do not receive effective support to improve their reading skills. The school should ensure there is timely and systematic implementation of reading support so that pupils make rapid progress and access the curriculum successfully.
• The school's attendance strategy is not reaching some pupils as well as others. Absence rates are high, especially for some pupils who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND. These pupils miss significant learning, with a negative impact on their academic and social development. The school should strengthen its partnership with families and external services to improve attendance, particularly for the most vulnerable pupils.

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