Willoughby Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 November 2023

Pupils enthusiastically join in with every aspect of school life. They enjoy attending and say that they feel safe. Staff are caring and supportive. Parents and carers appreciate the expert help staff give to their children. One parent reflected the views of others when they stated: 'The school has a calm and friendly environment which is fantastic for all the children. The staff know the pupils really well.' There are high ambitions for all pupils. They are supported to understand each other's feelings and to engage with others in a positive way. The ethos of 'be safe, be ready, be kind' threads throughout all aspects of the school. Staff support pupils to communicate their needs in a variety of ways. They know the causes of distress for each pupil, so they can intervene early to help pupils remain calm. Pupils are polite and respectful around the school. They look after each other and play well together. Staff are passionate for pupils to play an active part in their community. The joint working with local employers is exceptional. Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties are fully included in the school community through carefully structured experiences which encourage communication and interaction. The preparation for adulthood curriculum ensures that pupils are ready for their next stage of learning and for adult life.

What the school should improve

• When staff use assessment to identify misconceptions or knowledge gaps, they do not always provide further support to ensure that pupils' understanding is secure before moving on to new topics. As a result, pupils' ability to recall and use this knowledge is limited. This impacts on their progression through the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff know how best to reassure themselves that all pupils are secure in the key knowledge and skills before introducing new learning.
• There are inconsistencies in the way staff have produced and assessed the new provision map system. Some provision maps do not contain success criteria. Some lack the clarity staff need to ensure that provision matches closely to the small step outcomes that help build towards the larger targets outlined in pupils' EHC plans. This means that the targets teachers set for pupils are not always the most important or valid next steps. The school should ensure that the targets teachers set for pupils provide accurate and timely steps that build towards the outcomes in pupils' EHC plans so that pupils can achieve as highly as they should.

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