Winterbourne Boys' Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 March 2022

Pupils in this school are well looked after. They are kept safe, because as they pointed out: 'We are always surrounded by adults we can trust.' Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils. They check what pupils' needs are and make sure that these are addressed effectively. Adults have clear and high expectations of pupils. Pupils typically achieve well, and classrooms are filled with a buzz of learning. Pupils across the school behave well, in and out of lessons. They are thoughtful, polite and courteous. In lessons, pupils participate enthusiastically in discussions and collaborate well with their classmates. Pupils said that while bullying sometimes happens, they are confident that they can approach any adult in school if they have worries or concerns. Adults deal promptly with any issues that arise. Parents and carers speak highly of the school, and in particular of how approachable leaders and staff are. They also appreciate the regular communication from leaders and staff, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, pupils and staff share a genuine sense of community. This can be seen at the start of each school day, where everyone comes together for a 10-minute fitness workout. A comment from one staff member was echoed in the views of many others: 'This is a helping school. No one focuses just on themselves.'

What the school should improve

• Very occasionally, younger pupils find their reading books too hard. This is because they have not fully secured all of the phonics knowledge required to read these books with fluency and confidence. Leaders should ensure that, in all cases, the books these pupils receive precisely match the sounds that they already know.
• In a few instances, teachers do not consider the underlying knowledge that pupils need in order to tackle new learning. This reduces pupils' readiness to succeed in the more complex tasks that teachers have planned for them. Teachers should make sure that pupils know and understand securely the essential knowledge needed to make sense of their new learning.

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