WMG Academy for Young Engineers

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 June 2022

Pupils enjoy coming here. They value the strong practical, technical and academic education they receive. One pupil told inspectors that they feel 'incredibly well prepared for the real world' because of their experiences here. Inspectors agree. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, are polite and courteous. Most exemplify the business-like values of the school in all that they do. Pupils behave well in most lessons, particularly in the sixth form. When lessons are disrupted, most teachers deal with this effectively. Pupils told inspectors that issues such as bullying are rare. They get along well with their peers. They have faith in staff to tackle any inappropriate behaviour that does happen. Pupils build strong positive relationships with staff. Because of this, pupils feel safe here. Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum that extends far beyond the academic. For example, through the school's enrichment programme, many pupils represent the school, with great success, in national competitions such as the European Space Agency CanSat and the Royal Navy Engineering Challenge. These activities support pupils to develop their love of learning. They also help pupils to develop an understanding of employability skills such as teamwork and resilience.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not use assessment well enough to check pupils have understood what has been taught. This means that, on occasion, teachers do not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge before moving on. This holds pupils back. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers use assessment consistently well to check pupils' understanding and use this information to adapt their teaching and curriculum planning where necessary.
• Some staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils' behaviour and conduct. This means that unwanted behaviour is not consistently challenged well. Leaders should ensure that their expectations of pupils' behaviour and conduct are commonly understood and consistently applied by all staff.
• Some students in the sixth form do not benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities. Because of this, these students do not have the chance to develop their interests outside of the classroom. Leaders should ensure that the high-quality provision available for pupils in key stage 4 is broadened to encompass all students in the school's sixth form.

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