WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull)

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have at WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull). They especially appreciate the focus on engineering and links with local employers that the school provides. They appreciate being treated more maturely. Pupils also value the opportunities provided by staff, many of which are part of the timetabled day. These include 3D modelling, women into engineering events, business engagement and reward trips. The school is reviewing its curriculum to ensure that aspirations are consistently high across the academy and results improve. This has had varied impact so far, and there remain significant inconsistencies within and between subjects, which pupils particularly noted too. Most pupils behave well at the school, although some, on occasions, find it harder to meet the school's expectations or consistently work to the best of their ability. Attendance remains an issue for too many pupils. Pupils know that if they have a worry, they can raise this with an adult who will support them. Some pupils expressed frustration that the school manages pupil behaviour inconsistently.

What the school should improve

• There remain too many pupils who are absent from school too often. This means these pupils miss too much school and learning. The school should continue to implement and refine its strategic approach, working closely with parents and external agencies, so recent improvements in pupils' attendance continue.
• The school's overview of the attendance of vulnerable pupils does not provide it with a clear oversight of these pupils' well-being when not in school. This means the school does not have assurance of the well-being of vulnerable pupils who are absent. The school should ensure that there are timely checks on the well-being of vulnerable pupils who are absent to provide greater assurance of their well-being.
• The curriculum does not define consistently enough the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that some teachers are unclear about the order in which the curriculum should be taught, and pupils struggle to link the key knowledge they need to be successful. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is clearly defined, sets out the key knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught.
• Pupils' understanding is not checked systematically, which means that activities are not adapted well enough to meet pupils' needs. This includes some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils do not successfully build their learning on what they already know, and gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions persist. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessment effectively to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and then adapt the curriculum to ensure pupils learn the key knowledge they need to build successfully on their prior learning.
• The school is not accurately evaluating the impact of its work in various aspects of its provision. This means that inconsistencies persist, and some leaders do not have clear oversight of the impact of their actions. The school should ensure that the impact of its work is systematically evaluated.

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