XP East

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 June 2024

Pupils are welcomed into a close-knit community at this distinctive school. Pupils show compassion and are concerned for the well-being of others in their 'crew'. In addition to some subject-specific lessons, pupils also study 'expeditions' that link learning across different subjects under topic themes. The vision behind this offer is that it allows pupils to see the connections between subjects, and to link their learning to future employment. Although pupils benefit from a noteworthy personal development offer, they do not make the progress that they are capable of in the academic curriculum. As a consequence, too many pupils underachieve in external examinations and assessments. The school has recently put in place a number of measures to address this, but it is too early to see their impact. Pupils show very high levels of respect to each other and to staff. They frequently contribute to the life of the school and the wider community. Pupils are trained to hold each other to account for their actions. Pupils feel safe at the school. Pupils enjoy an extensive range of opportunities to develop their character and understanding of the world. For example, pupils joining the school in Year 7 receive a team-building induction that takes them on expeditions to the Welsh mountains. Pupils present at climate conferences, examining themes of sustainability. Pupils receive a high level of personalised careers advice and support. The sixth-form offer is unique. Sixth-form students attend one of two off-site provisions. Sixth-form students make better academic progress than pupils in younger year groups.

What the school should improve

• Methods of assessment and feedback are not yet consistent across the curriculum. Consequently, the identification of gaps in pupils' knowledge, and the extent to which pupils are supported to address these gaps, is not consistent. The school should ensure that staff training and further quality assurance ensures that methods of assessment and feedback are consistent across the curriculum.
• Recent changes to improve the quality of the academic curriculum are in their early stages and have not yet shown the desired impact. These changes include plans to ensure that all pupils make the progress they are capable of. The school should ensure that it continues to embed improvements to the curriculum to improve the progress that pupils make, including in the outcomes they achieve in external examinations and assessments.

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