Yewlands Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils feel safe and well cared for at this school. Pupils are confident they can share any worries with trusted adults in school. Pupils are certain that they will be listened to and supported due to strong relationships with staff. Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should. Since the previous inspection, the school has made significant improvements to the curriculum to address this. The school's work has resulted in improvements to outcomes over time. However, there is more to be done in this area. Pupils benefit from the school's effective work to promote their personal development. Many pupils attend clubs such as those in sports or gaming. During the inspection, Year 7 pupils attended the school's residential trip to a local scout camp. Other pupils participate in visits and enrichment, including the school ski visit and visits to Rother Valley. This reflects the school's commitment to broaden pupils' horizons. The school's effective careers programme helps pupils to progress successfully to appropriate next steps in their education. Many pupils routinely meet the school's high expectations for behaviour. However, a minority continue to challenge the school and its expectations.

What the school should improve

• Some staff do not consistently enforce the clear expectations for pupils' behaviour that the school's policy requires. When this happens, some pupils do not behave as well as they should. The school should ensure that its behaviour policy is implemented consistently and effectively so it has the intended positive impact.
• The school has not ensured that gaps and misconceptions in pupils' learning are identified and addressed consistently in some subjects. This means some pupils' knowledge does not build in a logical way over time in these subjects. The school should ensure that pupils' prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning.

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