Regents Academy

Regents Academy Bilney Block, Manby Park, Manby, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 8UT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Insufficient evidence

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Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is planned well enough to deepen pupils’ thinking, particularly for the most able. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.  Leaders have not rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of the school. In addition, the training for teachers is limited. As a result, actions taken to improve pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching have not always been effective.  Teachers do not use their assessments well enough to plan the next steps of pupils’ learning. Pupils, particularly the most able, do not make as much progress as they should.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations for the teaching of English. Pupils’ writing skills are underdeveloped and pupils’ spelling ability is low.  The trustees have not sufficiently challenged the senior leadership team until recently. The trustees have not had a broad range of skills and knowledge to hold leaders to account.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The information provided to parents about their child’s progress does not enable parents to judge how well their child is achieving for their age.  The sixth-form provision requires improvement. The school has not ensured that students receive impartial careers advice. Therefore, students do not have access to choose from a broad range of career options to fulfil their potential.  Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards have been consistently met.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are very respectful and their behaviour is good.  The creative development of pupils is effective. Pupils have regular opportunities to perform drama, poetry and songs to an audience. Compliance with regulatory requirements

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – ensuring that the curriculum extends pupils’ thinking and deepens their knowledge, particularly for the most able – ensuring that the school’s self-evaluation process is robust and accurate – providing regular, high-quality training for staff to improve their teaching skills – providing more information to parents about how well their child is achieving compared with the outcomes expected for their age – ensuring that the trustees regularly challenge senior leaders about the progress pupils are making, particularly that of the most able – increasing the range of skills of trustees to hold the senior leadership to account.  Improve teaching and learning to raise pupils’ achievement by: – ensuring that teachers accurately assess pupils’ knowledge and skills to plan the next steps in learning, particularly those of the most able – increasing the number of opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills,

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

including writing their own compositions, and using high-level vocabulary and a range of sentence structures – improving pupils’ ability to spell the words they should know for their ages – further promoting pupils’ ability to read by their gaining a deeper understanding of the texts that they have read.  Improve the effectiveness of the sixth-form provision by: – providing high-quality, impartial careers advice that builds on students’ prior attainment and ensures that students have a wide range of career options from which to choose – ensuring that the most able students are challenged sufficiently by the courses they study and the work they are set.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that the curriculum policy and schemes of work take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an education, health and care plan, and that they are implemented effectively (paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b) and 2(1)(b)(i)).  The proprietor must ensure that the teaching enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught. The proprietor must ensure that teaching at the school involves well-planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time (paragraphs 3(a) and 3(c)).  The proprietor must ensure that pupils who are receiving secondary education have access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that is presented in an impartial manner, and enables pupils to make informed choices about a range of career options to help

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

encourage them to fulfil their potential (paragraphs 2(2), 2(2)(e), 2(2)(e)(i), 2(2)(e)(ii) and 2(2)(e)(iii)).  The proprietor must carry out the appropriate checks to confirm, in respect of all members of staff, their medical fitness (paragraphs 18(2), 18(2)(c) and 18(2)(c)(ii)).  The proprietor must ensure that the independent school standards are met consistently and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(b)).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met consistently. Medical checks have not been completed on all staff to ensure their suitability for the roles for which they are employed. The curriculum and teaching, learning and assessment do not take into account the abilities of all pupils, particularly the most able. In addition, pupils do not receive impartial careers advice and are given a limited range of careers options from which to choose.  Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum deepens pupils’ thinking and offers sufficient challenge, particularly for the most able pupils. In English, pupils spend too much time completing tasks that require short answers, and which pupils find too easy. Consequently, their reading and writing skills are not developed as well as they should be.  Leaders’ self-evaluation is not rigorous enough and therefore does not accurately pinpoint

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

where there are weaknesses. Consequently, improvement plans are not focused well enough to improve the curriculum and accelerate pupils’ progress.  Leaders check the quality of teaching and evaluate the progress of particular groups of pupils in their learning. However, leaders do not provide good-quality training opportunities for teachers to address identified areas for improvement. As a result, leaders have not improved the quality of teaching quickly enough.  The school provides parents with a detailed annual report listing the topics that pupils have learned. However, the report does not allow parents to check how well their child is doing against expectations for their age.  The headteacher is committed to improving the effectiveness of the school’s work. Leaders have started to make changes to the curriculum in order to improve pupils’ writing skills, by giving them more opportunities to improve their writing composition.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

However, it is too early to judge the impact of this work.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are very respectful to each other, to staff and to people from different faiths. They have visited both a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple, and are knowledgeable about different faiths. Pupils are determined that no one in society should be judged negatively, for example on the basis of their sexual orientation or if a person has no faith. Pupils are very keen to support others in society through their charity fund-raising each month. During the inspection, pupils designed quizzes and baked cakes to raise money for a mental health charity. Through the strong promotion of pupils’ personal and social development, leaders have ensured that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils’ creative development is also promoted very well. Pupils regularly perform songs,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

recite poetry and dance at a local theatre, as well as entering competitions with other schools. They also perform at banquets each term for their parents. Through these activities, pupils gain confidence and perform with enthusiasm.  Most parents are very positive about the school and feel that their child’s confidence and attitude to learning have been greatly enhanced by attending the school.

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Governance

 The trustees have not, until recently, challenged school leaders well enough about the quality of the curriculum and outcomes for pupils. The trustees have not checked that the school’s self-evaluation is robust and accurate.  The new chair of the trustees is an experienced school governor, who has been the chair of the governing body at another school. Over the past nine months, she has quickly got to know the ethos of the school and has challenged school leaders about the progress pupils make. As a result, leaders have introduced learning plans for all pupils, which include measureable targets for pupils to achieve. This has increased the accountability of teachers and leaders and enabled the trustees to hold senior leaders to account for the progress pupils make.  The new chair of the trustees has attended recent training and has a clear strategic plan in place to improve all aspects of leadership and management. She is keen to expand the

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Governance

range of trustees’ skills in order to fulfil their role more effectively. However, it is too soon to judge the impact of this work.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school has made good links with professionals from the local authority to help safeguard pupils. School staff ensure that pupils and their families receive help early before any problems escalate.  The school’s safeguarding policy is followed closely. The policy meets the latest government guidance and is published on the school’s website. If staff feel that they have any concerns about safeguarding, they contact the local children’s services for advice. Staff attend multi-agency meetings to ensure that they are up to date with the work of other professionals who are supporting the pupils and their families.  Staff receive regular training in safeguarding pupils. All staff know the procedures for reporting a concern to the designated lead and know to check that the concerns have been acted on. The staff have received training on how to protect pupils from the risk of

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Safeguarding

radicalisation and extremism.  Risk assessments are completed for all activities at the school and for school visits. These are reviewed annually or earlier if needed. The interior of the school building is well maintained and the school has regular fire safety drills. Risk assessments are also in place for when pupils participate in work experience.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Pupils complete regular assessments linked to the school’s curriculum. However, teachers do not assess pupils against age-related expectations to compare the school’s assessments with those achieved by other pupils of the same age. Consequently, teachers are not fully informed about how well a pupil is achieving for their age.  Teachers do not use their assessments well enough to identify the learning needs of pupils, particularly those of the most able. Pupils do not make as much progress as they should because the work set does not sufficiently challenge them to extend their thinking and deepen their knowledge across the curriculum.  Although pupils learn how to construct simple and complex sentences, they are not given enough opportunities to apply this learning when writing their own compositions. As a result, the quality of pupils’ writing is not as good as it should be.  Teachers’ expectations are too low in English, particularly for the most able pupils. For

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

example, these pupils are regularly set tasks to spell and define words they already know. The pupils themselves acknowledge that this work is too easy. Pupils learn incorrect spellings through reading some of the texts the school provides. As a result, pupils’ ability to spell words that they should know is weak.  Teachers regularly check pupils’ work and identify pupils’ errors. One pupil who was unsure of how to complete algebraic equations was supported well to gain a better understanding. Consequently, pupils correct their mathematical calculation errors quickly.  Pupils’ historical knowledge is enhanced through visits and the topics they study. For example, visits to Bosworth and Gainsborough Hall have given pupils a greater knowledge of medieval Britain. Older pupils have studied possible causes of the first world war. They have studied different sources of evidence and written their own structured account of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

the events leading to the start of the war.  Pupils have opportunities to debate opposing views and to reference their views from different sources of evidence. Pupils debate creationism and evolution and have written their own viewpoints. Pupils have learned to respect opposing views.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils display good attitudes to learning. They set themselves daily targets about how much work they want to complete and the school staff review this. Pupils focus well on their learning and seek support if they need it. Pupils are self-motivated, conscientious and take pride in their work.  Pupils say that bullying is rare. If pupils do have arguments with each other, the staff support the pupils to discuss the issues that have arisen. Pupils say that this helps them to resolve the issues quickly.  Pupils have been informed about the risks of radicalisation. They are confident that school staff would support them with any issues that arise. Pupils know to report any concerns they have with cyber-bullying.  Pupils take part in a range of sports at school and some take part in sporting activities out of school. The school promotes pupils’ participation in sport within the local community.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school does work closely with pupils and their parents to plan suitable work experience. However, the careers advice is not impartial and therefore pupils do not have access to a broad range of career options.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous to each other and to staff.  Pupils know each other well and cooperate in their learning. In classrooms and outside areas, pupils are calm and orderly. Pupils can be relied upon to work independently and remain focused on their learning for sustained periods of time.  Attendance was low in the previous academic year. However, many pupils had medical issues which affected their attendance. School leaders have worked closely with the families, and attendance for all pupils in the current academic year is good.  There have been a few incidents of poor behaviour in recent years. However, the frequency of these incidents has reduced.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils read fluently and answer simple questions about the texts that they have read. However, pupils are not challenged frequently enough to answer more evaluative questions about their reading. Consequently, pupils are not asked to extend their thinking and their evaluations of their reading are limited. This is especially true of the most able.  Pupils’ writing is underdeveloped. Although pupils can use paragraphs to structure their writing, they do not use a range of sentence structures or high-level vocabulary to write to a good standard for their ages, particularly the most able pupils. Pupils’ spelling is weak because they are often exposed to words that are spelled incorrectly in some of the work books that they use.  Pupils practise written calculations in mathematics and complete problem-solving tasks. The level of challenge provided to pupils in mathematics is appropriate to their ability and

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

pupils make progress. However, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to extend their thinking well enough for them to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics, particularly for the most able. Pupils’ ability to reason mathematically is underdeveloped.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have individual education plans, which contain specific learning targets. These targets are reviewed to check whether pupils have made progress. However, the targets are not reviewed regularly enough to assess whether the targets have been met and new, more challenging targets, could be set. Consequently, these pupils do not make as much progress as they could.  Pupils achieve well in science and art. They plan investigations in science, systematically record their results and write their conclusions. Pupils study well-known artists, such as Picasso, and explain concepts such as abstract art and how they interpret paintings.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning and learn most of the key skills for English and mathematics to enable them to be prepared for their next stages of education, training and employment.

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amnesty granted

 There have been no children on roll in the early years since July 2015 and therefore it is not possible comment on the effectiveness of the provision in this part of the school. The school has a planned curriculum which covers all aspects of the early years foundation stage.

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Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

 The school delivers tailored programmes of learning to meet individual students’ needs. The curriculum ensures that students continue to consolidate their key skills in English and mathematics. However, teachers’ expectations for students’ achievements are too low, particularly for the most able students. There are too few students in this key stage to report on their achievement without the risk of identifying individual students.  School leaders work closely with students and their families to support students to meet their aspirations. Students’ work experience is planned to help meet those aspirations. School leaders have developed good relationships with work-experience providers to ensure that the individual needs of students are well understood. Consequently, students speak positively about their work experience.  School leaders do not ensure that students receive impartial careers advice.

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Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

Consequently, students do not have access to choose from a broad range of career options, which can limit their chances of fulfilling their potential.  The retention of students on programmes of study in the sixth form is high. The vast majority have secured places at college or in employment after leaving the school.

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School details

Unique reference number 120744 DfE registration number 925/6039

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 4

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School details

Email address admin@regentsacademy.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 February 2011

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Information about this school

 Regents Academy is an independent day school situated in a rural area of Lincolnshire.  The school is housed in a building originally owned by the Royal Air Force.  The numbers on roll have decreased since the last inspection, when there were 42 pupils on roll.  A minority of pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  No students are currently attending vocational courses delivered by alternative providers.  The school follows the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2015. She was previously a teacher at the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed parts of lessons, most of them jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also observed pupils at breaktime and during a charity fund-raising event.  The inspector looked at pupils’ work in a range of subjects.  The inspector spoke to the vast majority of pupils at the school and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and the chair of the trustees.  The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day. The inspector also considered the two text messages sent to the Ofsted free-text service.  The inspector also considered the responses to questionnaires completed by nine members of staff and to Ofsted’s point-in-time survey of pupils’ views.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including: the school’s self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; the minutes of the trustees’ meetings; the school’s most recent information on pupils’ achievement; and information relating to teaching,

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Information about this inspection

performance management, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Martin Finch, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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