East Leake Academy

Inspection of a good school: East Leake Academy Lantern Lane, East Leake, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 6QN

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Outcome

East Leake Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They show respect and good manners when they speak with staff in class and at social times. Pupils know that their teachers want them to be as successful as possible. Pupils achieve well, and they are prepared by the school to be active citizens effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers provide lots of exciting activities during the school day and after school. For example, pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and the Young Enterprise Network. They visit adventure activity centres in the UK and do charity work in Africa. The school works hard to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world beyond East Leake.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The acting principal introduced a new behaviour policy this term. Pupils say that behaviour has improved. There is a calm and productive atmosphere in lessons. Pupils work together well to support each other’s learning. Pupils say that teachers deal with any bullying and poor behaviour straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe and learn about many topics, including online safety. Pupils are taught how to look after their physical and emotional health.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are keen for all pupils to do as well as possible. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In the sixth form, students can choose from a wide range of appropriate courses that will prepare them well for the next stages of their education or employment. Teachers have high expectations of students and they achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have written detailed curriculum plans in some subjects. This includes in English, physical education (PE) and art. The plans make it clear exactly what teachers must teach and the order in which they must teach it . Teachers make sure that pupils learn the 15–16 October 2019

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important things that are laid out in the subject plans. They check that pupils remember what they have learned before moving them on to what they need to learn next.

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The curriculum is not as well planned in all subjects. In some subjects, leaders have not made it clear what pupils must learn and remember. Pupils do not learn the important knowledge well enough. They do not remember what they have learned in the long term. Pupils told us that this means they lack confidence in their learning. Teachers do not adapt their plans for pupils with SEND well enough. These pupils do not do as well as they could in some subjects.

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Leaders know that some subjects are planned in more detail than others. Some subject leaders have worked together to improve their plans. The trust has provided some useful support for leaders, for example in improving plans for English and mathematics. This support has not been available for all subject leaders.

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The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to broaden their experiences. They can visit places of historical and cultural importance. Pupils can take part in charity work, volunteering and residential visits. Pupils learn about faiths and lifestyles that may be different to their own, in subjects such as ethics, humanities and English. During the inspection, teachers supported pupils to lead an assembly about Black History Month. This celebrated the achievements of both international and local people.

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Teachers expect pupils to behave well and get on with their work. They do. Pupils concentrate on their work. They listen well to their teachers. Lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Pupils study the full range of subjects for the three years of key stage 3. They choose which subjects to study for GCSE from a wide range of subjects to suit their interests and abilities. Leaders considered pupils’ views and for the past two years pupils have studied one language in key stage 3. As a result, more pupils have chosen to study a language at key stage 4.

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Governors are committed to the school and play an active part in ensuring that every pupil achieves their best. Leaders take care of staff’s well-being. Staff say that any concerns about their workload have been listened to by leaders and acted on.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff take seriously their duty to make sure pupils are safe. If staff think a pupil may be at risk of harm, they know what they must do to report the concerns they have.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all record-keeping is detailed and up to date. Leaders make sure that staff receive important safeguarding training. For example, staff have had training on ‘county lines’, knife crime and how to support pupils to look after their own mental health. 15–16 October 2019

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Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe online and about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan the curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. The strengths seen in English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages and PE are not matched in some other subjects, including history, geography and design and technology. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is clearly planned and sequenced in all subjects.  Most pupils with SEND achieve well in some subjects. However, this is not the case in all subjects. Leaders must ensure staff adapt their teaching so that these pupils achieve their best in all subjects.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Harry Carlton Comprehensive School, to be good on 16 October 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10110158 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1021

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form

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school uses 4 alternative providers: Nisai Learning Hub; Venture Learning and SEND Project; Edulounge and Melton Learning Hub.  The school is part of Diverse Academies Learning Partnership (DALP). This is a Multi- Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with pupils about life at school and their work. Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, governors and trustees. They spoke with representatives from four alternative providers.  The inspection focused on English, mathematics, history and geography. Inspectors met with subject leaders, spoke with pupils, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and 15–16 October 2019

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met with teaching staff. A range of other subjects were also considered.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ curriculum plans. Bullying logs and information relating to pupils’ behaviour were also examined.  Inspectors considered the views expressed by parents in the 175 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including comments received via the free-text facility. We considered the 54 responses to a questionnaire for staff and the 45 responses to a questionnaire for pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding, including the school’s record of checks undertaken on newly appointed staff and the support provided for pupils .

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Beale Ofsted Inspector 15–16 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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