IKB Academy

Inspection of IKB Academy 68 Bath Road, Bristol BS31 1SP

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 5 and 6 April 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued at IKB. They say staff know them very well and as a result they feel supported to do their best. Some pupils told us their experience at IKB has renewed their enthusiasm for learning following previous negative experiences in education.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and most behave well around the school. They say they feel safe and that bullying is not an issue. The school is proud of being a ‘telling’ school. Pupils say they can talk to someone should they ever have concerns.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the school’s specialisms of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and are keen to discuss their learning in these areas. Teachers have high expectations for pupils in all areas of the curriculum.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form value the opportunity to develop their leadership skills within the school council. Pupils view the school as a tolerant place. They understand and accept differences. Younger pupils say they would like more opportunities to develop their interests and talents further.

p.2

better?

Leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. This has resulted in a curriculum that reflects well the unique profile of the school. Leaders are well-supported by the trust. Staff welcome opportunities for professional development with their colleagues across the trust. Teachers say leaders are considerate of staff workload and well- being.

p.2

better?

The curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced in many areas. Leaders have considered how the curriculum can best link to pupils’ prior learning and support their future learning. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use this well to plan learning. Consequently, pupils develop a secure understanding of essential content. In the sixth form, teachers check and assure the security of students’ knowledge before they introduce further content. This helps students to confidently move onto more complex work.

p.2

better?

Leaders have worked with staff to develop their teaching so that it helps pupils to recall knowledge. Pupils say planned activities are helping them to remember what they have been taught. However, some pupils are stronger at recalling examination skills more than the important subject knowledge needed.

p.2

better?

Staff use assessment well to identify what pupils know and can do. In the strongest cases, assessment is used with precision to reflect and re-sequence the curriculum. Leaders have set up effective systems to spot gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, there are not always secure checks on how well all areas of the curriculum are 5 and 6 April 2022

p.2

3

implemented. For example, the tutor programme is not always delivered as effectively as leaders intend.

p.3

3

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Leaders ensure teachers have useful information about pupils with SEND. Teachers provide appropriate support so that pupils learn well. Many pupils with SEND continue into the sixth form and follow ambitious programmes of study.

p.3

3

Leaders have recently introduced a reading programme that is helping pupils to improve their reading. Staff have received appropriate training and carefully follow the curriculum plan. As a result, pupils say they feel more confident with their reading. Following a successful trial, leaders know the programme must be implemented more widely and its impact carefully assessed.

p.3

3

Leaders have developed a comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils are learning appropriate content that is helping them to become informed about relationships, health and their place in the world. Pupils enjoy regular class discussions about current issues. Even so, the religious education (RE) aspect of this curriculum is not as well developed.

p.3

3

Leaders intend pupils to have experiences of the world of work to enhance their learning of the STEM focused curriculum and to develop pupils’ interests. The opportunities for wide ranging experiences have been affected by the pandemic. For example, some students in the sixth form have not benefitted from work experience. Leaders and governors are beginning to rebuild this important aspect of the school’s offer.

p.3

3

Pupils value the guidance they receive regarding careers. Students in the sixth form feel well supported to make decisions about their next steps. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeship.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and know what to do to keep themselves safe, including online. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. This helps them to know how to identify and refer concerns to leaders if a pupil is at risk.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders take timely and appropriate action to deal with safeguarding concerns. They liaise with external agencies to keep pupils safe. Leaders are tenacious in making sure that pupils have the right help and they are not afraid to challenge when they have concerns.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that appropriate background checks are carried out on adults working within the school. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have developed and strengthened the personal development programme with a coherent PSHE curriculum, however, the RE curriculum is lagging behind. While pupils are tolerant of different beliefs, their knowledge and understanding is weaker. Leaders need to ensure the essential knowledge that pupils need is more explicitly identified in the curriculum and coherently sequenced. This will strengthen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different beliefs.  While leaders assess the impact of the subject curriculum, they do not always check other aspects of the school curriculum. For example, the tutor programme is not always delivered as leaders intend and there is more to do to assess the impact of the reading programme across the school. More routine checks will help leaders to assure that all aspects of the school curriculum are having the desired impact.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.4

School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10211733 Type of school Other secondary

p.5

sixth form

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 IKB Academy is a studio school specialising in STEM.  It is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.  Pupils typically join the school from other secondary schools in Year 10.  It is part of the Futura Learning Partnership Multi-Academy Trust and shares a site with another school in the trust, Wellsway School.  Year 10 pupils were taking part in work experience at the time of the inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the acting headteacher, senior leaders and representatives of the trust. Meetings were also held with curriculum leaders, class teachers and the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  Inspectors spoke with a representative from the alternative provider used by the school.  The lead inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics, product design and science. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of

p.6

6

pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered 30 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View including 20 free-text responses from parents.

p.6

Inspection team

Tracey Reynolds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Victor Reid Her Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 April 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7