Bourne Academy

Inspection of a good school: Bourne Academy Edinburgh Crescent, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9DT

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Outcome

Bourne Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They speak positively about the school’s safe and respectful culture. There is strong respect for diversity. Pupils believe that staff treat them fairly. They can talk easily to staff and know that they are listened to. Pupils and parents and carers recognise and appreciate that the pastoral care is exceptional. Pupils are very well cared for. They know whom to talk to if there is a problem. They are nurtured to be resilient and have opportunities to develop their character.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils recognise that the staff want the best for them. Everyone understands the school’s vision, which focuses on ‘aspire, challenge, achieve’. Staff work hard to raise the aspirations and achievements of all. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Staff and pupils agree that the behaviour policy has a positive effect. Most pupils are keen to learn. The school is calm and orderly. Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils say that bullying hardly ever happens. Most are confident that staff deal with it when it occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer. They are keen to participate in many sporting, music and drama activities, trips, competitions and productions. These opportunities match pupils’ interests and talents. Older pupils have happy school memories that they cherish.

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

Senior leaders lead with a strong moral purpose and vision focused on what is right for pupils. They have developed an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. The curriculum is designed to build pupils’ knowledge and skills progressively and over time. Leaders have adjusted the curriculum to address the impact of the pandemic. They have established a strong culture of reading. Leaders provide timely support for pupils who have fallen behind. Leaders ensure that pupils build on their reading skills. They provide targeted support for those who need help with reading. Sixth-form student ambassadors help younger pupils with reading. 4 and 5 May 2022

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Subject leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge that pupils should learn and when. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 study a broad curriculum that reflects the national curriculum. Pupils in Year 9 study ‘mini-options’ in design and technology and in the creative arts subjects. Leaders have not ensured that all of the learning in the design and technology subject is clearly identified. As a result, what pupils learn in this area is not as ambitious as it is in other subjects.

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Leaders make sure that pupils in Years 11 to 13 have opportunities to blend academic and vocational courses and subjects. Leaders are increasing the number of pupils who gain qualifications in the English Baccalaureate.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They introduce new learning effectively. Year 7 pupils explored the moral aspects as they read ‘Pig heart boy’ in their English classes. Teachers ensure that pupils learn and use new vocabulary accurately. Teachers use assessment well to check pupils’ learning. In English, teachers use a range of approaches to assess pupils’ learning. They use this assessment information to build on pupils’ prior learning, so enabling pupils to broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills related to speaking and listening, and reading and writing.

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Leaders ensure that the school has an inclusive approach to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are ambitious for these pupils. Pupils with SEND receive the right level of support. They achieve well from their starting points. Provision for pupils with SEND is of a high quality.

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Leaders are ambitious for sixth-form students. Students focus on their learning well. They are keen to support each other. For example, Year 13 music students constructively review each other’s band performances. Students are well prepared for their next steps. The number accessing higher education and apprenticeships continues to increase. Students relish opportunities to serve in the school. For example, they take on roles such as those of peer mentors and leaders of the LGBTQ+ group.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. They build pupils’ confidence and resilience. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum, which leaders have redeveloped, is highly ambitious. In response to the pandemic, leaders have made further changes to the PSHE education curriculum to support pupils. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They receive very sound careers advice and guidance. They benefit from visits from industry leaders and from opportunities to undertake work- related learning. In tutor time, there are regular occasions for pupils to discuss moral and ethical issues. This reinforces their well-thought-through spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

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Trustees and governors make sure that the school is well led and managed. Parents are mostly positive about the school. Staff are proud to work at the school. There is a strong sense of purpose and positive morale among staff. They value training opportunities. Leaders have a positive approach to ‘growing their own’ staff and leaders. Staff share their expertise with other schools in the multi-academy trust (MAT). 4 and 5 May 2022

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that the key stage 3 design and technology curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They can tell any member of staff their concerns. They know that staff will take their concerns seriously and do the right thing. Staff know their responsibilities well. They are well trained and receive regular safeguarding updates.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders know the pupils very well. They ensure that pupils get support when needed. They work effectively with a range of external agencies. They ensure that safeguarding records are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have many opportunities to learn about potential risk and how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn about online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have ensured that revised subject curriculums are suitably ambitious for key stage 3 pupils in most subjects. This is not the case for all aspects of the design and technology curriculum. This means that pupils do not have the opportunity to study the full breadth of the design and technology curriculum. This can limit how well pupils build their knowledge and understanding in this subject over time at key stage 3. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is as ambitious in design and technology as it is in all other key stage 3 subject curriculums.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013. 4 and 5 May 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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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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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 .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 4 and 5 May 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,444

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Date of previous inspection

28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher took up post in January 2019 and works across the MAT. The new head of school started in January 2022. Other senior leaders work across the MAT.  The school uses the services of two alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 May 2022

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. They met the chair of trustees remotely. They met with three members of the local advisory board, two of them remotely.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, art and design, and music. For each deep dive, they met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and some pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  In addition, inspectors visited a range of lessons, including in food technology, textiles, French, physical education, geography and mathematics.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with safeguarding leaders. They reviewed the single central record, the safeguarding policy and related documents.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including behaviour records and various policies.  Inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils to discuss different aspects of school

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life.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also reviewed responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jon Brown Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 May 2022

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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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