Landau Forte Academy, Amington

Inspection of Landau Forte Academy, Amington Woodland Road, Amington, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 4FF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 10 and 11 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Landau Forte Academy, Amington. Pupils embrace the school’s values of being ambitious, brave and kind. Pupils have good manners. Leaders greet students, when they arrive, with a ‘good morning’ and a smile. Pupils return this greeting. Pupils appreciate the time staff take to get to know them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for every pupil. The principal has united the staff in a shared passion to ensure all pupils achieve their very best. Pupils benefit from a good-quality education. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils unanimously say that there are adults to help them if they are worried about anything, both academic and personal. Pupils appreciate the care and attention they receive from the school’s pastoral team. Most pupils feel safe in school. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen, but if it does, they know that adults will listen and take action.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils say that behaviour has significantly improved since the last inspection. Pupils usually behave well in and out of lessons. However, on the odd occasion when teachers do not insist on high enough standards of behaviour, learning can be affected.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. Key stage 4 pupils can choose to study a wide range of subjects. Leaders have put the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at the heart of the curriculum. As a result, the proportion of pupils studying the EBacc subjects has increased and continues to do so.

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better?

Leaders have significantly strengthened the curriculum in all subjects. Leaders have a clear purpose for what pupils learn. Subjects are taught in a logical order that builds on what pupils have learned before. Well-considered themes feed through the curriculum. For example, in English, pupils learn about how women are portrayed in crime fiction. This learning builds up through the story ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ in Year 7, to ‘Blood Brothers’ in Year 9 and ‘Macbeth’ in Year 11. However, in a minority of subjects, the curriculum does not yet have this level of detail. This means learning in these subjects is less secure.

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better?

Leaders have ensured there are consistent teaching approaches across the school. Teachers use effective questioning to deepen pupils’ knowledge and to check what pupils remember. All teachers have high expectations of pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar use. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They revisit specific vocabulary and concepts regularly, so that pupils have a secure understanding of the subject.

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better?

There are well-planned opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills across the curriculum. Pupils who struggle with reading, including those with special 10 and 11 May 2022

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educational needs and/or disabilities, are helped to improve through targeted support. Effective strategies support pupils’ learning, such as breaking learning down into smaller chunks and pre-teaching key vocabulary. This supports all pupils to achieve well.

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The personal, social and health education curriculum equips pupils to live life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught about healthy relationships and personal safety. Pupils show respectful and tolerant attitudes.

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Pupils who need additional support to manage behaviour speak positively about the pastoral support they receive. One pupil said: ‘The staff here don’t give up on us. They want us to be here. They care about us. We all have strong relationships with our teachers because they want us to do well.’

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Pupils receive extensive careers education. Pupils are highly appreciative of the careers support and guidance they receive. One pupil said, ‘The ambition to get students into their chosen destination is remarkable.’

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Leaders and governors manage staff’s well-being and workload well. The school counsellor offers practical support to both staff and pupils.

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Most parents recognise the recent positive changes in the school. However, leaders are aware that some parents do not hold this view. Work is continuing to improve the school’s engagement with all families and with the community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff know the pupils and their families well. They have a clear understanding of the local safeguarding risks that may affect pupils. Leaders work closely with the police and other agencies to teach students of the risks, for example, of knife crime.

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Safeguarding

All staff are well trained in identifying pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns. Staff work with individuals to identify the support pupils need and ensure they get this quickly.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, leaders have not identified the precise building blocks of learning that lay the foundation for what is to come next. This means that, in these subjects, some pupils find it more difficult to build the rich body of knowledge that they need to progress well. Subject leaders should ensure they continue to refine their subject curriculum to ensure it identifies what pupils need to learn to achieve well. 10 and 11 May 2022

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 The behaviour of pupils in the school has significantly improved. However, in some lessons, learning can be disrupted when behaviour strategies are not implemented consistently. This means that pupils miss out on learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff are confident in implementing the school’s behaviour policy effectively and consistently.

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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.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 July 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses three registered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 13 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  A new principal and several new staff have been appointed since the last section 5 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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. 10 and 11 May 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with the principal, the deputy principal and assistant principals.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, Spanish and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and the pastoral team. They checked safeguarding documents, including the checks made on staff. They also examined documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the views of pupils and staff in Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors also spoke with pupils informally during the school day.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Madden Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 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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