Selwood Academy

Inspection of Selwood Academy Berkley Road, Frome, Somerset BA11 2EF

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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 Good 28 and 29 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff agree that the school has improved. The school is a tolerant place where newcomers, including a number of pupils from Ukraine, are welcomed and quickly assimilate. Pupils are friendly and polite. There are warm relationships between pupils and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what is expected of them. They enjoy learning about a wide range of subjects. Pupils listen carefully to teachers and respond well to their questions. Staff generally know pupils well. Sometimes, however, staff do not know how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour has improved. Pupils conduct themselves well. They feel safe. If bullying occurs, staff take it seriously. Pupils know who to go to if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their talents and interests through a range of clubs and experiences. Pupils take their ambassador roles seriously and enjoy the opportunity to work with school leaders. They have an appreciation of different beliefs in society and understand their place in the world.

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better?

The headteacher has set out clear values and a vision for the school. Leaders have made improvements that are raising expectations.

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better?

Pupils experience a broad curriculum that has the scope of the national curriculum. Curriculum leaders have identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn. Teaching uses a range of methods to support and prompt pupils to recall knowledge. Many pupils do this well. They use important concepts accurately and are confident to articulate what they have learned.

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better?

Teachers use assessment effectively in many areas of the curriculum. They routinely check what pupils know and can do. This helps teachers to spot misconceptions and amend their teaching accordingly to help pupils to learn.

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better?

Leaders promote the importance of reading. They prioritise early reading. Pupils who are learning to read follow a structured phonics programme that is delivered in a coherent way. It provides useful steps for pupils to become better readers.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently adapted in some areas to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff do not always know pupils’ specific needs and strategies that would help them to adapt their curriculum. Pupils with SEND do not always learn as well as they could. This can lead to weaker behaviour of pupils with SEND. They are then over-represented in behaviour logs. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing about improvements to the curriculum for pupils with SEND. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable about the school. They are working closely with leaders to make improvements to the provision for pupils with SEND. While the majority of parents who responded to the parent survey were positive about the school, a minority could not see the impact of recent improvements. Leaders and trustees are developing greater communication with parents.

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Leaders have introduced strategies to reduce staff workload, such as a new marking policy. Nevertheless, some staff would welcome further support around managing workload. Staff, including early career teachers, value the varied professional development they undertake.

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The school’s personal development curriculum is well-structured to provide a depth of experience. It equips pupils with knowledge to understand society. They learn how to keep physically and mentally healthy. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about careers from a range of employers. 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 apprenticeships.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created an environment where staff are vigilant around matters of safeguarding. Staff know how to identify concerns. They have confidence in leaders to deal with any concerns raised. Leaders work closely with pupils and families who are facing difficulties, finding appropriate support where necessary. Trustees, leaders, and staff are well trained and knowledgeable about safeguarding matters. Those responsible for governance understand their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding. Recruitment of staff is carefully monitored with all the required safeguarding procedures in place.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep safe. They confidently recall their learning about online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently adapted in some areas to consistently meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. This can sometimes lead to weaker behaviour of pupils with SEND. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing the necessary improvements about. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  Leaders have improved behaviour at the school. However, pupils with particular needs are over-represented in behaviour logs. Leaders need to analyse behaviour 28 and 29 June 2022

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more precisely to identify patterns and to help those pupils to adjust their behaviour at an earlier stage.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228408 Type of school Middle deemed secondary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in January 2021. There have been recent changes to senior leadership at the school.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school’s religious character is Methodist and Church of England, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and representatives of the board of trustees. Meetings were also held with curriculum leaders, class teachers and the special educational needs coordinator. 28 and 29 June 2022

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 Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leads, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  Inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: English, history, languages and mathematics. Inspectors 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 pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke on the telephone to representatives from the Methodist Church and the diocese.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including the free-text responses from parents. They also considered the views of staff in Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Tracey Reynolds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby Her Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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