The Fallibroome Academy

Inspection of The Fallibroome Academy Priory Lane, Upton, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4AF

p.1

Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2022

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 Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected nine years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 30 November and 1 December 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, enjoy attending this school. They are proud to be part of the school community and they treat each other with respect. Pupils feel safe in school, and they appreciate the high priority that leaders give to issues related to their well-being.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour in all lessons and around the school site. Overall, due to a well-designed curriculum, many pupils and students achieve well across a range of subjects.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students told inspectors that leaders take bullying seriously and deal with it quickly if it happens. Leaders have placed a particular emphasis on ensuring that pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy in their everyday lives. For example, leaders support pupils to understand how to look after their mental health. Pupils said that they value the work that leaders have done in this area to support their emotional well-being.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of activities that are open to them, including the recent school show, performing arts and sports clubs. Students in the sixth form enjoy a range of enrichment opportunities to support the development of their wider personal skills.

p.2

better?

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils’ and students’ academic learning and their wider personal development. They have designed an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum. Staff take care to deliver the curriculum skilfully. Leaders ensure that staff prepare pupils and students appropriately for the next steps in their education, training and/or employment. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, develop a suitably deep body of subject knowledge because they learn effectively.

p.2

better?

Leaders are working to increase the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. This figure is currently lower than leaders would like. As a result, they have put measures in place to encourage more pupils to study modern foreign languages. In the sixth form, leaders have increased the breadth of subjects that are on offer. Students benefit from an appropriate range of academic and vocational courses.

p.2

better?

There is a suitable assessment system in place. This enables teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils’ and students’ knowledge and skills. Teachers give pupils and students plentiful opportunities to revisit their learning and to reflect on what they must do to improve. Mostly, teachers are adept at addressing misconceptions in pupils’ and students’ learning. 30 November and 1 December 2022

p.2

3

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are assessed and identified accurately by leaders. Leaders have put in place an appropriate range of strategies to support pupils with SEND to achieve. These strategies are particularly strong for pupils with SEND who have an education, health and care plan. Leaders are in the process of finalising additional support for pupils in receipt of SEND support.

p.3

3

Leaders have put in place an intensive programme of help for pupils who find reading more difficult. Where appropriate, this support includes the use of systematic synthetic phonics. Pupils who require assistance with their reading knowledge are improving their fluency and comprehension skills quickly. Leaders are building more opportunities for pupils to develop their reading knowledge across the whole curriculum.

p.3

3

Pupils’ behaviour in corridors is courteous and calm. In lessons, pupils respond swiftly to instructions from staff. Low-level disruption is rare.

p.3

3

Leaders continue to improve rates of attendance for most pupils at this school. However, some pupils who are disadvantaged do not attend school regularly enough. This affects how well some of these pupils learn the curriculum. Those pupils who are not in lessons miss out on important learning and do not achieve as well as they should.

p.3

3

Leaders have developed a strong programme of careers advice and guidance for pupils in key stages 3 and 4, and for students in the sixth form. Pupils and students receive a wide range of information about the opportunities available to them post- 16 and post-18.

p.3

3

The personal development programme which has been developed for pupils in Years 7 to 11 is thorough and effective. It is taught by specialist teachers who are appropriately trained to tackle sensitive topics, including unwanted sexual behaviours. In the sixth form, students have dedicated time to reflect on important current affairs as part of their programme of wider learning.

p.3

3

Pupils and students benefit from access to a range of activities and clubs to build their character. Students in the sixth form take on key leadership responsibilities to contribute positively to the local community. For example, they support a range of charities.

p.3

3

Staff feel well supported by leaders. They are particularly positive about leaders’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trustees and governors have a secure understanding of the quality of education that the school provides to pupils.

p.3

3

Leaders afford staff a suitable range of opportunities for their ongoing training and subject-specific development. Staff are appreciative of leaders’ efforts to manage their workload and well-being. 30 November and 1 December 2022

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders have made strong use of external support to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are fully effective. There are clear and effective systems for recording any safeguarding concerns. Staff pass on any potential concerns about pupils in a timely manner. Leaders monitor and assess emerging safeguarding concerns to spot patterns and to inform the wider personal development programme for pupils.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe through the ‘respect’ curriculum. This continues into the sixth form through a well-designed tutor programme. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, can identify a range of trusted adults with whom they can talk when they have any concerns.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils who are disadvantaged do not attend school as often as they should. This negatively impacts on how well they learn the curriculum. Consequently, these pupils do not achieve highly. Leaders should improve the rates of attendance of those disadvantaged pupils who are regularly absent from school. This is so that they experience the full curriculum, achieve highly and benefit from the wider personal development programme.

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

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. 30 November and 1 December 2022

p.4

provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,567

p.5

sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 28 February and 1 March 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school has been a member of The Fallibroome Trust since January 2015.  Leaders use one registered provider of alternative provision.  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. 30 November and 1 December 2022

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

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.  As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, history, English, science, design and technology and business studies. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited some lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the special educational needs team, subject leaders and teachers. The lead inspector also spoke with representatives from the trust and the local authority.  The lead inspector met with governors and the chair of the trust.  Inspectors checked safeguarding procedures, including the recruitment checks made on staff. Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead, staff and

p.6

Information about this inspection

pupils to discuss wider aspects of safeguarding. They scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including that relating to the curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, improvement plans and leaders’ self-evaluation.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and in lessons. They also spoke with pupils about behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their programme of wider personal development.  Inspectors considered the responses from parents and carers to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Linda Jones Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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