Miltoncross Academy

Inspection of Miltoncross Academy Milton Road, Milton, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO3 6RB

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high ambitions for pupils. They are working hard to put these into practice. However, pupils are not achieving consistently well. Leaders are taking appropriate actions but improvements are not fully secure. There is too much variability in pupils’ learning across subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well supported and appreciate how hard staff work to keep them safe. Pupils are confident they have someone to speak to if they need help. They know bullying is not tolerated. Pupils rightly trust staff will deal with incidents when they do occur. Many pupils behave well, but some do not, which can disrupt the learning of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide a range of extra-curricular activities, including chess and ‘aquarium’ clubs. Leaders also provide opportunities for pupils to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and a variety of sporting activities. Some pupils spoke highly of their involvement in these. The majority of pupils are polite and are happy to talk about their learning and their school. Reading is a significant focus, and pupils value the regular opportunities staff give them to read widely, including books pupils have chosen themselves.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum which is ambitious, with high expectations for all pupils. Leaders have carefully identified and sequenced the knowledge pupils need to be successful. The trust has provided useful support to help develop the curriculum. Leaders have invested significantly in training for staff which means teachers are implementing the curriculum with increasing effectiveness. For example, pupils often focus on the ‘core’ and the ‘connected’ knowledge that they are learning. However, the impact of the curriculum varies across the school. Leaders’ ambitions are not fully reflected in pupils’ attainment because there is variability in how effectively the curriculum is being delivered. Not all work and activities that teachers set reflect leaders’ high expectations and aspirations.

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better?

Teachers’ adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are appropriate. Leaders are committed to ensuring all pupils achieve well. Additional support for pupils with SEND provided in the ‘Victory Suite’ is effective. Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of the individuals they work with.

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better?

Leaders act decisively to address any reading difficulties pupils have. This includes providing additional support for the pupils who need it most. There are also multiple opportunities throughout the school day for pupils to practise reading, exploring a wide range of challenging texts. Increasingly, the school is establishing a culture of reading.

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better?

Not all pupils currently behave well, which disrupts lessons at times. Staff do not always take a consistent, effective approach to address poor behaviour. Leaders 24 and 25 January 2023

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have rightly changed the approach to managing behaviour across the school. While leaders have carefully considered these changes, systems are too new to have had a substantial impact. Too many pupils are not attending school or lessons regularly enough, and this is having a significant impact on their learning. Not all pupils are punctual to school and lessons, which again means time focusing on learning is lost.

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Pupils are taught about how to be tolerant and the importance of knowing the difference between right and wrong. Pupils are also given opportunities to act as leaders and to learn about democracy through the ‘head pupil’ system. Pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 have access to a range of appropriate careers information. However, some pupils have not had the guidance they need on their next steps. The programme for personal development is not clearly thought out because leaders have not made sufficient adaptations for pupils of different ages.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ safeguarding systems are robust and they have created a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff are well trained and take their responsibilities towards pupils very seriously. The regular weekly safeguarding updates keep this high on the agenda. Staff are knowledgeable about pupils’ individual needs. Leaders and the pastoral team collaborate effectively and engage well with external agencies as needed. Both staff and pupils know who to inform if they have concerns. Pupils learn how to manage relationships and keep themselves safe through the relationships and sex education and health education programme which leaders provide.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not have consistently high expectations matched to the ambitions of the curriculum. This means pupils are not making enough progress in some areas. Leaders need to check that teaching activities and pupils’ work across the school are of high quality.  Not all pupils are attending school or lessons regularly enough. This means they are not learning what they need to in order to be successful. Leaders need to ensure their actions around attendance and punctuality have a more rapid and sustained impact.  Staff do not always manage pupils’ behaviour effectively. As a result, not all pupils behave well. Leaders need to ensure there are the same high expectations from all staff for all pupils.

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

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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. 24 and 25 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256361 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 and 21 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust.  There has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection. He has been in post since September 2021.  There has been a significant recent increase in the number of pupils on roll at the school.  The school makes use of The Harbour School, which is a registered alternative provision and part of The Delta Trust, for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 24 and 25 January 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and a range of other leaders. They also met with a number of teachers, including early career teachers. They also spoke to support staff.  Inspectors did deep dives in English, mathematics, science, physical education, history and languages. They discussed the curriculum design with leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers about the curriculum from the lessons they visited. They also spoke to a number of pupils about their learning in other subject areas.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. They also reviewed the school’s single central record and met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors met with two members of the local governing body, including a representative of the chair of the local governing body, and a representative from the board of trustees.

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 Inspectors considered the views of 80 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s survey.  Inspectors took account of the 111 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, both in response to Ofsted’s pupil survey and from meetings with groups of pupils from across the school. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally about the school.

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Inspection team

Zoe Enser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ginny Rhodes Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023

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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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