Astrea Academy Woodfields

Inspection of Astrea Academy Woodfields Weston Road, Doncaster DN4 8ND

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 17 and 18 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations which some pupils meet. However, too many pupils fall short of these. The number of pupils who are removed from lessons or receive a suspension for poor behaviour is too high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Too many pupils miss important learning because of low attendance and/or poor behaviour. As a result, they have gaps in their knowledge which slow their learning. Pupils’ outcomes in GCSE examinations are too low.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ work ensures that pupils and students are kept safe. Teachers address bullying when it occurs. This is not always as timely as some pupils or parents and carers would like.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form benefit from attending the provision. They access a small number of high-quality courses. Sixth-form students’ behaviour is of a high standard. They attend school more often than pupils in key stages 3 and 4. Sixth- form students achieve well in external examinations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are increasing the range of enrichment activities on offer. Pupils now participate in the school’s ‘lunchtime electives’, such as homework, sports and arts clubs. Although these are relatively new, participation is growing as leaders develop the programme further.

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better?

New leaders, at both a school and trust level, have accurately identified the areas they need to focus on to improve the school. They have taken significant steps to address these areas of weakness. For some areas of weakness, such as the quality of education provided, the impact of leaders’ work is beginning to be seen. However, this is not true for all areas of weakness. For example, the proportion of pupils who attend school regularly is decreasing. All leaders recognise that there is more to do to ensure that all pupils are in school and receive the quality of education that leaders aim to provide.

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better?

The proportion of pupils who receive consequences for poor behaviour is too high and increasing. This includes the most vulnerable pupils, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Too many pupils are removed from lessons or receive suspensions because of their poor behaviour. These pupils miss important knowledge. Consequently, their learning stalls.

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better?

Although leaders are establishing systems to overcome barriers to attendance, they are not having the impact needed. Pupils’ attendance remains too low. The number of pupils who do not attend school often enough is increasing. These pupils miss important learning and fall behind their peers. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND attend school less often than their peers. Some pupils choose to truant from individual lessons. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Leaders’ work on the curriculum is beginning to improve the quality of education pupils receive. Subject leaders, in some cases with support from colleagues in the trust, have made sure that the curriculum covers the most important knowledge pupils need to acquire. Teachers present this to pupils in a logical order that builds on what has been taught before.

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Pupils’ experience in lessons is variable. Teachers typically explain new information clearly. They use a school-wide set of routines in lessons with increasing consistency. Teachers routinely check on what pupils know. In some lessons, these checks do not give teachers the information that they need. In others, teachers do not adapt their teaching in response. Consequently, some work is not matched well to the needs of pupils. This slows pupils’ progress.

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All pupils in key stages 3 and 4 access daily reading during ‘Apollo’ lessons. Leaders have carefully selected the texts they want pupils to read. These include books which consider important social issues. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read are identified and receive additional support quickly. This support enables pupils to catch up with their peers increasingly well.

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Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers adapt their teaching well to meet the needs of these pupils. A small number of pupils with SEND receive additional support, such as those who access ‘The Bridge’. Pupils return to mainstream lessons after their period of support. This enables them to re-engage with the curriculum.

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Students in the sixth form are well supported by staff. They attend school more regularly, behave better and are more focused on their learning than pupils in key stages 3 and 4. Many students participate in additional enrichment opportunities. Some of these lead to further accreditation. For example, some students gain qualifications in sports massage. Students receive appropriate careers advice. This supports them to secure high-quality destinations.

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Leaders have introduced new routines, including ‘morning address’, to complement personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons. Leaders have ensured that these cover statutory content and are adapted to the ages of pupils. Although pupils are taught about fundamental British values and protected characteristics, some pupils do not show respect for difference in their interactions with their peers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The work of staff ensures that pupils are kept safe. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection. Leaders provide regular updates to the wider staff team. Staff are knowledgeable about the risks that are present in their local community. They know how to report a concern about the well-being of pupils and do this in a timely way. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Leaders maintain detailed records of concerns raised. The safeguarding team works closely with other leaders. For example, leaders use the weekly ‘PISA’ pastoral meetings to follow up concerns and ensure that actions are completed. Leaders have established effective links with the external agencies which help them to support pupils and students.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The number of pupils being removed from lessons or receiving suspensions as a result of poor behaviour is too high. Too much learning time is lost and these pupils fall behind their peers. Leaders should ensure that they understand the causes of pupils’ poor behaviour and put steps in place to reduce the risk of it reoccurring.  Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils have gaps in their knowledge. These gaps slow pupils’ learning. Leaders should continue to embed the new attendance strategy and work with the community to remove barriers to regular attendance.  In some lessons, teachers do not use assessment effectively to check on what pupils know and to adjust their teaching to fill gaps in pupils’ understanding. In these lessons, work is not well matched to pupils’ needs and pupils do not catch up as quickly as they could. Leaders should review the impact of the new routines

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

established and provide additional training to staff where required.  Some pupils’ understanding of aspects of the PSHE programme, such as awareness of the protected characteristics, is limited. For some pupils, this limited understanding is reflected in negative interactions with their peers. Leaders should further enhance pupils’ awareness of equalities to support the respectful culture they are seeking to establish

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255553 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy sponsor-led

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sixth form

Website https://www.astreawoodfields.org/

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Astrea Academy Trust multi-academy trust. It became part of the trust in September 2018.  The interim principal began in this post in September 2022.  Pupils currently attend six alternative providers. These are a mixture of registered and unregistered providers.  A small number of pupils who attend the school access some of their lessons in a part of the school known as ‘The Bridge’. This facility is operated by school staff and focuses on the support of pupils with additional needs.  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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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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.  Inspectors met with the chief executive officer, the chair of the trust and the interim principal during the inspection. They also met with a range of other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, personal development, careers, curriculum, sixth form, behaviour and attendance.  Deep dives were carried out by inspectors in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with the special educational needs coordinator. They looked at a range of documentation regarding the support that pupils with SEND receive.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  The lead inspector met with the designated lead for safeguarding. They checked records of actions taken by leaders to keep pupils safe. Inspectors scrutinised the single central record of pre-employment checks.  During the inspection, a wide range of pupils and staff spoke with inspectors, both formally and informally, about the safeguarding culture in school.  A range of documentation, including minutes from trust board meetings and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, were scrutinised by inspectors.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour and attendance. They spoke to pupils who had been subject to sanctions. Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at social times.  The views of parents, staff and pupils were considered via responses to the Ofsted surveys.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to explore their views on school life.

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Information about this inspection

 An inspector spoke with staff at alternative providers. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gordon Watts Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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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