Lift Broadlands

Inspection of Broadlands Academy St Francis Road, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 2DY

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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 19 and 20 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders at the school, working closely with the trust, have made many changes over the last few years. They have created a new curriculum for all pupils. This is ambitious and aims to help all pupils achieve highly. The school’s motto, ‘Discover Your Remarkable’, has been used to drive wider changes, which is creating a positive and supportive culture. This ensures that staff know pupils well, and it gives them the confidence to succeed. Pupils say that they feel cared for, and relationships between pupils and staff are strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have introduced a new behaviour policy, which has had a good effect. Pupils have noticed the many improvements, and they appreciate the calm, orderly school environment, where they can learn uninterrupted. Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. Bullying rarely happens. If it does, pupils say that staff deal with it promptly and effectively. Relationships between pupils are close. However, there are times when some pupils can be less tolerant of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of activities offered by the staff outside of lessons. These include many clubs, sporting activities and trips to places of interest.

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better?

The school’s curriculum, which is broad, has been planned to help all pupils make progress over time. For example, all pupils in key stage 3 now study a language. The options process at key stage 4 now ensures that all pupils choose at least one humanities subject. These actions are contributing to an increase in the entry for the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

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better?

Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. Leaders support teachers’ professional development effectively. There is a consistent approach to ensuring that pupils learn well. For example, teachers use activities that help pupils to remember what they have learned.

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better?

Staff use assessment well, so pupils’ needs are known in detail. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early. High-quality information from the SEND team informs staff of pupils’ needs. This supports them to adapt the curriculum effectively for pupils with SEND, who achieve well. However, there are some pupils who, on occasion, find the curriculum hard to access.

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better?

Leaders have created a whole-school approach to improve reading for all pupils. Pupils who need to catch up to their peers are identified and supported by a structured programme. This approach is having a positive impact and improving pupils’ reading.

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better?

Leaders have structured the personal development curriculum effectively. Pupils say they are respected. However, occasionally, some feel they are less well accepted 19 and 20 April 2023

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than others. The relationships, sex and health education pupils receive is appropriate. They have been taught about consent and talk about this and related issues sensitively.

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Pupils receive a well-planned careers programme from Year 7 onwards. Pupils are given the chance to meet with a wide range of employers. Leaders provide high- quality, impartial advice on the range of opportunities for them at ages 14 and 16. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next phase of their education.

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Leaders have planned an extensive extra-curricular programme. This includes regular opportunities to take part in sports clubs. A wide range of other activities is on offer, which is enjoyed by the pupils. There is an active school council and pupil groups, which provide feedback to staff on how pupils are best helped to learn. Pupils are involved in decision making in the school. As a result, their voices are heard by leaders.

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Staff feel well supported. Leaders make sound decisions to ensure workload is manageable. Staff like the changes that have taken place at the school. They say that they are able to teach, as behaviour is well managed. They value the developing culture of excellence and the high expectations of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in the safeguarding of pupils. Staff know how to respond to concerns and what actions to take. Systems are well organized, and leaders work well with their safeguarding partners. Pupils have access to the safeguarding team through open emails, and they are confident to report any concerns. This approach ensures that early help is provided promptly and supports pupils to keep safe.

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Safeguarding

The school’s curriculum supports the safeguarding of pupils. They learn how to stay safe in all contexts. Leaders and governors complete suitable checks on adults who apply to work at the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, at times, some pupils do not fully understand the curriculum. This can result in them not making the progress of which they are capable. Leaders should provide further training for staff to improve their ability to respond to pupils’ individual needs. 19 and 20 April 2023

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 At times, a small number of pupils are intolerant of difference. As a result, some other pupils do not feel fully valued and included in the school. Leaders should continue to develop the school’s personal development curriculum.  Some pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have low attendance at the school. This hinders their learning. Leaders should take further steps to improve pupils’ attendance.

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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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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. 19 and 20 April 2023

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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roll

Date of previous inspection 19 and 20 January 2016

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Information about this school

 Broadlands Academy is a smaller-than-average secondary school. The school converted to become an academy in December 2012 and is sponsored by the Academies Enterprise Trust.  The principal was appointed in July 2020.  The school uses two unregistered alternative education providers and one registered alternative provider.  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 inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act. 19 and 20 April 2023

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 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 carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography and Spanish. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, looked at a range of pupils’ work and held discussions with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors met with curriculum leaders and looked more widely at documentation in other subjects. Inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. The lead inspector met with representatives of the trust.  The lead inspector met with a mixed group of staff.  Inspectors examined the school’s arrangements for safeguarding by meeting with the designated lead for safeguarding. They also scrutinised policies, procedures and

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record-keeping and reviewed the safeguarding checks made on staff when they are recruited.  Inspectors spoke to pupils around the school site and held meetings with boys, girls, and a mixed group of pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including policies and record- keeping for behaviour management, exclusions and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Malcolm Willis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Hill Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 April 2023

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