Pegasus Academy

Inspection of Pegasus Academy Scotts Green Close, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 2DU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 21 and 22 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a calm and orderly school where staff are determined to encourage pupils to aim high and ‘dream big’. Leaders have raised their expectations of pupils. Most pupils meet these expectations, behave well and work hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, polite and respectful. Younger pupils told inspectors that they have settled well into the school community. Pupils are happy to attend school, and this is reflected in their high attendance rates. Leaders and staff have established clear routines that pupils understand. This has improved pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Leaders take firm and appropriate action if pupils do not behave well. The number of pupils that are suspended has decreased over time but remains high. Leaders are working to reduce this further. Leaders support pupils well to stay safe. Should bullying occur, staff ensure that any issues are resolved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have worked hard to improve the curriculum. In some subjects, they have carefully designed a curriculum that enables pupils to learn and remember more. There have also been some improvements in GCSE outcomes, including in English. However, in other subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the specific knowledge that pupils need to learn. Some teachers do not check what pupils have learned well enough.

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better?

Leaders regularly review the curriculum to ensure that it remains broad and ambitious. They select courses for pupils to study that tally with their interests and ambitions. Trust leaders have worked with school leaders on the curriculum design. Some subject leaders have designed a curriculum that carefully identifies the key learning that pupils need to remember. For example, before pupils study ‘Frankenstein’ in Year 7 English, they study a simpler version of the text by a different author. This helps pupils to prepare for the more complex text. However, in other subjects, the curriculum does not precisely set out the key knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers are then unclear about what learning needs to be taught and when. This makes it harder for pupils to build their knowledge successfully over time.

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better?

Leaders have worked extensively on assessment and checking what pupils have remembered. Most teachers regularly check what pupils know and remember. However, some teachers do not use this information well enough to identify what pupils need further practice in. This leads to some pupils having gaps in their learning, and they struggle to complete more challenging work.

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better?

The special educational needs coordinator ensures that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. They then provide teachers with detailed information to help them adapt the learning to meet these pupils’ needs. Some teachers use this information well. However, this is not 21 and 22 March 2023

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done consistently. As a result, some pupils with SEND find it hard to access learning and do not achieve as well as they should.

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Leaders are aware of the government’s ambition for the English Baccalaureate to be at the heart of the key stage 4 curriculum. They are taking action to increase the number of pupils who would benefit from these courses.

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Leaders have worked to ensure that all pupils are fluent readers and develop a love of reading. This includes intensive and well-focused work on phonics for some pupils. Leaders recognise there is still work to do to increase the positive culture of reading. There are many initiatives, including a new library, poetry competitions, reading ambassadors and form-time reading. These initiatives are successfully beginning to encourage more pupils to read for pleasure.

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Pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education is delivered by form tutors in a weekly lesson. This gives pupils the information they need to help keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about topics such as knife crime, healthy relationships and mental health. In addition, pupils learn about school, local and national issues linked to a weekly theme. Pupils participate in a range of clubs and go on a broad range of trips. These range from pet club and keyboard club to visits to food shows and a ‘Year 11 inflatables’ reward trip.

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Pupils benefit from an effective careers education package that starts in Year 7. This includes up-to-date information about employers, universities, colleges and apprenticeships. Pupils interested in engineering can participate in a ‘build a plane’ project, while pupils intent on a medical career have benefited from experiences within the health service. As a result of this provision and wider opportunities, increased numbers of pupils have accessed level 3 post-16 programmes.

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Staff, including early career teachers, feel that leaders support them well. They say that leaders are approachable. Staff believe that leaders consider their well-being when introducing any changes.

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Those responsible for governance are committed to the school. They work regularly with leaders and provide effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders are experienced and well qualified. They receive effective support from the trust. The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders have extensive knowledge of the issues that pupils face in the school and the wider community. Staff record their concerns promptly, and these are acted on quickly and appropriately. Leaders make appropriate referrals to external agencies when needed and follow them up to make sure pupils get the help that they need to keep them safe. 21 and 22 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not set out the key knowledge that pupils should learn and by when. This means that teachers do not have a clear understanding of what should be taught and in what order. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum precisely sets out the key knowledge in all subjects.  Leaders have not ensured that teachers use assessment information well enough to check what pupils know and remember. As a result, teachers do not consistently identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders should ensure that teachers use the assessment systems effectively so that they can adapt their delivery of lessons accordingly so that all pupils, including those with SEND, learn well.  Too many pupils are suspended from school. This means that too many pupils miss too much time in school which impacts their learning. Leaders should continue to reduce the number of suspensions and repeat suspensions, especially

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

for disadvantaged pupils or pupils with SEND.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-size secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 years.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions.  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.

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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 held discussions with the principal, other members of the senior 21 and 22 March 2023

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leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, the chief executive officer, the chair of the board of trustees, the chair of the advisory board, as well as other trustees and members of the local advisory board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, geography, art and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also held discussions with other subject leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record of adults working in the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to consider how well the school identifies pupils who are at risk and engages with external services. Inspectors also spoke with a

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range of pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the parent and carer comments to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the free-text comments from parents. Inspectors also considered responses to the staff survey. Leaders did not send the pupil survey to the pupils.

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Inspection team

Andrew Madden, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Buckle Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 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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