Coritani Academy

Inspection of Coritani Academy Wyredale Road, Scunthorpe DN16 2PZ

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive principal of this school is Dave Flowitt. This school is part of the Isle Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sarah Sprack, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Barratt. 1 and 2 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Coritani Academy supports pupils to be ‘ready, respectful, safe and inspire excellence’. Pupils attend the school for a variety of reasons. Most pupils attend the school because of their special educational needs and/or disabilities. All pupils join the school because they struggle to engage with mainstream education. They receive the support they need to get them back on track with their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well. They take the time to fully understand pupils’ needs. Staff are well trained to use supportive approaches that ensure pupils can catch up and keep up, academically. Typically, pupils achieve well at this school. Many pupils show improvements in their attendance. The school has ambition for pupils to return to mainstream education. Leaders ensure that pupils who stay for longer periods access a broad and balanced curriculum to meet their individual needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at the school. Bullying does not happen. If it were to occur, pupils know adults would intervene and support them well. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community and while online. They know the risks to look out for and what to do if they need help.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading across key stages. Pupils receive expert personalised support to develop their phonics knowledge. Developing pupils’ writing, vocabulary and speaking skills forms a large part of the school’s work. This is woven through lessons. The school is mostly successful in achieving this ambition. There are times when lessons miss opportunities to develop pupils’ subject-specific vocabulary.

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better?

The curriculum is largely well developed. The school has worked with external partners to strengthen what pupils learn. Curriculum maps mostly outline what pupils will learn in a logical sequence. They contain detail to identify how knowledge is to be learned. The order of lessons is altered to be responsive to topical matters and important issues that pupils may face in the community. For example, in personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe while online or learn about the negative effects of vaping.

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better?

Pupils behave well around school. They are polite and welcoming to visitors. Pupils hold doors open for others and greet staff positively. There is a warm atmosphere in the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are highly secure. Staff are patient with pupils. This helps pupils to develop positive school routines and re- engage with learning. Leaders closely check pupils’ attendance and swiftly follow up any absences. Most pupils show improvements in their attendance since joining the school.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school’s work. Pupils experience a range of opportunities to develop a wider understanding of the world around them. This includes educational visits with meaningful cultural experiences. Pupils have 1 and 2 November 2023

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taken the train to Shakespeare’s Globe in London to see a theatre performance of ‘Macbeth’. They learn how to debate with representatives from services that include the police. Pupils learn about the rule of law through visits to historic prisons and ‘Prison Me No Way’ events. Older pupils receive independent careers advice. They visit places of employment for practical work experience. Pupils learn to reflect on their emotions and develop positive ways to manage their feelings. Some of this work has been recognised in national publications. However, not all pupils have a confident understanding of protected characteristics and different faiths and beliefs.

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The governing body members are actively involved in school life. They check the quality of provision experienced by pupils. They support leaders to further develop the school. Trustees are kept informed about the school’s performance through frequent challenge meetings. Staff speak highly of leaders’ actions to support their workload. They are given advance notice of important events and training. Staff can grow with the school. Leaders have supported some staff in their career journey to become qualified teachers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s strategy to develop pupils’ vocabulary is not realised consistently. There are missed opportunities to develop pupils’ vocabulary during lessons. The school should ensure that the intended curriculum is consistently enacted to allow regular opportunities for pupils to develop their subject-specific vocabulary.  Not all pupils have a sufficient understanding of the protected characteristics and knowledge of different faiths. Pupils cannot confidently describe these areas of learning. The school should ensure that pupils have more opportunities to further develop their understanding of the protected characteristics and different faiths.

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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. 1 and 2 November 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 and 2 November 2023

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School details

School category Academy alternative provision converter

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection 20 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Coritani Academy is an alternative provision for pupils aged between seven and 16 years.  The school is registered to admit post-16 students up to 19 years. No students attend the school in that age group.  The school uses one registered alternative education provider.  During the inspection, 16 pupils were dual-registered with other schools.  The school measures itself against the Gatsby benchmarks to ensure that pupils receive high-quality careers advice. 1 and 2 November 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive principal, members of the senior leadership team, curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust and members of the board of trustees. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The provision for teaching English was also closely scrutinised.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and development plans.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Mills, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenni Machin Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 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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