The Excelsior Academy

Inspection of The Petchey Academy Shacklewell Lane, Hackney, London E8 2EY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Omar Deria. This school is part of the Community Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Simon Elliott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Chris Rutt. 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are set up to achieve to the best of their ability. Leaders have very high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and academic work. Teachers come together to set a consistent culture across the school of taking education seriously, and pupils mainly respond well. Pupils are praised and receive a ‘golden ticket’ at the end of each lesson to recognise effort.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils’ futures after they finish school. Pupils receive personalised guidance to help them choose their next steps. For example, the school organises high-quality work experience opportunities in law, medicine, coding and architecture.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they are expected to be on time and ready to learn. The school has set out very clear lines of how it expects pupils to behave. This includes the way they should sit in the classroom, move around the corridors and greet members of the school community. This means that classrooms become calm learning environments. When learning is disrupted, teachers take quick and consistent action to minimise any impact on other pupils’ learning. At times, however, a few find the behaviour expectations difficult to follow and receive support from the school’s pastoral system. Any incidents of bullying are recorded, and leaders are quick to respond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at this school, and most say they are happy here. They know that if they raise a concern, it will be dealt with.

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better?

The school is ambitious for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum has been constructed with careful thought as to what should be taught in each year. For example, in history, pupils learn about events around the world in the order they happened through a ‘big question’. Leaders have chosen the times, places and people to explore through each topic to ensure that pupils can connect with what is being taught. For example, in art, pupils study local artists and invite these figures into the school to bring meaning to the material being studied. The ambitious curriculum in place, including in the sixth form, clearly sets out the knowledge and vocabulary that should be taught. The school is committed to widening access to the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. It places these subjects at the heart of its curriculum and encourages pupils to select them.

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better?

Teachers are experts in their subject areas. They use an ambitious choice of activities to help pupils learn and progress. Within lessons, they check what pupils are learning and use this information to help identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, in Mandarin lessons, pupils are listened to carefully to ensure they can pronounce accurately. Pupils with SEND participate in the full range of learning activities, including deaf pupils from the school’s specially resourced provision. 6 and 7 February 2024

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Teachers know how to adapt learning to meet these pupils’ needs, and this means pupils can maximise their time in the classroom.

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There are clear classroom routines in place, and pupils know that what is expected is the same in all lessons. When pupils move around the school, behaviour can vary, as some pupils need reminding of how to treat each other respectfully. Pupils respond well to staff and usually follow the rules when asked. Staff do not deviate from their high expectations of behaviour, and, at times, the school suspends pupils for breaches of the behaviour policy. This has led to pupils with SEND being more likely to be suspended from school than their peers.

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The school has identified pupils requiring further support with their reading. It has recently invested in this aspect of its work. The school has funded resources and training in phonics, and it is now ready to take action to close the gaps for pupils who are behind in their reading. In the sixth form, pupils who are yet to secure good GCSE qualifications in mathematics and English receive the extra lessons needed to be successful.

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Leaders prioritise pupils being in school and carefully monitor those at risk of high absence, taking early action to minimise missed learning. Pupils are rewarded for their good attendance and are taught why this is important. The school teaches pupils how to keep safe, including when they are online. It uses assemblies, lessons and speaker visits to help pupils feel confident about healthy eating and positive relationships with others. The school has recently expanded its offer of lunchtime and after-school activities. The choices available include robotics, football and beekeeping in the summer. However, this offer is not yet valued and enjoyed by many pupils, who attend only occasionally. The school is also improving its approach to the development of pupils’ cultural awareness, such as through trips. More pupils would benefit from these opportunities if they occurred more frequently.

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There is a thorough programme in place for guiding pupils’ career choices, including in the sixth form. All pupils are individually tracked and given mentoring sessions with professionals. Pupils can share their interests and are given matched guidance to follow these career options further. The school ensures that meaningful work experience opportunities are provided, and this helps pupils make aspiring decisions about their future, including those who wish to consider an apprenticeship route.

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Staff are positive about the way that leaders look after their workload and manage their time. Leaders, governors and trustees lead and support the school well. They ensure that their statutory responsibilities, including oversight of safeguarding, are well met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s behaviour policy is sometimes not effective for pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils are at higher risk than others of missing school through suspensions. The school should ensure that its policies include reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.  The school’s offer of wider experiences leads to some pupils not having a broad range of meaningful opportunities. The school should expand its offer of wider enrichment experiences and ensure that it extends the reach of these opportunities to nurture pupils’ cultural capital and encourage increased participation.

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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' 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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,006

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Community Schools Trust in September 2023.  The headteacher has been in post since April 2022.  The school offers a specially resourced provision for 12 pupils with hearing impairments.  The school uses one registered alternative provision and one unregistered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 6 and 7 February 2024

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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.  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 headteacher and senior leaders in the school. They also met with the CEO and members of the trust and with members of the local governing body of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art, English, history and science. 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.  Inspectors met with leaders in the sixth form and with sixth-form students.  Inspectors visited the specially resourced provision for pupils with hearing

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Information about this inspection

impairments and lessons involving these pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single 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.

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Inspection team

Karim Ismail, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katerina Christodoulou Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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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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