Ark St Alban's Academy

Inspection of Ark St Alban's Academy Conybere Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B12 0YH

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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 Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Guy Rimmer. This school is part of the Ark Schools multi-academy trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Lucy Heller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tina Alexandrou. There is also a regional director, Gail Peyton, who has responsibility for the school. 14 and 15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils and staff are proud of their school and the way in which it respects and reflects the diversity of their community. Most pupils work hard in lessons as they want to fulfil the school’s high aspirations the school has for them. They achieve well and successfully move onto the next stage in their education. These high standards and outcomes are the same in the sixth form, where students demonstrate an impressive level of personal motivation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school has high expectations of their behaviour and most meet this standard. The ‘homeroom’ model means pupils spend many of their lessons in the same room within their year ‘hub’ but also get to use specialist spaces for practical and creative subjects. This means pupils do not have to move around the school as often between lessons. This contributes to the calm and orderly environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the real-life scenarios used in their ‘character’ lessons and how these help them learn about how to stay safe, value difference and have healthy relationships. Many pupils attend the range of extra-curricular clubs on offer. Pupils and sixth form students contribute positively to the school community through leadership roles that include anti-bullying ambassadors and peer mentors.

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better?

The school has made changes to the curriculum since the previous inspection. Consequently, all pupils now benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. The number of pupils following the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) group of qualifications is rapidly rising. The curriculum is well-sequenced to ensure that pupils build their learning in steps as they move from Year 7 to Year 13. Pupils in key stages 4 and 5 achieve strong outcomes, often higher than the national average.

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better?

The quality of the curriculum is enhanced by the strong subject knowledge of staff. Through trust networks, every teacher is supported in becoming a better teacher in their subject. They offer clear explanations of new learning and provide frequent activities for pupils to practise applying their learning independently. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils, or sixth form students, to discuss their learning in detail or deepen their understanding.

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better?

Pupils apply themselves well to their learning. Older pupils take pride in organising their work in a way that will help them to revise effectively as they approach exams. The school has ensured that all subjects carefully check how much pupils have understood at the mid and end points of each unit. The information from these assessments is used well to inform future teaching. The checking of understanding at the point of learning is less secure. Some subjects do this well, but the standard is inconsistent across the school. 14 and 15 May 2024

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There have been noticeable improvements to the quality of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a determination that these pupils will be academically and personally successful; this is why they achieve well. Their needs are carefully identified and shared with staff via useful ‘pupil passports’. Staff use these to make appropriate adaptations to learning.

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Staff and pupils know that reading well is important. The school assesses the reading skills of pupils in all year groups so that those who are not reading at an age-appropriate level are identified. These pupils receive the personalised support they need to become confident, fluent readers. Many make very rapid progress.

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Pupils are well prepared for the future. They receive high quality guidance about careers and future options. They learn study and organisational skills. Through the high-quality ‘character’ curriculum, form times and collective worship, they learn about themselves, other groups in British society and how to contribute positively to the world they live in. However, although all pupils are very clear about the importance of respect for others, there are a few who persist in using disrespectful language towards other pupils. This is a shame as it detracts from the sense of warmth and community that is otherwise experienced around the school.

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Pupils know that staff care about them and have their best interests at heart. This is one of the reasons why attendance is high. The school does all it can to encourage better attendance from those pupils who are persistently absent; this number is reducing thanks to the strength of this work.

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The trust provides different levels of support which have helped to strengthen several areas of the school since the previous inspection. Pupils enjoy opportunities to compete in sports against other trust schools, or to apply for the music scholarship programme. Staff appreciate the professional development they receive and know their work is valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are not enough planned opportunities for sustained and meaningful discussion in lessons. This means that pupils do not always get the chance to deepen their understanding or rehearse their thinking before writing. The school should ensure that there is an effective strategy to support all pupils developing their oracy skills to support their learning across the curriculum.  Although there is strong, consistent practice in checking pupils’ learning at the mid and end points of units, checking that pupils have secured their learning ‘in the moment’ is less secure. As a result, some misconceptions or gaps in 14 and 15 May 2024

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knowledge go unnoticed or pupils do not move on to the next step in their learning when they are ready to. The school should ensure that the best practice is shared so that all staff are confident in checking pupils’ understanding at the point of learning and adapting learning accordingly.  A small group of pupils use disrespectful language towards their peers. The comments they make mean that some pupils do not feel valued for who they are. The school should ensure that there are effective processes in place for all groups of pupils to share these experiences so that the school can take appropriate action in response.

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 November 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Ark Schools trust. There are 39 academies in the trust.  The school is a Church of England school within the Diocese of Birmingham. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.  The school uses one registered alternative provider for a small number of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education 14 and 15 May 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the principal, other school leaders and trust leaders. This included a meeting with the CEO who is also a trustee.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, science, art and design, modern foreign languages and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also visited lessons in other subjects, including those in the sixth form.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Gwen Onyon Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 May 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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