a school not in a category of concern of Pegasus Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Andrew Landers Principal Pegasus Academy Scotts Green Close Dudley West Midlands DY1 2DU

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Academy

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 8 January 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school meets the monitoring threshold as set out in the Monitoring Inspection Handbook .

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Academy

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Academy

During the inspection, I discussed with you and other senior leaders, the vice-chair of the trust and another trustee and governor, the chief executive officer (CEO), curriculum team leaders (CTLs), the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic. I also visited 13 lessons across ten subject areas, looked at pupils’ work, met with pupils and scrutinised documents relating to the school’s self-evaluation, the curriculum, behaviour, the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), safeguarding and governance. I observed pupils during their breaktimes and spoke with members of staff on duty. I also reviewed the school’s single central record to assess the checks made for the recruitment of new staff. I have

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Academy

considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but some aspects of the

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but some aspects of the

 review and further develop strategies to reduce the number of repeat suspensions and exclusions.

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Main findings

During this inspection, we focused on the areas for improvement that were identified at the last inspection, relating to: the curriculum setting out precisely the key knowledge in all subjects and teachers having a clear understanding of what should be taught and in what order; using assessment systems effectively so that teachers can adapt the delivery of lessons for all pupils, including those with SEND; the reduction of suspensions and repeat suspensions, especially for disadvantaged pupils or pupils with SEND. Evidence from this monitoring visit inspection shows that the school has taken decisive and well- chosen actions to address these areas. There is a clear sense of urgency to the changes school leaders are now making. However, there remains more work to do, for instance to reduce the number of suspensions and exclusions at the school. Staff are working well to implement these changes, and pupils are responding positively to the changes made.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection, the staff body has remained stable. However, the school has also made key changes to staff roles and responsibilities. For example, you have recruited new CTLs from September 2024. You have also promoted some staff into senior and middle leadership roles and revised the staffing structure. These changes have shown an immediate impact on the consistency of the quality of education provided. In some subjects there are a small number of non-specialists who teach some lessons. Leaders support these staff effectively to ensure all staff know and deliver the key knowledge and skills in each subject area well. The school has benefited from the effective support of the trust and its subject leads. The school has also received support from external specialists, for example support to monitor teaching and learning. Nevertheless, you have some vacancies to fill around the subject leadership of history, religious education and French

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Main findings

currently. In these areas, the trust’s directors of subject work in school to lead and support the teachers. This is helping to ensure that pupils continue to receive the high- quality learning the school expects.

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Main findings

Following the last inspection, the school has reviewed actively how the curriculum is designed and sequenced in all subjects. It has worked well to ensure that all subjects have a clear curriculum that sets out and builds on key knowledge and skills progressively. All departments and staff receive detailed curriculum ‘s-maps’, which are further broken down into effective smaller units to sequence what pupils need to know. You have developed robust and effective quality assurance strategies, through meetings, learning walks and work scrutiny to ensure that there is a consistent approach to curriculum delivery in all subject areas. Supported by a range of specialists from within and outside the trust, you have made some improvements to teachers’ use of assessments. You have also addressed how they adapt the delivery of lessons to ensure that all pupils learn well. School leaders now have more explicit and consistent targeted methods to support teachers to check pupils’

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Main findings

learning. You make sure that staff now check routinely for understanding during lessons and use this to inform the content of subsequent lessons. I spoke to many pupils who reported positively on the use of these consistent assessment strategies in different subjects. They explained how the ‘techniques’ used in different subjects are helpful. For example, the ‘do now’ starter activities, cold calling and ‘challenge’ tasks are helping pupils to know and remember more of their learning over time. However, staff continue to consider what ‘challenge’ looks like for the most able pupils and how adapted learning strategies can best support these pupils to reach their potential.

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Main findings

During the inspection, I noted calm and focused learning in lessons. Pupils I spoke with were able to explain their current work and how it links to their previous work. They were also clear about the purpose of their current learning.

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Main findings

The school’s support for pupils with SEND is effective. You have made sure that staff know the needs of all pupils well. Leaders take effective action to review and develop the individual pupil ‘passport’ information, which is available to all staff. This support is helping to close gaps between outcomes for pupils with SEND and their peers.

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Main findings

Following the last inspection, you have reviewed the school’s behaviour expectations. Behaviour incidents are now tracked and monitored routinely. Pupils are supported on to individual ‘pathways’ depending on their behaviour needs, and reasons for suspension are analysed carefully. However, behaviour logs do not show a reduction in the number of suspensions or repeat exclusions. This is because some pupils do not follow the school’s expectations sufficiently well. You know that there is still more to do to reduce the number of suspensions and repeat exclusions effectively.

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Main findings

The school’s safeguarding practice is effective. It has clear systems in place to identify pupils at risk of potential harm. A well-developed and systematic approach to dealing with disclosures ensures that the school takes decisive and timely action to support vulnerable pupils. Training from both the school and trust enables staff to deal with low-level concerns appropriately. A coordinated approach, using tracking and strong lines of communication, ensures that support is timely, appropriate and effective.

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Main findings

Leaders responsible for governance understand their statutory responsibilities well. They continue to support and hold leaders to account effectively. You, and other leaders, report that trustees and governors have worked quickly and effectively with the school, the local authority and external specialists to support any whole-school changes that they know are necessary. This includes a very recently opened alternative provision on the school site. This provision is expected to support some pupils who find the main school setting more of a challenge for their behaviour and learning needs especially. Relationships between trustees, governors and leaders are positive and purposeful. Governors and trustees are well informed about the school’s development priorities and the progress now being made to achieve them. You recognise that while progress has been made, there are still areas to review and develop further for greater consistency and urgency. You have a realistic

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Main findings

evaluation of the school’s current strengths and challenges.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the CEO of the Dudley Academies Trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Dudley local authority. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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