The Eastbourne Academy

Inspection of The Eastbourne Academy Brodrick Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 9RQ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The executive headteacher of this school is Liza Leung. This school is part of The Swale Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Michael Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Goodson . 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

For too long pupils have not achieved as well as they should. Disruption spoils many of their lessons and some pupils worry about the behaviour and conduct of others. Despite the school being ambitious for all pupils, and knowing their needs well, pupils have not had a consistent and positive experience of school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils recognise the changes that the school’s new leadership team are making. They appreciate the new approach to promoting positive behaviour, although this is in its early stages. Following a period of staff turbulence, the school’s staffing is now more stable. This benefits pupils, many of whom are keen to build positive relationships with their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s pastoral support offer is well developed. Pupils can get help should they have concerns or need support. However, the school has not been successful in improving the behaviour of some pupils. Bullying is a concern for some, and some pupils feel that they cannot be themselves for fear of being singled out. As a result, they restrict themselves to certain areas or activities where they feel most secure.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has undergone an extended period of turbulence in leadership and staffing. This has resulted in a decline in the quality of education for pupils in all year groups. Pupils’ achievement in public examinations, such as GCSEs, has been very low and declined further in 2024. Pupils do not gain the qualifications they need to progress to their next stage in education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils’ learning is disjointed. Sometimes, they build their knowledge effectively, but frequently this is not the case. This is because, although the school has taken appropriate action to strengthen the curriculum, it is not delivered consistently well. The work that pupils are asked to do does not enable them to develop and apply what they know. In addition, checks made by staff on what pupils understand about what they have been taught are not consistently effective. This means that pupils do not have the knowledge and skills they need to achieve as well as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Over time, leadership and oversight of the school have been poor. Weaknesses in pupils’ achievement and behaviour have not been tackled with sufficient urgency or success. The school’s new leadership team is aware of these significant concerns and is beginning to take action. Some initial, limited improvements have been made across the school. Staff are receiving training aimed at developing the curriculum, learning and behaviour in lessons, but aspects of this work are at a very early stage. Most staff feel well supported by leaders and believe that their workload is managed appropriately. Some pupils appreciate these changes because they are starting to see that the support provided is beginning to help them become more confident learners.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Currently, few pupils study the English Baccalaureate group of qualifications. The school has made changes to encourage a greater uptake of modern foreign languages, and to 28 and 29 January 2025

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ensure pupils and families understand the benefits of attaining a broad range of qualifications.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well understood. ‘The TLC’, the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with autism, supports pupils well. Additionally, across the school, the adaptions that individual pupils with SEND need to maximise their learning are clearly set out for staff. However, pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should because of the weaknesses in the school’s quality of education.

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Reading is a priority across the school. Checking of pupils’ reading stage and progress is systematic in all year groups. Targeted help is provided where needed. Pupils who are not yet fluent readers receive additional intervention, including phonics.

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Over time, too many pupils have not attended school regularly. As a result, many pupils have experienced a fragmented education. The school has recently introduced new structures and processes to support pupils to attend more. These new initiatives are starting to reduce the high levels of persistent absence from school.

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Some pupils do not feel at ease in school because of the boisterous or disrespectful behaviour of others. Derogatory language is too common. Leaders have introduced a range of new initiatives to improve behaviour. For instance, pupils typically appreciate the school’s approach to rewarding them when they behave well. Where the school’s new behaviour processes are used consistently, pupils are able to focus on their learning. However, too many pupils do not behave well enough, meaning learning is regularly disrupted throughout the school day.

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The school’s careers education is precisely targeted to the needs of pupils. It successfully raises aspiration through helping pupils to understand the world of work. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe and healthy. However, the broader education that pupils receive, about fellowship and tolerance, has not resulted in pupils treating each other, and adults, with dignity and respect.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Over time, leadership and oversight of the school has been ineffective. Pupils’ underachievement and disruptive behaviour have not been tackled with sufficient urgency. The school and those responsible for governance should make sure that strong oversight of the school drives rapid improvement. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 Pupils’ achievement, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, remains low. As a result, many pupils do not attain the qualifications that they need to progress to their next stages of education, training or employment. The school should ensure that achievement of all pupils improves, and that all pupils are given access to high-quality education.  Over time, too many pupils have been regularly absent from school. The proportion of pupils who miss a significant amount of their schooling remains high. Consequently, many pupils miss vital learning and do not have the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well. The school should ensure that it continues to review and adapt its current approaches, so that attendance improves rapidly, persistent absence decreases and that in-school truancy is eradicated.  The school does not ensure that the expectations of pupils’ behaviour are consistently

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high. Many pupils are unclear about the expectations of their behaviour or the importance of treating others with respect. In lessons, disruption is frequent and, as a result, some pupils feel anxious or uncomfortable. This negatively affects pupils’ learning. The school should clarify its expectations for pupils, including what happens when these are not met. It should ensure that there are systems in place to support staff and to follow up on sanctions when required.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s executive headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team have taken up their posts since the previous inspection.  The school is part of The Swale Academies Trust.  The school currently uses six registered alternative providers.  The school includes a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism. The provision has seven pupils on roll, from a range of year groups.  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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements 28 and 29 January 2025

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 held meetings with the principal, the SEND coordinator, curriculum leaders and other staff.  The inspectors met with a representative of the chair of trustees, CEO and other members of the governing body and trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography, performing arts and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum documents, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also visited lessons in a range of other curriculum subjects.

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 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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ed Mather, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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