Jewellery Quarter Academy

Inspection of Jewellery Quarter Academy St George’s Court, 1 Albion Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B1 3AA

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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

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The headteacher in this school is Jamie Henshaw. This school is part of the CORE 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 (CEO), Jo Tyler, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tom Gibbins. 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

For some pupils, Jewellery Quarter Academy has not been a place where they thrive. Pupils recognise the recent improvements in the school’s work to celebrate positive behaviour. Some also said that there is an improving environment in which to learn. However, staff do not take a consistent approach when implementing the school’s behaviour policy. Some pupils’ behaviour can still be disruptive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are polite to staff and visitors. Pupils said that they feel safe. They know who to talk to about any concerns that they may have. However, some pupils are not certain that staff will address their concerns effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations of pupils’ academic success are not high enough. Weaknesses in the design and delivery of the curriculum mean that many pupils do not achieve well. They are ill-prepared for the next steps in their education, employment or training.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can recall some of what they learn in their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme, such as consent and county lines. The school offers many enrichment activities, including mentoring, chess, ukulele and the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme. Pupils really appreciate these wider opportunities.

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

The school has experienced considerable changes to staffing, including to senior leadership roles, since the last inspection. This instability has, in part, contributed to the weaknesses at the school. New leaders have begun to take the necessary steps to address these shortcomings, especially in relation to pupils’ behaviour. However, the school, including the trust, has not stemmed the decline in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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

Recently, some work has taken place to improve the curriculum. The school has considered the order in which topics are studied and identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to develop. Even so, many aspects of the curriculum design and delivery are at the earliest stages of development. The improvements have not made a sufficient difference to pupils’ learning. Pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, do not progress well enough through the curriculum.

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

Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding effectively. This means that gaps in pupils’ learning remain. Pupils continue to make the same errors. Some do not record information accurately. Many pupils do not have a solid foundation on which to build new learning.

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

The school is in the early stages of accurately identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and then putting the right strategies in place to help 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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these pupils succeed. Many teachers do not use the current information outlined in pupils’ learning plans to make the necessary adjustments so that pupils with SEND can learn.

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The school identifies pupils who are weaker readers accurately. However, there is variation in the support that these pupils receive. Important information about pupils’ reading knowledge is not shared clearly with staff. This prevents these pupils from becoming fluent and confident readers.

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In some lessons, pupils’ learning behaviours are not positive enough. Some pupils become easily distracted. At times, pupils do not pay enough attention to their teachers’ instructions. This interrupts their own learning and that of others.

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The school recently introduced new practices to support pupils’ attendance. These new procedures are showing improvements in attendance rates. However, although improving, there are some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who do not attend school regularly enough.

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The current PSHE curriculum is carefully organised. Pupils can talk about what they know about keeping safe outside school. However, because the curriculum is still new, pupils have gaps in their earlier learning. This limits their readiness for life in modern Britain.

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It has been a particularly challenging time for the school. However, there is now a growing sense of optimism. Staff are encouraged by the actions of the new leadership team. Many appreciate the school’s actions to carefully consider their workload while introducing considerable change.

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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 curriculum, in many subjects, is at the early stages of design and delivery. This work has not made a difference to pupils’ achievement. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils. The school must ensure that the revised curriculum is implemented effectively so that pupils learn all that they should in readiness for their next steps.  Teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to identify the gaps that many pupils have in their previous learning. There are not enough checks to ensure that pupils write and record with accuracy. The school must ensure that sufficient checks are made so that gaps in pupils’ learning, including in writing, are identified and addressed to enable pupils to progress well through the curriculum. 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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 The school has not ensured that staff understand pupils’ learning needs well enough. It has not made sure that staff have the expertise that they need to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to help pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, to access learning. As a result, these pupils do not achieve well. Some are unable to read at a level appropriate to their age. The school should ensure that pupils’ needs are identified accurately, and that staff are well equipped to support these pupils to read fluently, access an ambitious curriculum and learn all that they should.  The school’s behaviour systems are in the early stages of implementation and are not fully established. As a result, there is an inconsistent approach from staff when establishing high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. At times, this leads to some pupils not behaving as they should. This disrupts the learning of others. The school should

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ensure that all staff implement the behaviour policy effectively, so that any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with consistently well.

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Website www.corejewelleryquarter.academy

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is one of four secondary schools in the CORE Education Trust. The CORE Education Trust central leadership team includes a Group CEO and a CEO.  The headteacher joined the school on 4 September 2024.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions for a very small number of pupils.  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 inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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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 be reasonably 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 inspection started on 26 November 2024. Inspectors returned on 14 January 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, French, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and talked with some pupils about their learning. The inspectors also considered the design and delivery of the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation. This included information about

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pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about school life.  Inspectors met with the Group CEO and trustee, and CEO, of the CORE Education Trust. They also met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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 The inspection was carried out following a number of complaints made to Ofsted that raised serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour and leadership and management. His Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised in the complaints. 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 January 2025

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Halcro His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024 and 14 and 15 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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