Shirebrook Academy

Inspection of Shirebrook Academy Common Lane, Shirebrook, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 8QF

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

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The principal of this school is Lindsey Burgin. This school is part of Aston Community 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), Rebecca Scutt, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Barton. There is also an executive principal, Rebecca Hibberd, who is responsible for this school and two others within the trust. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has continued to raise its expectations for pupils’ achievement. Staff promote ‘a community of inspiration, excellence and opportunities for all to grow’. The school is ambitious for all pupils. The rapid improvements made by the school over the last few years have continued at pace. Pupils benefit from a broad, well-organised curriculum that meets their needs and interests. Many pupils now say that they enjoy their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Most pupils have responded by following the school’s rules and routines and behaving well. As a result, lessons are generally calm and productive. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils are known well by staff. They feel safe and are generally happy at school. Pupils know who to speak to if they do have concerns and they are confident that they will be listened to. On the rare occasions when bullying happens staff, deal with it swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to take part in additional activities to enhance their learning further. An interesting range of educational visits adds to the taught curriculum. Opportunities such as trips abroad build pupils’ cultural capital and develop their understanding of the world.

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

The school’s curriculum has been further revised to provide a strong education for pupils. What pupils need to know and when is carefully set out. In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge and skills well. This prepares them well for future learning. However, in some subjects the curriculum is not implemented consistently. What pupils need to know and remember is not always prioritised. In these lessons, pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge they need.

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

Teachers check pupils’ understanding effectively. They address any misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge promptly. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They share best practice from across the school and the trust. Many teachers provide pupils with a consistent approach, such as routinely using activities to recall previous learning. This helps pupils remember what they have learned.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. There have been significant improvements in the way the school meets the needs of pupils with SEND through timely and expert interventions. However, some pupils with SEND do not receive the precise support that they need to help them to learn the same curriculum as their peers. This means that sometimes pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Reading is prioritised here. Pupils who need more help with their reading receive carefully crafted additional support. Pupils now read with increasing fluency and confidence. Regular training for staff enables them to use a range of ‘ERIC’ reading strategies to support pupils to access and understand a range of texts from across the curriculum. 29 and 30 April 2025

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The school’s published outcomes do not align with the high-quality education that current pupils receive. High ambition for pupils has been at the centre of positive changes in the school. The school is committed to increasing the number of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate and pupils’ achievement in these subjects.

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Many staff and pupils agree that behaviour at the school has improved significantly. The school has carefully analysed the reasons for pupils’ absence and provides well-considered support for attendance. As a result, pupils’ attendance is increasing.

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The personal development programme has been designed to provide pupils with the knowledge they need for life in modern Britian. However, the quality of the delivery of the programme is variable. As a result, pupils’ understanding of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is patchy. The school provides opportunities that enable pupils to develop leadership skills as being an ‘academy ambassador’. The careers provision prepares pupils well for their next steps.

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Staff feel well supported. They appreciate the effort made to reduce their workload and improve their well-being. The actions of school and trust leaders to continually improve the school are highly effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not implemented consistently well. What pupils need to know and remember is not always clear or prioritised in lessons. As a result, pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge they need. The school should ensure that teachers consistently provide learning opportunities to help pupils secure the key knowledge they need to succeed as well as they can.  Teachers have not been fully equipped to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are considered when planning and delivering lessons. The school’s pedagogical approaches, such as ‘quality first teaching’, are not fully embedded. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not secure the important knowledge they need to make strong progress though the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff are supported to adapt learning when needed so that all pupils can achieve well.  The SMSC aspects of the personal development curriculum are not taught consistently

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

well across the school. As a result, pupils do not have a secure understanding of religions and cultures in order to fully appreciate and respect difference in the world. The school should ensure that the personal development programme is delivered consistently so that pupils secure the important knowledge they need for life in modern Britain. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 April 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Aston Community Education Trust.  The school uses four unregistered alternative provisions and one registered 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.

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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 (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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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.  Inspectors met with two executive principals, the principal and other senior and curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the vice-chair of the board of trustees and a group of governors, including the two co-chairs.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography, history, science and physical education. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 took note of the responses received on Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Brooks Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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