Cowley Academy

Inspection of Cowley Academy School Lane, Donington, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 4TF

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The head of school is Kath Kilby. There is also a headteacher, Lucy Conley, who is responsible for the school. The school is part of South Lincolnshire 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), Lucy Conley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Will Hawkins. 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the significant improvements that have occurred since the school opened in 2022. They value the care given by school and trust staff. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging to the school and the academy trust. The school lives daily its core key values of, ‘aspire, challenge and achieve’. Pupils are proud of their school. They feel safe. They know who to turn to if they have worries or concerns. Pupils recognise the strength of the pastoral care and the support that is readily available.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of pupils and their learning. Pupils work diligently and learn well. They take pride in their work and successes. Pupils cherish their ‘aspire awards’. They conduct themselves well in lessons and during breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain from many personal development opportunities. They learn about healthy lifestyles, including physical and mental health. Pupils are taught the importance of diversity, equality and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers recognise the improvements in the school. Typical comments from parents include, ‘I have nothing but praise for Cowley. My child loves coming to school and is absolutely thriving.’

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

Leaders have improved the school significantly since it opened. They lead with a strong moral purpose. Leaders put pupils at the forefront of everything the school does. Governors have focused on the right priorities. They support and appropriately challenge leaders. There is a relentless focus on continuous improvement.

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

The school’s curriculum prepares pupils well for their next stages. The curriculum is ambitious and aspirational for all pupils. Pupils in key stage 4 have opportunities to study appropriate academic and vocational qualifications. The proportion of pupils who access the English Baccalaureate is increasing each year. The school has developed ambitious subject curriculums that identify the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and when. Pupils revisit and build learning over time. For example, in history they deepen their understanding of concepts, including continuity and change, and chronology.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They check pupils’ learning thoroughly. Staff use assessment information to identify misunderstandings and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They give guidance about what pupils need to improve. Pupils appreciate this and respond well. The school’s published outcomes for 2024 are not reflective of the curriculum that current pupils are learning. Pupils are enabled to know and remember more over time. Pupils learn well.

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

There have been many changes over the past two years to strengthen the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers use key information to adapt their teaching. They enable pupils with SEND to access the same learning as their peers. On occasions, the information used to support pupils with SEND 20 and 21 May 2025

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lacks precision. When this is the case, some of these pupils do not achieve as highly as they could

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The school promotes pupils’ love of reading. Pupils who are at an early stage of reading are supported to become confident and fluent readers. Staff are trained to provide specific support, for example to deliver age-appropriate phonics.

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The school sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These high expectations are consistently met. Many parents, pupils and staff recognise a significant improvement in pupils’ behaviour in recent years. Pupils’ conduct is positive. There is a strong culture of respect.

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The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ personal development. The personal, social, health and economic education offer is carefully structured. Relationships and sex education is age appropriate. The school promotes pupils’ moral and social development well. However, the range of experiences and opportunities to enhance pupils’ interests and talents are rather limited. The school’s careers, advice and guidance provision is particularly strong. Pupils are prepared well for their next steps.

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Staff are very proud to be part of this school. The school is considerate of staff well-being and workload. Staff appreciate training opportunities. They embrace and value the changes that have led to significant improvements in recent years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not fully embedded its approach to identify and provide for all pupils with SEND. As a result, some of these pupils do not develop their knowledge, understanding and skills as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that its provision for pupils with SEND enables these pupils to achieve highly.  Opportunities to develop pupils’ interests and talents are not as wide ranging as needed. As a result, pupils’ interests and talents are not nurtured as well as they could be. The school needs to ensure that pupils’ interests and talents are nurtured and developed.

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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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of South Lincolnshire Academies Trust.  Cowley Academy became an academy in September 2022. When its predecessor school, The Thomas Cowley High School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be inadequate for overall effectiveness.  The school uses 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 and educational 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 20 and 21 May 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and trust officers. The lead inspector met with the chairs of the board of trustees and of the local advisory board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors considered the curriculum and visited lessons in a range of other subjects including, physical education, art and design, information technology, business studies

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and food technology.  To review 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 considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They reviewed responses to Ofsted’s surveys of school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Thompson Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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