Quay Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Quay Academy Oxford Street, Bridlington YO16 4LB

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Outcome

Quay Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Caroline Broadhead. This school is part of The David Ross 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), Stuart Burns, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tracey Maloney.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this warm and welcoming school. The school has high ambitions for pupils’ achievement. These are realised. Caring relationships underpin all aspects of school life. Pupils benefit from well-considered and personalised pastoral support. This helps them to feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Pupils behave well. They understand what is expected of them and meet these expectations. As a result, the school is a calm place where pupils flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is committed to pupils’ wider development and ensures pupils access a range of experiences. Pupils engage in activities linked to careers, enterprise and charitable giving. This helps them develop ambition and social responsibility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are given regular opportunities to explore and understand the world around them. Through assemblies, class discussions and weekly votes, they reflect on global issues, citizenship and responsibility. These experiences help pupils develop a strong sense of social awareness and moral purpose.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises well-being. Activities such as meditation and mindfulness sessions help pupils manage their emotions and build resilience. The school provides a varied programme of extra-curricular clubs. This includes clubs such as yoga and cooking, which ensure pupils get the opportunity to explore their talents and interests. 20 and 21 May 2025

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

Leaders have embedded a well-sequenced phonics programme that supports pupils’ development. Staff have strong subject knowledge underpinned by well-considered opportunities for training and coaching. Pupils quickly learn to blend sounds and apply their phonics knowledge to read simple words. The school closely checks phonics teaching’s impact and acts quickly to address any gaps in pupils’ learning. The school ensures the books pupils read closely match the sounds they know. This supports pupils in developing their confidence and reading fluency. A culture of reading is evident throughout the school. Pupils enjoy books and talk about them with enthusiasm.

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum. Teachers use strong subject knowledge and effective teaching strategies to introduce new learning successfully. For example, in mathematics, staff skilfully guide pupils to use practical resources before moving on to efficient written methods. Teachers check how well pupils understand the curriculum so they can identify and address misconceptions swiftly. As a result, the work pupils produce shows clear understanding. However, in some subjects, the activities pupils complete do not help them learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. This affects how well some pupils build their knowledge in these subjects.

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

Adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well considered. This ensures they access the full curriculum. Staff know pupils’ needs well and provide timely, targeted support. As a result, pupils with SEND engage positively and achieve well.

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

Pupils behave with maturity in lessons and around the school. This creates a calm and purposeful learning environment. Routines are securely established. Pupils respond respectfully to staff and each other. Interactions between staff and pupils are intrinsically celebratory and nurturing. This supports pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.

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

Children get off to a confident and successful start in the early years. The setting buzzes with purposeful activity, underpinned by warm and caring relationships between staff and children. Staff know children well and use this knowledge to shape meaningful, engaging experiences. These experiences spark curiosity, support collaboration and build on children’s existing skills. As a result, children are successful across the curriculum.

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

Pupils learn about how to stay physically and mentally healthy. They understand emotional well-being, stress, anxiety and ways to support themselves if they experience difficulties. Pupils learn about online safety. They understand how to protect their personal information and what to do if they have any concerns.

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

Leaders set a clear and ambitious vision for delivering high-quality education to all pupils. They foster a culture where staff are empowered to develop and where their well-being is a priority. Leaders are dedicated to continuous improvement and provide strong support to staff. Their integrity and determination position the school well for sustainable progress. The trust provides well-considered support to the school. The trust promotes collaboration and the sharing of effective practice. This partnership creates valuable opportunities for ongoing development. The school works with pupils and families to 20 and 21 May 2025

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address barriers to attendance. As a result, attendance is positive.

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Governors are highly dedicated. They offer both support and rigorous challenge to leaders. This helps drive sustained progress. It maintains clear accountability throughout the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, some of the activities that pupils complete do not help them to learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. This affects how well some pupils know and remember key curriculum content. Where this is the case, the school should ensure that the activities which pupils complete help them to learn the intended curriculum well.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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 20 and 21 May 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.  The school is part of The David Ross Education Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the principal and members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with a representative of the trust and representatives of the governing body. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector 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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