E-ACT Shenley Academy

Inspection of E-ACT Shenley Academy Shenley Lane, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands B29 4HE

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

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The executive headteacher of this school is Kerry Solway-Blower. This school is part of the E-ACT multi-academy 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), Tom Campbell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lord James Philip Knight. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Shenley Academy. The school’s high-quality pastoral support means that pupils have many members of staff who they trust. They are confident to share any concerns about bullying or worries about their mental health. Adults in school help and support pupils to resolve any issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Shenley Academy has its raised expectations for pupils’ conduct in lessons and around the school. Pupils learn the values of ‘Respect, Resilience and Responsibility’. They appreciate staff upholding the school behaviour policy, as this reduces disruption within lessons. On occasion, expectations for pupils’ engagement and quality of work are not high enough. This means some pupils do not produce work to the standard they are capable of or achieve as highly as they should in their qualifications.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the recent widening of the extra-curricular opportunities available. Clubs, including craft, music and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, help to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils are proud to represent their school in sporting competitions such as netball tournaments. Pupils look forward to the upcoming end of year reward trips. Leadership roles, for example as well-being ambassadors, enable pupils to contribute to the life of the school.

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

The school, with the support of the trust, has designed a broad curriculum. It has identified ways in which teachers can successfully implement this curriculum in each of the subjects. However, the delivery of the curriculum is not consistently effective across different subject areas. This means that in some subjects, pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they should.

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

Checks made on what pupils know and can do are not identifying pupils’ prior knowledge effectively. The school does not therefore adapt the curriculum effectively to help address any gaps in knowledge or misunderstandings. Pupils without this secure knowledge of the curriculum do not learn the subsequent content successfully.

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

The school has raised the profile of the importance of reading. It identifies pupils who need additional support to improve their reading skills and confidence. The school has increased the support provided to these pupils. However, some of the strategies in place to help these pupils are recent. Therefore, they have not had the desired impact in supporting pupils to become confident, fluent readers.

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

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are provided with the additional support they require. However, when new knowledge is not explained clearly and precisely in lessons, pupils with SEND are particularly disadvantaged. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Improving attendance remains a school and trust priority. The school identifies any barriers to pupils attending well. It supports pupils and their families in a range of ways to overcome these barriers. This is helping to reduce absence.

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The school’s personal development programme prepares pupils well for adult life. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. The school is proactive in teaching pupils about any dangers they face within the local area. Recent work to highlight the risks of knife crime is helping to keep pupils safe. Pupils learn about the world of work, including apprenticeships, through workshops and guest speakers. Visits to higher education establishments and colleges help pupils to make informed choices about their future education, employment or training.

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The school has been through a significant period of leadership change. New leaders have accurately highlighted the priority areas for improvement. In some areas of the school’s work the changes made are beginning to have a positive impact. Those responsible for governance are aware of the ongoing work needed to improve the quality of education at the school. The school and trust recognise that this has had implications for the workload and well-being of staff. Staff value engagement from new leaders to discuss and address this. Staff are committed to supporting future improvement.

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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 using the teaching strategies identified by leaders to be effective. This means that pupils do not learn and remember as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise needed to implement the curriculum consistently and effectively across all subjects.  Assessment within the classroom does not help staff accurately identify pupils’ starting points or gaps in their knowledge and understanding. When these are not addressed and corrected, pupils lack the foundational knowledge needed to learn more challenging content. Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should make sure that assessment routines check for understanding and that the curriculum is adapted accordingly in response.  At times, the school does not have high enough expectations of pupils’ engagement with their learning. Incidents of low engagement are not challenged and therefore

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils do not complete work to the standard they should. The school should ensure that high expectations for pupils’ engagement and the quality of their work are consistently upheld. 17 and 18 June 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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Headteacher Kerry Solway-Blower (Executive Headteacher) Website shenleyacademy.e-act.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 July 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the E-ACT multi-academy trust.  The school has undergone significant changes in leadership since the last inspection. The current executive headteacher took up post in November 2024.  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.  The school uses six registered alternative provisions.

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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 17 and 18 June 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with school leaders at all levels. Inspectors also spoke with teaching staff, support staff, trust executive leaders and the chair of trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited additional lessons and tutor periods to consider the effectiveness of the wider curriculum.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at

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lunchtime and breaktimes.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, including representatives from the pupil leadership group.  Inspectors viewed a range of school documents, including the minutes of trustee meetings, the school’s self-evaluation documents and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the view 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 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Sara Berry, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Pritchard His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 June 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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