Mo Mowlam Academy

Mo Mowlam Academy

Address: Corporation Road, Redcar, TS10 1PA Unique reference number (URN): 146953

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders quickly and accurately assess and identify the needs of individual pupils. They know pupils well. Leaders carefully monitor and respond quickly to the changing needs of pupils and skilfully adapt their approaches to meet these needs. Pupils benefit from a wide range of interventions, including play therapy, emotional literacy and sleep workshops. Leaders listen to pupils and make sure they have everything they need to succeed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils are well supported to access the curriculum through their lessons. The environment is carefully adapted to meet their individual needs. Staff are highly trained to make suitable adjustments to keep pupils engaged in their learning. Leaders are creative in designing bespoke support packages to reduce pupils' barriers to learning. Alternative provision is used effectively to provide additional opportunities for the most vulnerable pupils and raise their aspirations.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils who are known to children’s social care, including children in care, are very well looked after. Leaders work closely with multi-agency partners, including social care services and the virtual school, to meet the individual needs of pupils. Pupil premium funding enhances the academic and social support that pupils receive so that they can progress with their learning and prepare for their next steps.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points. They gain appropriate knowledge and skills, which is reflected in the quality of their work. Pupils are proud of their books, which are well presented.

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Achievement Expected standard

Younger pupils learn to read through the systematic synthetic phonics programme. Older pupils become confident readers. They have plentiful opportunities to develop their extended writing skills. Some pupils use carefully chosen resources to help them to develop their fine motor skills, and this supports them to improve their handwriting. Pupils participate in a range of activities to develop their verbal communication skills, such as ‘no pens’ day and presenting their artwork in a gallery format.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They generally achieve suitable, accredited qualifications to enable them to move on to further education and training. A small minority of pupils could achieve higher qualifications if the curriculum was more ambitious.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders understand the areas of strength and the areas they are working to improve in the curriculum. The curriculum is well sequenced so that pupils build on their knowledge in stages. They access a rich and varied curriculum that typically prepares them well for their next steps. However, for a small minority of older pupils, the curriculum is not as ambitious as it could be and sometimes caps the progress that pupils make.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The primary curriculum enables pupils to successfully develop their foundational knowledge. Careful consideration is given to the development of reading, writing and communication skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders make sure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum well. They understand the needs of pupils and how they learn. Staff support pupils to make progress towards the outcomes in their education, health and care plans.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Lessons have clear structure, and learning activities are adapted to meet pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils benefit from short and varied tasks that build on their knowledge. Staff skilfully use task lists to break down learning into chunks and allow for movement breaks in between. This approach keeps pupils engaged in their lessons and able to progress well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They know that there is more work to do to ensure that the work of the school has a greater impact on the experiences of all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate high expectations. Pupils respect these and respond well. Leaders consistently engage with multi-agency partners and act in the best interests of all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive and inclusive staff culture. Staff value the support they receive from leaders. They feel that leaders take account of their workload and care about their wellbeing. The professional learning calendar is evidence informed and focused on the school's key priorities. Leaders promote opportunities for wider professional learning, and staff appreciate these.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The trust supports the work of the school. Trust leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s priority areas for improvement. Trustees and governors know the school well and provide leaders with suitable challenge and support. They understand the school’s context and fulfil their statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are welcomed on site and have opportunities to learn about the progress their child is making. Leaders provide sessions for parents and carers to raise awareness of key issues, such as county lines and the impact of trauma on the childhood brain. This helps parents and carers to support their children at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have demonstrated their commitment to supporting local mainstream schools to improve their provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a thoughtful, well-sequenced personal development programme that builds on the knowledge of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, over time. Pupils explore local issues to prepare them for life in modern Britain. They understand why they should show respect for others and know right from wrong. Pupils can reflect upon their own experiences and consider these when forming their own beliefs and values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils demonstrate an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and consent. They are explicitly taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils are encouraged to share any concerns in ‘worry boxes’ and through discussions on ‘talking Tuesday’.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures through their global studies curriculum, which includes religious education. Younger pupils learn about key religious festivals and build their depth of knowledge over time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a diverse enrichment programme. They enjoy taking part in clubs such as music, horse riding, swimming and ‘tea and biscuits’. Some pupils take responsibility for maintaining the school’s allotment. Pupils learn from the range of educational visits to places such as museums, the local beach and an aquarium. Younger pupils benefit from structured activities to encourage them to be active in their well-equipped outdoor space.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn how to actively participate in their local community and take part in charitable work, such as litter picking and the Christmas present appeal. Older pupils can build on their community understanding and skills through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have invested in their careers programme, which runs throughout the school. Pupils have plentiful opportunities to explore the world of work and make informed decisions about their next steps. They engage in visits to local providers and meet with employers through the annual careers fair. Older pupils access taster sessions in different industries. As a result, many pupils move on to sustained education and/or training programmes.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders know pupils and understand their circumstances well. They know that some pupils face significant barriers to school attendance. Leaders provide bespoke packages of support that are tailored to the individual needs of pupils. Leaders work closely with the local authority and wider multi-agency partners to support pupils to improve their attendance. As a result, attendance is gradually improving over time. However, too many pupils are persistently absent from school. For some of these pupils, this support is not improving their attendance. There is more work to be done to make sure that all pupils attend school regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils typically behave well because they receive suitable support. They learn to manage their own emotions effectively. Leaders have created a calm and orderly learning environment. Positive behaviour is celebrated, and pupils receive recognition for their efforts through golden tickets and kindness tokens. Most pupils show tolerance and respect to their peers and interact positively with each other during break and lunchtime. A small minority of pupils occasionally use derogatory language. However, leaders maintain high expectations, and there are clear consequences in place that are applied appropriately. Bullying is not tolerated and is dealt with effectively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy learning at Mo Mowlam Academy. They access a well-designed curriculum that is skilfully adapted to meet their needs. Teachers know their pupils well. Pupils receive high- quality pastoral support to make sure that they can fully engage with their learning. This typically supports pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, to achieve well from their starting points. For a small minority of pupils, the curriculum should be more ambitious to support them to achieve at a higher level.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Mo Mowlam Academy is an inclusive school. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. They benefit from being part of a community and are included in all aspects of school life. Pupils have positive relationships with staff, built on mutual respect. They are supported to develop friendships with their peers and are kind to each other. Pupils engage in a wide range of enrichment opportunities to develop their talents and interests, such as baking club, sewing club, board games and street dance.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are safe at Mo Mowlam Academy. Most pupils behave well. Bullying is not tolerated, and adults deal with it effectively. Pupils know how to report worries and concerns. However, too many pupils are persistently or severely absent from school, and leaders have more work to do to make sure all pupils attend school regularly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn how to be respectful and tolerant of others. Pupils learn about democracy and law and understand that actions have consequences. Pupils are active members of their local community and some take part in charitable work and volunteering, such as taking care of their local beach.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is suitably aspirational for all pupils to support them to develop the detailed knowledge and skills that they need to realise ambitious next steps. • Leaders should review and refine their approaches to providing bespoke support to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and further reduce persistent absence.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Horizons Specialist 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), Rebecca Whelan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Walker.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the principal, executive principal, vice-principals, assistant vice- principal, CEO, human resources manager and trust safeguarding lead during the inspection. They also spoke to the wider staff team and to pupils.

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About this inspection

All pupils that attend the school have an education, health and care plan. Pupils' primary need is social, emotional and mental health.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The school makes use of 5 alternative provisions, including 5 that are unregistered.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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