Bloxwich Academy

Bloxwich Academy

Address: Leamore Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 7NR Unique reference number (URN): 137274

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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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Early years Strong standard

Leaders ensure that children have a highly positive start to their time at the school. Even before children join, leaders know them well because of an effective transition programme. Staff establish effective partnerships with parents and carers. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Staff understand children’s starting points and implement effective support.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that clearly builds children’s knowledge over time. For example, the writing curriculum builds the physical coordination needed before moving on to mark making and writing. As a result, children build the important knowledge they need for success. Staff make the most of every moment to interact skilfully with children. This develops children’s language and vocabulary quickly. Reading is a priority. Staff implement the phonics programme well. In addition, staff have the expertise to teach mathematics effectively. The school deploy additional staffing in the early years. This allows for regular coaching and collaboration so that the curriculum and teaching precisely meet children’s needs. This ensures that children make rapid gains during their time in the early years. They become independent, confident and resilient. As a result, they are very well prepared for key stage 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have prioritised the creation of an inclusive culture to ensure that pupils are supported to thrive. In the secondary phase, leaders identified that sharper practice was needed around inclusion to ensure that this phase could sustain rapid improvement. They have taken an effective, systematic approach to this. This includes a range of support led by well-trained staff, supporting pupils to engage with school according to their level of need. With the local authority, leaders have recently established a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which provides effective support for pupils.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Across the primary and secondary phases, pupils have their needs accurately assessed, including pupils with SEND. Appropriate support is put into place and reviewed regularly. Extensive reviews of the school's provision are made and appropriate changes are made as necessary. Leaders' engagement with external partners, including the local authority, has strengthened the school's provision for pupils who face barriers to their wellbeing and learning. Appropriate use of alternative provision is secured where necessary. Leaders ensure that additional funding is used appropriately and that the strategies adopted are based on appropriate evidence. Although there are inconsistencies in the use of this support within the secondary phase, typically, the school's provision helps to reduce barriers to learning for pupils effectively.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have in place an appropriate programme of personal development. They adapt the programme to the changing needs of pupils. Pupils learn to stay safe and live healthily. For example, the curriculum enables pupils to develop knowledge of age-appropriate healthy relationships. In the primary phase, pupils understand healthy eating. They are reflective, respectful and tolerant. They cooperate well with one another. This is increasingly the case in the secondary phase. Across the school, pupils develop an understanding of different cultures and beliefs, and of fundamental British values. Pupils in both the primary and secondary phases can demonstrate appropriate recall of the key learning they have taken from this. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils appreciate the trips and leadership roles which leaders provide for them. In the primary and secondary phases, there is an increasing uptake of clubs and activities, including by disadvantaged pupils. This includes a wide range of clubs, including sports clubs and a popular cadet corps. Leaders take account of pupils' views when deciding which opportunities to provide.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

In both the primary and secondary phases, pupils benefit from a well-considered programme that develops their understanding of future careers as well as opportunities for further study. Pupils speak highly of a careers fair they attend, as well as apprenticeship events. Pupils, including those with barriers to their learning or wellbeing, are supported to secure ambitious future destinations when they leave the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Support for pupils' social and emotional development is a real strength of the school. For example, a mood-tracker in the primary phase enables pupils to signal to adults if they need additional support. There is also an extensive provision in the secondary phase for pupils who may benefit from this. This helps pupils to engage positively with school, their learning and wider development.

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Achievement Needs attention

Although there were some improvements last year, over time pupils in the secondary phase have not attained well or made the progress they should from their starting points. Following significant upheaval in this phase, leaders have worked effectively to begin to improve this. Pupils are now starting to learn the curriculum better. That said, there remain significant gaps in some pupils' understanding, including key knowledge in English and mathematics. Despite this, the careers programme in the secondary phase has helped pupils to prepare for their next steps. They have been able to access education, employment or training.

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Achievement Needs attention

In the primary phase, by contrast, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve very well. Phonics attainment is high. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain at least as well as their peers nationally. Pupils are well placed to rapidly achieve age-appropriate fluency in their reading. In subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils also secure the key knowledge that they need.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Over time, pupils have not attended the school as regularly as they should. Attendance in the primary phase is close to national average, and much higher than in the secondary phase, where attendance is too low. Recent actions taken by leaders to improve pupils' attendance have started to have some impact. Improvements in attendance in the primary phase have ensured that overall attendance has been in line with national averages for the past 2 years. There is now a strategic and coordinated approach to addressing the causes of poor attendance. That said, in the secondary phase pupils' attendance remains well below national levels, and is especially low for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have taken effective action to establish high expectations with respect to pupil conduct across the school. This means that the school is typically calm, orderly and respectful. Pupils are generally compliant in lessons, however, some older pupils struggle to go beyond basic expectations in the work they complete. Staff understand agreed polices and feel supported in applying these, including with regards to harassment or discrimination. There has been a significant reduction in the number of suspensions, which were very high. There are typically very few suspensions in the primary phase. Across the secondary phase, staff know the pupils and understand the individualised support which some need. These pupils speak highly of the support they have. In the primary phase, pupils behave very well, showing self-discipline and resilience in their learning. They learn to celebrate difference and behave with empathy towards each other. Leaders' high expectations for pupil behaviour are

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

clearly and consistently embedded in this phase.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum in each subject identifies the key knowledge pupils should learn in a logical order. Where teaching is effective, pupils learn the curriculum as intended. However, there remain significant inconsistencies in teaching in the secondary phase. This is because pupils' starting points are not always taken into account, when designing learning activities. As a result, some pupils, particularly those with gaps in their learning, struggle because the work is not always matched well to their needs. Similarly, teachers' checks that pupils have secured the key learning that they need are too imprecise. Gaps in pupils' learning persist. In addition, adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities within this phase are sometimes imprecise. This limits how well these pupils learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In the primary phase, pupils benefit from high-quality teaching of an ambitious curriculum, delivered by well trained staff. Adaptations to learning tasks for pupils with SEND help them to learn the curriculum well. Leaders make deliberate choices about what, when and how to teach. For example, in science, short investigations are interwoven with the building of knowledge so that pupils secure the knowledge they need for future learning. Teachers generally identify and address pupils' misconceptions well. Phonics learning is highly effective, which enables pupils to rapidly build the reading fluency that they need. Leaders have put in place provision to support pupils in the secondary phase who need help to build key knowledge in English and mathematics. This provision is having a positive impact in some areas. For example, pupils are beginning to read with increased fluency. However, there remains further work to do to ensure this foundational knowledge is secure

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

in mathematics. Although staff generally have the skills to provide support, inconsistencies in teaching mean gaps are not closing rapidly.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The secondary phase of the school has experienced a period of considerable instability, which has impacted standards extensively. There remain significant aspects which need further work, and time to embed this work, to raise standards consistently. This is particularly around improving pupil achievement, attendance, and ensuring pupils benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

With extensive support from the trust, new leaders have a secure understanding of where improvements are needed and have put into place plans to secure improvements. Some aspects of these plans have already made a positive impact for pupils. For example, ensuring that the secondary phase consistently meets pupils' needs, and improvements in pupils' behaviour. The primary phase has benefited from consistent leadership and a steady improvement in standards. This is thanks to leaders' secure understanding of this phase and taking the right steps to secure consistently high-quality provision.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Trustees have a secure understanding of the school as a whole. They ensure that their statutory duties, such as safeguarding, are met. The trust has been instrumental in effectively supporting the secondary phase, tackling the right priorities in the right order, and supporting leaders to evaluate the impact of these strategies. Trustees are accurate in their evaluation of the provision. They are rightly proud of the many strengths in the primary phase.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff across the school are highly positive about leaders' engagement and consideration of their workload and wellbeing. They appreciate the structured programme of support they have for their professional learning, including for the significant number of early career teachers. Staff in the secondary phase speak very positively about the improvements which have been made.

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

Pupils are at the heart of the decisions which are made at Bloxwich Academy. In the primary phase, pupils benefit from high-quality provision. They feel happy, safe and enjoy their learning, achieving well. Pupils behave well and have highly positive relationships with adults. The early years setting is a real strength of the school. Here, children get off to a flying start thanks to the consistent, highly effective provision.

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

In the secondary phase, pupils are now benefiting from increasing consistency after a period of turbulence. Pupils typically behave well as there is now clarity around expectations and support in place for those who need it. Should bullying occur, it is dealt with swiftly and appropriately. Pupils have noticed the improvements in this part of the school and report that they are now much happier. However, they still experience some inconsistencies, including in how the curriculum is taught. Due to historic upheaval in the secondary phase, pupils have not achieved as well as they should have in the past. There are some signs of improvement, but further work is to be done to ensure that pupils consistently secure the key learning and qualifications that they need. Leaders are ambitious for the secondary phase and all its pupils. Appropriate plans are in place to continue to develop this provision, but

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

Leaders have placed the needs of pupils, who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, at the heart of the school's provision in both the primary and secondary phases. Well-trained adults support pupils. However, pupils need to attend school more regularly, especially in the secondary phase. Leaders continue to work with parents and carers to reduce barriers to attendance for pupils,

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

Across the school, pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities beyond the academic, including leadership positions, trips and clubs. Pupils take advantage of these opportunities across the school, including an increasing number in the secondary phase.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to identify and close legacy gaps in the knowledge of pupils in the secondary phase, including some foundational knowledge, so that pupils benefit more from improvements to the curriculum and teaching and achieve all that they should. Leaders should ensure that they embed attendance strategies to support pupils to attend more regularly, especially for pupils in the secondary phase and particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders should ensure that staff in the secondary phases take into account pupils’ starting points, when designing learning tasks, and consistently check pupils’ understanding of the key knowledge that they need to learn, so that this information can be used to adapt future learning tasks. Leaders, including trustees, should continue to check the progress and impact of agreed strategies to improve the secondary provision so that recent improvements are sustained

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About this inspection

This school is part of Matrix 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, Lynsey Draycott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sir Mark Aspinall.

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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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Team inspectors:

Martin Spoor, Ofsted Inspector Peter Bassett, Ofsted Inspector Ian Beardmore, Ofsted Inspector Darren Bishop, Ofsted Inspector Matthew Seex, His Majesty's Inspector Sultanat Yunus, Ofsted Inspector

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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. Inspectors spoke with the headteachers of both phases of the school during the inspection, as well as trustees, senior leaders, trust employees, staff and pupils.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Inspectors reviewed documentation about the school as well as plans for improvement.

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Facts and figures used on 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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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The school includes a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs. This is for up to 40 pupils with 6 pupils currently in the provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The school uses 5 registered alternative provisions.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The school runs a nursery provision for 38 children.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The school no longer has students on roll in its sixth form. This part of the provision will close in September 2026.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The headteacher in the secondary phase took up his post in 2024. A number of other senior leaders in the secondary phase started in their roles at this time.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Headteachers (secondary and primary phases): James Till and Sue Shepherd This data is from 10 February 2026

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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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2023/24 (final) 63% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 63% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 80% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 74% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 76% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 78% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 80% 73% Close to average

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 42.2 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 56% 46% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 56% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 69% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 70% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 69% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 64% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (revised) 18.0% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 24.7% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.61 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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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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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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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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