The Rural Enterprise Academy

The Rural Enterprise Academy Rodbaston Drive, Penkridge, Staffordshire ST19 5PH

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inspection report:

At the most recent graded inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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inspection report:

 The school has not ensured that information about safeguarding is kept in an organised and useable way. As a result, interventions are not always timely or effective, and pupils continue to be at risk. The school should make sure that safeguarding records provide effective oversight of actions to ensure pupils receive the support they need at the time they need it to be safe.  The school has not completed appropriate checks, including safeguarding checks, for external placements pupils attend. This means pupils are at potential risk of harm. The school should ensure that placements pupils attend are suitable to meet their needs and that they are safeguarded.  Patterns of pupils’ attendance are not monitored or analysed effectively. Attendance remains low. The school does not always know where pupils are, why they are not in school and if they are safe. The school should analyse attendance data rigorously and

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inspection report:

use it to inform appropriate actions and interventions to support pupils and their families.  Pupils do not benefit from a high-quality education. The curriculum is not sequenced in a coherent way. This means learning is not always linked well to what pupils already know and so they struggle to remember their learning. The school should ensure the curriculum in each subject is sequenced well so that pupils can build on their knowledge over time.  The curriculum is not adapted to meet the needs of pupils. This means that pupils struggle to access the curriculum. The school should ensure learning opportunities are adapted to meet the range of pupils’ needs and take into account their starting points.

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inspection report:

 Reading has not been prioritised for those who struggle to read. The school does not know if the support in place is helping the pupils to improve their reading. The school should ensure it implements effective strategies to support pupils at the early stages of reading so they can catch up quickly. Monitoring Inspection report: The Rural Enterprise Academy, 14 April 2026 2  There is a lack of strategic oversight of what is happening in the school. As a result, insufficient action has been taken to tackle weaknesses at the school. As a result, pupils are not receiving an acceptable standard of education. The school should ensure that effective monitoring of actions taken enables a clear understanding of their impact, and that there is increased accountability.  Pupils who require support to help improve their behaviour are not getting the help they need. Too many pupils receive repeat consequences for poor behaviour. The school

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inspection report:

should ensure the analysis of behaviour data and effective interventions support these pupils to improve their behaviour.  The school does not monitor the destinations of pupils effectively. There are an increasing number of pupils leaving the school who are not in education or employment. The school should use information about pupils’ destinations effectively to ensure they get support to help them secure appropriate next steps.

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inspection report:

Leaders and trustees are taking effective action to improve the school but continued work is needed to remove the special measures designation.

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inspection report:

HMCI is of the opinion that the school may appoint early career teachers.

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inspection report:

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following evaluation areas:  Leadership and governance  Safeguarding  Attendance and Behaviour  Curriculum and teaching

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Leadership and governance

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are focused on the key priorities needed to move the school forward. Leaders have taken decisive action to address issues, particularly in attendance, behaviour and the quality of the curriculum and teaching. Strategies, including a revised teaching and learning framework and increased professional development opportunities, are supporting staff in improving the school. Leaders’ self ‑ evaluation is accurate, and monitoring systems are more robust.

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Leadership and governance

The trust and governors have a shared vision to improve pupils’ life chances. They work collaboratively to support pupils, particularly those facing barriers to learning and wellbeing. Governors and the trust are effective. They understand their statutory duties well and provide appropriate challenge and support to school leaders. Staff wellbeing and workload are considered, and most staff feel part of the school community. Nevertheless, some staff have concerns about the consistency of leadership and support they receive.

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Leadership and governance

Despite these green shoots, the pace of improvement is not rapid enough. Variability remains in classroom practice and in the implementation of agreed approaches across the school. As a result, pupils do not receive consistent support to meet leaders’ high expectations. Outcomes at the end of key stage 4 continue to be below national averages. Monitoring Inspection report: The Rural Enterprise Academy, 14 April 2026 3 Further work is needed for leaders’ vision to be implemented fully and to secure improvement across the school.

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Safeguarding

At the previous monitoring inspection, safeguarding was evaluated as met.

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Safeguarding

The school has made significant improvements and now has effective safeguarding arrangements. Leaders have established a robust safeguarding culture. They have been supported well by the trust and external audits. Systems ensure concerns are identified, recorded and acted upon promptly, with clear lines of accountability. Staff are well trained and understand their responsibilities. They are confident in recognising and reporting concerns, including online risks. Referrals are timely and appropriately documented. There are effective partnerships with external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils report feeling safe. There are appropriate checks made for those pupils educated off site. Safer recruitment procedures are secure. All checks are completed and accurately recorded.

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Attendance and behaviour

Leaders have strengthened attendance systems. Their rigorous monitoring and weekly tracking enable them to identify and address pupils’ barriers to attending school. Leaders have closely aligned attendance with safeguarding and the pastoral team to further improve attendance. Early intervention and targeted support for pupils, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have reduced persistent absence. However, overall attendance remains below national levels. Leaders have a clear understanding that the systems they have introduced have not had sufficient impact on specific groups of pupils. Leaders have identified clear next steps to address remaining barriers to attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour

Leaders have successfully reformed the behaviour systems in the school. Their focus on a restorative approach to behaviour is resulting in improvements in relationships between staff and pupils. Improved behaviour logging and clear behaviour expectations are developing a positive culture across the school. This has led to marked reductions in consequences, including suspensions and isolations. However, staff report that there are incidences of low ‑ level disruption and a small group of pupils who fail to meet leaders’ high expectations. This results in disruptions to learning, although these were not seen during the inspection. More remains to be done to ensure that the school behaviour policy is implemented consistently and that leaders’ high expectations are met across the school.

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders are developing a curriculum designed to meet pupils’ needs and serve their best interests. This work is supported by external verification and the sharing of good practice. The curriculum identifies clearly the essential knowledge pupils need to learn and when they should learn it. Leaders are developing a positive reading culture. Pupils are Monitoring Inspection report: The Rural Enterprise Academy, 14 April 2026 4 encouraged to develop a love of reading. Those pupils at the early stages of reading receive appropriate support.

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Curriculum and teaching

The delivery of the curriculum remains inconsistent. In some lessons, teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge, explain concepts clearly and sequence learning effectively so pupils can build on prior knowledge. This level of practice is not typical across the school. Checks for understanding and questioning in some lessons lack depth. Misconceptions are not always addressed and gaps in pupils’ work are evident. Approaches to checking pupils’ learning have improved but are not fully embedded in all lessons. Teachers have received professional development regarding adaptive teaching, but this is in its early stages.

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Curriculum and teaching

While leaders have a clear vision and appropriate strategies to support curriculum and teaching, there is more to do to secure consistent, high ‑ quality teaching across the school.

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders and trustees should continue to work to address the priorities for improvement identified in the last graded inspection report.

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About this inspection

The inspectors carried out this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005, and it was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded inspection that took place in November 2024.

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About this inspection

The school’s previous inspection and the first monitoring inspection were carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the school’s graded inspection and subsequent monitoring inspection have been cross-referenced to the relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the school inspection toolkit. The purpose was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing priorities for improvement since the school’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

Since the last monitoring inspection, the school has appointed 2 assistant headteachers.

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About this inspection

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the chief executive officer of the trust, trustees and governors to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection.

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Lead inspector

Andrew Washbourne His Majesty’s Inspector

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Team inspector

Ed Leighton Ofsted Inspector Monitoring Inspection report: The Rural Enterprise Academy, 14 April 2026 5

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No Monitoring Inspection report: The Rural Enterprise Academy, 14 April 2026 6 and inspects to 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 looked- after-children, safeguarding and child protection.

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

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