Gilbert Ward Academy

Gilbert Ward Academy

Address: Princess Louise Road, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 2TS Unique reference number (URN): 149842

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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 Expected standard

Leaders identify and assess the special educational needs and/or disabilities of their pupils quickly and accurately. They carefully plan for transition so that pupils are fully supported from the moment they join the school. Leaders have designed clear learning pathways that are carefully tailored to meet pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. Leaders make sure that staff have all of the information they need to be able to help their pupils in lessons and across wider school life. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged. Pupils, and their families, have a voice and are included in decisions about how they will be supported. Leaders use advice from professionals and supporting agencies to identify clear targets, closely linked to pupils’ education, health and care plans so that their progress can be clearly measured.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding to make sure all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those known to or previously known to social care, have everything they need to access their curriculum and participate in wider school life. If pupils need some extra support, then they receive it through targeted interventions. Leaders use alternative provision appropriately to support pupils to achieve their aspirations.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have implemented a thoughtful programme of activities for pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about local risks. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils learn how maintain their physical and mental health. The programme is tailored to meet the needs of all pupils and includes a focus on the development of independent living skills. This helps to prepare pupils for future life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders make sure pupils receive the pastoral support that they need. Pupils feel cared for. They say that staff listen to and look out for them. Some pupils receive targeted interventions to provide them with additional help and support. This helps them to develop their social skills and learn how to resolve conflicts with their peers. Pupils are taught how to show tolerance and respect for others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

All pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from regular community learning visits. They develop their cultural awareness through visits to local museums, heritage sites and landmarks. They learn how to access and engage with their community through regular visits to green spaces, the coast and the local leisure centre.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide opportunities to encourage pupils to develop their talents and interests, particularly in sports. Pupils are encouraged to join the student council. They have a voice on key matters in the school. Pupils enjoy choosing which clubs and activities they would like to access as part of their rewards programme. They participate in cookery, art, football and games clubs.

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Needs attention

Leaders support pupils to prepare for adulthood. They have recently implemented a careers programme, which includes work experience for older pupils. Pupils receive suitable advice and guidance when considering their next steps.

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Achievement Needs attention

The progress that pupils make across the subject curriculum is variable due to inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Some pupils have gaps in their learning that impacts on how highly they can achieve. Leaders are taking action to address this, but this work is in its infancy. It is, therefore, too soon for leaders to understand the impact of this work.

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Achievement Needs attention

Most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make positive progress towards achieving their education, health and care plan outcomes. Leaders carefully consider pupils’ next steps. They support pupils to work towards qualifications that will help them to achieve their aspirations. The majority of pupils develop the knowledge they need in reading, writing and mathematics over time. However, some pupils do not receive the effective support that they need to do this. Consequently, these pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders are aware of the challenges that their pupils face in relation to their behaviour. Most pupils join the school with negative experiences of education. Leaders have implemented a clear approach to managing behaviour, which is consistently applied. Pupils benefit from the structure and routines in place. Some pupils receive targeted support that helps them to learn how to manage their emotions. Leaders have created an environment where pupils feel valued and cared for. Bullying, and any other form of abuse, is not tolerated and is dealt with effectively by leaders. Staff have positive relationships with pupils. While a few pupils remain reluctant to participate, this positive support is helping most pupils to engage in learning, gradually and over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders acknowledge that too many pupils are regularly absent from school. Leaders' work is not improving overall attendance or reducing persistent absence quickly enough. However, they understand the significant barriers to school attendance that some of their pupils face. Leaders closely monitor attendance and provide additional support to pupils, and their families, to reduce these barriers. Leaders work alongside external agencies to make sure pupils have the help they need. This means that, over time, the attendance of individual pupils improves.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school. Leaders have taken steps to address these inconsistencies. However, this work has not been fully embedded. It is, therefore, too early to understand whether it is having the impact that leaders intend over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have created 3 pathway curriculums. The curriculum in each pathway is suitably designed and well ordered. This helps pupils to learn more over time, while supporting them to overcome their barriers. Leaders have considered the strengths in their teaching team when deploying staff in each pathway. However, leaders have not made sure that teachers spend enough time teaching subject content. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers know their pupils well. They tailor their approach to meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, in some lessons, teachers do not check regularly enough that pupils understand what they are being taught. For a minority of pupils, this weakens their knowledge and understanding further over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders recognise that many pupils join the school with significant gaps in the knowledge that they need for reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have begun to address these shortfalls by providing additional support for pupils through targeted intervention. However, it is too soon to determine whether this is having a positive impact for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school is not improving as quickly as it should. Leaders understand their school’s context and know their pupils well. Leaders know where their strengths are, and they have identified accurate areas for improvement. They make decisions in the best interests of their pupils. However, ongoing problems with the school building have delayed leaders' response in addressing issues, such as inconsistencies in teaching and the poor engagement of a minority of pupils. They are now taking action to address these issues, but it is too soon for the impact of these actions to be fully realised.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Local governors and trustees know the school well. They meet their statutory duties. Governors and trustees provide suitable challenge and support to leaders, holding them to account for decisions they make. They, alongside leaders, are conscious of staff's workload and wellbeing and take their views into account.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are proud to work in this school. They value their professional learning opportunities, particularly in relation to safeguarding and behaviour management. However, professional learning is not as closely aligned as it could be to leaders' priorities for improvement. This limits its potential impact on the improvement of the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders engage positively with parents, carers and wider professionals. They know their families well and provide opportunities for them to visit the school. Leaders provide opportunities for parents and carers to find out more about key services in the local area. This helps families to access these services if they need to.

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

Pupils are safe at Gilbert Ward Academy. They are greeted each day by staff who care for their wellbeing. Most pupils behave well. They respond to the clear routines and structures that are in place. Pupils value the positive friendships they have made with their peers. Bullying is dealt with effectively by leaders.

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

Many pupils have had negative experiences of education in the past. When they join this school, they feel that staff understand their special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils receive the help they need to reduce their barriers to learning. However, too many pupils are regularly absent from school.

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

Pupils access tailored curriculum pathways that are designed to meet their needs. They make positive steps towards achieving their education, health and care plan outcomes. However, pupils are not given enough time to learn the content that they need to know across subject areas, which impacts on what they can achieve. A minority of pupils have gaps in their knowledge because teachers do not always check that they understand what they have been taught.

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

All pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from regular engagement in their local community. They learn how to travel independently and access local leisure facilities. Pupils enjoy visits to places, such as the aquarium, zoo and the coast. They choose visits as rewards, such as laser quest and bowling. Pupils learn how to socialise with their peers and resolve conflict.

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

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They sample the world of work in their local area. Pupils are supported to work towards achieving their aspirations. For example, some pupils work towards their site safety certificate ahead of moving on to a construction course.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that their actions lead to a rapid improvement in attendance and quickly reduce persistent absence so that more pupils are engaging in their education. Leaders should ensure that all pupils access regular and consistently high-quality teaching that reduces gaps in pupils' knowledge so that they learn securely over time, across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that all pupils secure the foundational knowledge that they need and achieve well from their starting points, in preparation for their next steps. Leaders should continue to address their priorities for improvement and to monitor the impact of this work, including the impact of staff's professional development, in order to make sustained improvements to the quality of education that pupils receive.

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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 Prosper Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Christopher Richardson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Maher.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, the chief executive officer, trustees and governors during the inspection.

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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 inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

All pupils at the school have an education, health and care plan. The school predominantly caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, autism and/or cognition and learning needs.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of 5 alternative provisions, including 4 that are unregistered.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 80 pupils on roll.

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About this inspection

The school opened in September 2023. Since opening, the school has experienced multiple issues with its premises.

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About this inspection

Barry Reed: Headteacher This data is from 6 May 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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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. 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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