The Parker E-ACT Academy

The Parker E-ACT Academy Ashby Road, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 0QE

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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, including the trust, has not taken effective action, or acted quickly enough to address the school’s weaknesses. As a result, several aspects of the school’s work have declined. The school should ensure swift action is taken to address the priority issues that have been identified. This includes ensuring that staff have the right knowledge, expertise and ongoing support to bring about the required improvements.  Pupils’ absence is too high. Too many pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are regularly absent from school, which means they miss out on learning. Additionally, some pupils truant from lessons and miss out on learning. The school should ensure that it has effective systems in place to deal with internal truancy and high absence rates.  Staff do not consistently check pupils’ understanding well. As a result, they are unaware of and do not address gaps in learning or misconceptions. This means pupils do not

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inspection report:

learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding so that misconceptions and gaps in learning can be addressed.  Staff do not have high-enough expectations of the work pupils produce. Too many pupils do not complete work or only give limited responses. As a result, pupils do not deepen their understanding sufficiently well. The school should ensure that staff have high expectations of what pupils can do and learn.  In too many subjects, staff do not make appropriate adaptations for pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. This means that these pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff adapt their teaching so pupils with SEND can access the curriculum and achieve well.

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continued work is needed to remove the requires serious weaknesses

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following evaluation areas: Monitoring Inspection report: The Parker E-ACT Academy, 21 April 2026 2  Leadership and governance  Inclusion  Curriculum and teaching  Attendance and behaviour  Personal development and well-being  Post-16 provision

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Leadership and governance

After the previous inspection, the multi-academy trust acted decisively to appoint a new headteacher and strengthen the senior leadership team. These leaders, with expert support from the trust, have quickly and accurately identified their priorities and begun to make necessary improvements to the school’s provision. This work is underpinned by high- quality professional learning and support for staff to make sure that they have the expertise to support sustainable improvement. Leaders’ actions have had a positive impact on the culture at the school. This is recognised by staff, pupils, parents and carers.

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Leadership and governance

The school has significantly strengthened the way that it identifies the barriers to learning faced by pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable. Leaders have designed, and begun to implement, whole-school routines to raise expectations and improve the quality of teaching. There are new structures and policies in place to support improved behaviour, reduce truancy and increase attendance. Leaders have redesigned the curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) to make sure that pupils are well prepared for their lives in modern Britain. They have enhanced the careers programme in the sixth form to provide opportunities for students to learn about the world of work.

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Leadership and governance

The actions that leaders have taken to date have been appropriate and impactful. There are robust quality assurance systems in place. However, more time is needed for these strategies to bring about the significant improvements that leaders intend.

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Safeguarding

At the previous graded inspection, safeguarding was evaluated as being effective.

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Inclusion

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They have improved systems for identifying the barriers to learning faced by pupils with SEND, as well as those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable. Leaders have collaborated effectively with external agencies to plan support for these pupils through whole-school and personalised strategies. This has been accompanied by expert-led professional learning for staff to make sure that they have the knowledge and expertise to help pupils overcome any barriers. The planning and implementation of support for pupils with SEND has improved, particularly in the ‘Parker plus’ specialist provision. However, in some cases this support lacks precision. This means that some pupils with SEND do not receive the help that they need to achieve as well as they could. Monitoring Inspection report: The Parker E-ACT Academy, 21 April 2026 3

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders have taken deliberate steps to improve staff’s delivery of the curriculum. They have designed whole-school approaches to make sure that pupils benefit from high-quality teaching across subjects. Leaders have prioritised making sure that teachers model new concepts clearly and check pupils’ learning accurately. This is so that staff can address any gaps and correct any misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge quickly. Leaders work collaboratively with staff to make sure that strategies are well understood. This has begun to have an impact. In some subjects, such as modern foreign languages and history, teaching is consistently effective. However, this is not yet the case across the school.

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders recognise that there is more work to do to improve teaching. They have an accurate view of where further improvements are needed and detailed plans to ensure that teaching continues to improve. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and are committed to developing their expertise.

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Achievement

Pupils’ achievement in national examinations at key stages 4 and 5 remains below the national averages. The achievement of disadvantaged pupils has improved more sharply to be at a similar level to disadvantaged pupils nationally in most subjects. Across the curriculum, the variability in teaching is reflected in the progress that pupils make. When teaching is effective, pupils learn securely and produce work of high quality. However, this is not yet consistent. Too many pupils do not gain the knowledge and qualifications they need for their next stages in education, training or employment.

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Achievement

The school has prioritised reading to make sure that all pupils improve their reading fluency to be able to access the curriculum. This has been impactful for a significant number of pupils. However, more work is needed to ensure that pupils who have not developed secure knowledge in English and mathematics are supported to strengthen basic skills.

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Attendance and behaviour

Leaders have prioritised attendance. Staff work collaboratively to make sure that all pupils understand the importance of attending school regularly. Leaders monitor attendance carefully. They work closely with pupils and their families to identify and reduce any barriers to regular attendance. However, pupils’ absence rates are still too high. Too many pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

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Attendance and behaviour

Staff apply systems for managing pupils’ behaviour more consistently than they did previously. Leaders support staff effectively to manage behaviour. As a result, the number of incidents of poor behaviour and truancy has reduced significantly. Most pupils are polite and respectful. They attend lessons on time and show positive attitudes to learning. However, the behaviour of a significant minority of pupils continues to disrupt school life, particularly when moving around the school and at social times. On occasions, these pupils are disrespectful to staff and to their peers. There are still too many incidents of lateness and truancy. Leaders have improved wellbeing support to make sure that staff help all pupils to meet expectations and to avoid repeated poor behaviour. This is having a positive Monitoring Inspection report: The Parker E-ACT Academy, 21 April 2026 4 impact. Pupils and staff told inspectors that behaviour is much better than it was

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Personal development and well-being

Leaders are committed to providing a personal development programme that raises pupils’ aspirations and prepares them well for their lives in modern Britain. They have completely redesigned the curriculum for PSHE to make sure that pupils gain the knowledge they need to be healthy, safe and active citizens. This is complemented by an improved enrichment programme that includes trips, clubs and opportunities for pupils to take up leadership roles in the school. While pupils welcome these changes, leaders recognise that there is more work to do to improve the delivery of PSHE so that pupils’ learning is secure and all pupils benefit from the school’s offer.

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Post-16 provision

Students in the sixth form typically benefit from a challenging curriculum and effective teaching. They readily engage in discussions and demonstrate depth of knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary. Students are well supported academically. They work hard and produce high-quality work. However, this is not yet reflected in pupils’ attainment in national examinations, which remains below other students nationally.

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Post-16 provision

Leaders have strengthened the careers programme for sixth-form students. All students benefit from detailed information and personalised advice about future opportunities in education, training and employment. Leaders provide further opportunities for students to learn about the world of work through work experience and lectures from guest speakers. Staff support students well with applications for university places and apprenticeships. Many students go on to ambitious destinations.

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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 first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to have serious weaknesses following the graded inspection that took place in January 2025.

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About this inspection

The school’s previous inspection was 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 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 previous inspection, the school has appointed a new headteacher and 3 deputy headteachers. Monitoring Inspection report: The Parker E-ACT Academy, 21 April 2026 5 During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and other school leaders, the chief executive officer (CEO) and other trust leaders, including the chair of the trust, to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection.

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About this school

Type of specialist provision SEN unit Monitoring Inspection report: The Parker E-ACT Academy, 21 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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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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

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