Lansdown Park Academy

Lansdown Park Academy

Address: Stockwood Lane, Stockwood, Bristol, Avon, BS14 8SJ Unique reference number (URN): 150226

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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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Achievement Exceptional

For many pupils, this is the first time they have successfully engaged with education. The school sets no limits to what pupils can achieve. Although pupils arrive at school with very low starting points, they progress very rapidly. Leaders and teachers pinpoint pupils’ starting points precisely. Pupils secure foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders track pupils' progress and achievement systematically across all aspects of learning. Consequently, leaders and staff maintain an ongoing understanding of pupils’ knowledge and any gaps in learning. They act on this information rapidly, to celebrate success and to ensure that any misconceptions are addressed. Pupils’ high-quality work reflects their commitment to learning. For example, high standards of writing and mathematics are typical across classes. Pupils articulate their understanding with fluency and pride. Pupils make remarkable progress from their starting points. This includes pupils

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Achievement Exceptional

with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This, in turn, motivates them to learn more. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for next stage of learning. Many pupils successfully return to mainstream or special schools. Those who complete their studies at the school move successfully on to appropriate education and training.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Leaders place a firm priority on attendance. Many pupils join with previously low levels of attendance. The school provides carefully designed support to develop positive attendance habits. Leaders maintain clear strategic oversight. They regularly analyse attendance to identify and address any trends. Staff build highly effective relationships with pupils and their families. These underpin the school’s work to ensure that pupils feel a strong sense of belonging. Where barriers to attendance persist, leaders work closely with families and external agencies. This supports pupils to feel safe and ready to attend. Consequently, pupils make rapid and sustained improvements in their attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and effectively. As a result, pupils behave very well. They understand leaders’ expectations. Pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning. Leaders and staff place an emphasis on supporting pupils to manage their behaviour and emotions. Consequently, pupils become skilled in communicating their feelings with confidence. Transitions throughout the day are exceptionally well managed. This thoughtful approach helps to minimise pupils’ anxiety. Therefore, they are ready to learn in lessons and able to enjoy social times with their peers. Bullying is extremely rare and addressed swiftly and effectively. Overall, the school's highly positive culture of attendance and behaviour has a transformational impact on pupils and their families.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Staff's belief in all pupils' potential transforms pupils' feeling of self-worth. The school takes a highly tailored approach to remove barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly and precisely. Staff ensure that all pupils access the full curriculum and the wider opportunities the school has to offer. This attention to detail is consistent throughout the whole school. Staff have the deep

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Strong standard

knowledge to identify pupils' needs early and accurately. Leaders use robust checks to ensure that highly effective support strategies are put in place. Pupils' targets are precisely matched to their needs so that they continue to flourish from their starting points. Leaders monitor the progress of pupils very systematically, making adjustments to strategies where necessary.

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Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the school's strategy to support disadvantaged pupils is highly effective. It is designed to enhance their experiences. The strategy is informed by research. It supports pupils' academic progress as well as aiding emotional, social and communication development. Consequently, pupils develop a sense of aspiration, enabling them to flourish. Leaders' work is far reaching and extends throughout the locality. The school provides specialist expertise to other schools. In addition, leaders have developed highly effective relationships with external professionals. Consequently, leaders' work further enhances pupils' outcomes and experiences.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders at all levels know the school exceptionally well. Their strategic oversight is excellent. Leaders have rightly identified and prioritised actions that have a transformational impact on pupils. Leaders’ work is underpinned by a strong moral imperative to improve pupils' life chances. They ensure that every pupil has the best opportunity to succeed. Leaders are highly effective in securing improvements year after year. This is evident in pupils’ impressive improvements in attendance, behaviour and achievement. The school’s inclusive offer is far-reaching and benefits pupils across the local area. For example, leaders support other school leaders to develop inclusive practice.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive. They recognise the tangible difference leaders have made to pupils' lives. They value leaders’ inclusive ethos and recognise their role as partners in their children’s education.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

Leaders ensure that all staff benefit from top-quality professional learning. This helps staff to perform highly. Staff appreciate meaningful opportunities to contribute beyond the school. This includes supporting other schools to meet the needs of pupils at risk of permanent exclusion. Staff are fully supportive of leaders’ vision. They speak highly of the attention leaders give to staff's wellbeing and workload.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

The trust meets its statutory duties. Together with the local academy council, it provides support and challenge to leaders. The oversight from the trust brings a meticulous level of scrutiny to the school’s work and performance. As a result, the trust is highly effective in working with leaders to prioritise the actions that have the greatest positive impact on pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is broad, ambitious and sequenced thoughtfully. Leaders have clearly identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. There is a sharp focus on ensuring that all pupils secure this knowledge. Leaders ensure that there are regular, effective checks on what pupils know and can do. Pupils receive swift and purposeful support to address gaps in knowledge from disrupted previous schooling. Consequently, pupils are supported to catch up rapidly. Leaders know that many pupils join the school with barriers in their communication skills. They rightly ensure that staff support pupils to deepen their vocabulary knowledge and spoken language skills. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to revisit, revise and practise their learning. This helps pupils remember and build on their previous learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have prioritised reading. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read benefit from a well-taught phonics curriculum. This helps them develop fluency and confidence. High- quality texts are woven into learning, supporting pupils to engage with a broad range of authors and genres. Leaders have an astute understanding of the quality of teaching in the school. They use this to make informed decisions about highly effective staff training. Staff are experts in their field and share their expertise with schools within and beyond the trust.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have an incisive understanding of pupils’ needs. They have meticulously constructed a personal development and wellbeing offer that has a lasting impact on pupils' self-esteem, interpersonal skills and safety. Opportunities to develop these are carefully planned and embedded across the curriculum. Leaders take effective steps to remove barriers to participation in all enrichment activities. They ensure that all pupils fully benefit from wider opportunities. Pastoral support is a strength. Leaders’ work is highly effective in helping to reduce barriers to pupils' social and emotional development. The impact of this work is evident in improvements to pupils’ wellbeing, attendance and confidence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Everyone who joins the school is welcomed warmly and made to feel part of the school community. Pupils are supported to thrive. This support helps pupils to overcome personal challenges and engage positively with school life. Leaders ensure pupils develop an understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils make meaningful links between democracy, class discussions and restorative conversations. They express their opinions respectfully, listen to others and understand that everyone has the right to be heard. Pupils benefit from regular visits from local police officers, fire crews, and health services. As a result, pupils gain the knowledge to make safer choices in everyday life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from outdoor learning. They develop increasing independence and learn to manage risks appropriately. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and are alert to the risks of contact from strangers. They understand what makes a healthy relationship and know what to do if something makes them feel uncomfortable. Pupils are supported to make informed choices about their futures. They learn about the wide range of career opportunities available to them. Pupils benefit from carefully planned encounters with a range of employers. They are well equipped with the personal and social skills needed to succeed well in the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils are genuinely valued at Lansdown Park Academy. All arrive with historical negative experiences of education. Most have social, emotional and mental health needs. Leaders ensure pupils' voices are heard. Carefully tailored transition arrangements mean that pupils settle quickly. Pupils feel a deep sense of belonging in this highly inclusive school. Staff waste no time in building positive, trusting and nurturing relationships with pupils. Pupils trust staff deeply and know that they will help them to deal with any issues they have. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy in school.

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

Pupils attend very well and want to be in school. Staff identify and address the needs of pupils who require additional help to manage their behaviour. Pupils learn how to manage their emotions and challenging situations very effectively. Consequently, pupils behave extremely well. The atmosphere in school is calm and respectful. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils enjoy learning. They benefit from a very carefully considered, broad and enriching curriculum. Teaching equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. Staff identify and address barriers to pupils' learning. Consequently, pupils make rapid and lasting progress. They achieve very well from their starting points and have the skills they need to sustain their progress in the future.

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

Pupils have plentiful opportunities to take part in enrichment activities. They are encouraged to explore and develop their hobbies and talents. Leaders ensure these are carefully curated to reflect pupils’ interests. Opportunities to participate in dry skiing and parkour open pupils’ eyes to new possibilities beyond the classroom. Staff hold exceptionally high ambitions for all pupils. Pupils rise to meet these ambitions due to the personalised support they receive. Pupils build confidence, independence, resilience and collaboration during their time at the school. Pupils flourish academically and emotionally. They are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to ensure that teachers provide pupils with plentiful opportunities to develop oracy and apply their knowledge of vocabulary.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Cabot Learning Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Sir Steve Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Professor Yvonne Beach.

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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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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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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. Inspectors spoke with the principal and other members of the leadership team, as well as the CEO, the trust director of performance a representative of the chair of trustees, other trustees and representatives from 2 local authorities. They also spoke with the chair of the academy council, members of staff, parents and carers and pupils.

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What does this mean?

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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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

Lansdown Park is a pupil referral unit and early intervention base, supporting pupils who primarily have social, emotional and mental health needs.

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What does this mean?

The school has a current capacity of 32 pupils on one site.

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What does this mean?

The school currently makes use of one alternative provision.

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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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