Windsor Olympus Academy

Windsor Olympus Academy

Address: Perrott Street, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 4LX Unique reference number (URN): 149751

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders and staff make attendance a high priority. They skilfully track all absences and intervene quickly when there are early concerns. Leaders are committed to understanding barriers to attendance and seeking solutions to remove them. Leaders provide intensive support for pupils who face any barriers to attendance. This is achieved through working closely with parents and families. As a result, attendance is consistently above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Furthermore, incentives and highly effective pastoral care help pupils understand the importance of attendance.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly school where lessons are free from disruption. This is because staff implement consistent approaches when promoting positive behaviour. Pupils understand leaders' high expectations and follow the school's routines. In lessons and at social times, pupils are kind, courteous and show high levels of respect. When some pupils need reminding of the rules, staff use their positive relationships with pupils to address any issues. Leaders provide tailored support for pupils who may sometimes struggle to manage their emotions. Pupils value this. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with any discrimination and harassment consistently and effectively. As a result, pupils demonstrate the values of tolerance and respect in their daily interactions.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Personal development and wellbeing is a high priority for leaders. They reflect this in a thoughtfully designed curriculum that responds well to the school's context. Where needed, leaders adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs and ensure it is accessible to all. Leaders identify pupils who need additional support with their personal development and provide tailored support to help them succeed. As a result, pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge of personal, social, health, and economic education, including the fundamental British values. Specialist speakers and workshops enhance the curriculum even further so that pupils develop a very secure understanding of healthy relationships and demonstrate impressive confidence when discussing sensitive topics.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a rich range of opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. These include museum visits, outdoor learning and many different sports. Leaders successfully remove barriers to participation so that all pupils can access these experiences. Their strategic work has significantly increased participation in extracurricular activities, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, pupils enjoy experiences they might not otherwise have had and develop their wider interests and talents. Leaders skilfully use pupils' views to shape the activities and events they provide. This ensures that the personal development offer continues to evolve to meet pupils’ interests and needs.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide a highly effective careers programme that prepares them very well for their next steps. Pupils think carefully about their future as they move through the school. They speak positively about the guidance they receive when choosing option subjects. Pupils show a mature understanding of careers and the opportunities available to them. Many talk

p.2

Expected standard

confidently about their ambitions and understand how they can achieve them. This reflects the highly positive impact of the school's personal development programme in preparing pupils well for the next stage of their education.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well across the curriculum. While there is some variability in teaching, leaders ensure that this does not affect pupils' achievement overall. Generally, pupils produce high-quality work which reflects a breadth of learning in a range of subject areas. Nevertheless, the inconsistencies in teaching are not enabling pupils to deepen their knowledge over time. While there are not yet any published national examination outcomes, leaders are tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress through robust assessments.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

As a result of effective support, pupils are making appropriate progress from their starting points. Pupils are typically developing their reading fluency and accuracy in mathematics. Pupils who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities largely also make secure progress and develop essential knowledge and skills.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

As a result, pupils are prepared well for their key stage 4 study and their next steps.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have prioritised inclusion in this school. They work closely with local organisations to provide services and opportunities for those who need them most. Leaders have taken deliberate action to create a community hub in school that supports pupils and their families.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders quickly and accurately identify barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils. They have recently developed the provision and support for these pupils. Staff generally understand and use the information provided on pupils' additional needs to support them more effectively. This has enabled pupils to typically make progress in their learning. The school has also made sure that disadvantaged pupils can take part in the full range of enrichment activities. Pupils enjoy trips to the theatre, outdoor activities and visits to the seaside.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work well with parents and external agencies to ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically receive the help they need. For example, they have introduced additional support for a small number of pupils to improve their handwriting. This is starting to have an impact.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know their most vulnerable pupils well and respond to their needs effectively. As a result, these pupils make secure progress and attend well.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are committed to creating an environment of high aspirations for all their pupils. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths, priorities and the different challenges the school faces. As the school has grown, recruiting staff has been a priority. Leaders have successfully utilised support from the trust. This has helped to reduce any adverse impact on the quality of education for pupils. Leaders have recently strengthened the different levels of leadership but it is too soon to see the full impact of this work. Leaders are determined to ensure that pupils receive an education that enhances their academic and personal outcomes.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees know the school very well. They fulfil their statutory duties and work closely with the school to provide an appropriate balance of effective support and challenge.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at this school. They understand the community they serve and the barriers that some pupils face. They feel supported by leaders and appreciate the strategies they have implemented to manage workload. Staff benefit from a coherent and research-informed programme of professional learning.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are forging positive links with the wider community to benefit the provision that pupils receive. They work closely with parents and other members of the local and national community. Leaders have rightly prioritised establishing a highly inclusive culture and ensuring pupils feel a sense of belonging. They know that they now need to ensure that the ambitious curriculum is consistently implemented so that pupils achieve well in their public examinations at the end of key stage 4.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The implementation of the ambitious and well-planned curriculum is variable. Although the trust has established clear approaches to assessing pupils' learning, teaching is not consistently drawing on this information to respond to pupils' needs. For some pupils, gaps in knowledge are not addressed consistently. While pupils with additional barriers are typically well supported to progress in their learning, those with more complex needs do not consistently benefit from the same effective support. This affects how well they sometimes understand the subject content of what they have been taught.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum has been developed to reflect the local area and school context. It is appropriately designed to build up knowledge over time. Leaders have established routines as part of all classroom teaching to enable pupils to learn without disruption. This helps all pupils to understand the lesson sequence and teachers' expectations. Teachers generally follow the school’s processes for checking pupils have understood important knowledge. However, sometimes teaching is not adapted sufficiently to enable some pupils to access the curriculum. Leaders identify pupils who need further support to develop their foundational knowledge. These pupils receive the help they need through targeted interventions. Support for reading has a positive impact. Leaders have also identified that pupils' writing needs to be more secure in some subjects. This work is at an earlier stage and its impact is not yet fully

p.4

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

Pupils have a strong sense of belonging in this welcoming school. They show high levels of respect and courtesy to staff and their peers. They attend school regularly. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged, those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). From the warm greeting they receive each morning to family lunches, pupils experience a caring school community. Pupils with SEND take a full part in all aspects of school life.

p.5

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

Pupils are well known by staff. They feel safe in school and know who to speak to when they need help. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they explore and discuss issues related to current affairs. Pupils enjoy their learning. They behave well and understand the school's high expectations. Lessons are calm and free from disruption. Bullying is rare. When it does rarely happen, pupils trust that staff will deal with it quickly and effectively.

p.5

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

Pupils study an ambitious and challenging curriculum. Staff identify pupils who face barriers to learning and provide additional support. Where pupils receive this support, they typically make progress from their starting points. At times, teaching does not ensure that some pupils develop the important knowledge they need. Furthermore, some pupils with SEND struggle to access the curriculum as teaching is not adapted effectively to support these pupils.

p.5

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

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. For example, staff help them choose their key stage 4 option subjects. Pupils identify with their 'aspire sentences' and add them to their 'database of dreams'. This helps them think about the goals they want to achieve in the future.

p.5

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

Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and enjoy many visits to places of interest. They value the rewards that recognise their achievements. Pupils appreciate the facilities available to them.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well across all subjects and that any adaptations in teaching take account of the needs of pupils with complex needs. Leaders need to ensure that teaching addresses any gaps in pupils' learning so that they secure the essential knowledge and skills to achieve well.

p.5

Team inspectors:

Philip Lloyd, Ofsted Inspector Paul Halcro, His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 30 June 2026

p.6

Total pupils

Leaders need to ensure that as the school grows, leadership at all levels makes a consistently positive contribution to pupils' outcomes and experiences.

p.6

About this inspection

This school is part of Windsor 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, Dawn Haywood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Middleton.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

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.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, director of education, executive school improvement leads, head of student services, deputy director of education and trustees during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

p.6

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 qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

p.7

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.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

p.8

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.

p.8

What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

p.8

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.

p.8

Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

p.8

national average

2024/25 (3 term) 19.7% 23.4% Close to average

p.9

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

p.9

Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.9

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.

p.9

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.9

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.

p.9

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Urgent improvement

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

p.10