Athena School

Overview

Athena School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The school continues to provide high-quality education and care for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with staff demonstrating a clear commitment to helping pupils achieve their potential. Most pupils feel happy, cared for, and proud of their achievements, while parents report that their children have thrived since starting at the school.

Strengths

• Staff employ a nurturing approach and carefully thought-out strategies to help pupils manage their emotions and understand themselves.
• Pupils access the national curriculum through ‘REAL’ projects that connect learning to important life skills, supported by a well-structured curriculum in English and mathematics.
• Teachers use wide subject knowledge and skilled questioning to check understanding and build on previous learning, allowing pupils to deepen their knowledge.
• Reading is prioritised for all pupils, with staff providing effective interventions that help many become more confident readers.
• Pupils receive strong support for personal development, including learning about fundamental British values, online safety, and a robust careers programme.

Areas to improve

• In some lessons and interventions, activities do not always match stated learning outcomes, causing pupils to spend time on tasks that do not develop the important knowledge they need.
• The school does not use collected data on behaviour and absence effectively enough to identify patterns or trends, limiting the information available to governors for accountability.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.