BOA Digital Technologies Academy

Overview

Many pupils enjoy attending the school, valuing project work and employer visits that connect learning to future careers. While behaviour and personal development are rated as ‘Good’, the quality of education and leadership and management ‘Requires improvement’ due to inconsistent curriculum planning and oversight.

Strengths

• Pupils ‘generally behave well’ and are ‘keen to contribute their views and ideas’ in lessons.
• The school has an ‘effective personal, social, health and economic curriculum’ covering topics like consent and tolerance.
• Staff ‘identify accurately the needs of any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)’, ensuring they follow an ‘equally ambitious curriculum’.
• In subjects like mathematics, teachers ‘regularly revisit and check pupils’ learning’ to address errors quickly.
• Pupils benefit from ‘meaningful encounters with industry experts’ and career talks in the digital sector.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure ‘key knowledge in each subject is clearly defined’ so pupils can build understanding and link ideas.
• Assessment strategies need strengthening to ensure ‘gaps in pupils’ knowledge and/or errors and misconceptions are not identified and addressed in a timely way’.
• The trust should strengthen ‘strategic oversight’ so the school is clear about the impact of its work and where improvements are needed.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.