Charlton Park Academy

Overview

Charlton Park Academy continues to be a good school, providing a "safe and welcoming" environment where the welfare of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is central. Leaders are successfully moving the school forward by adapting practices to meet changing pupil needs, though some curriculum improvements require deeper embedding in daily teaching.

Strengths

• The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is "especially strong," giving pupils valuable opportunities to develop life skills and understand the world outside school.
• The provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) is "highly effective," with staff tailoring activities to meet complex needs through "stimulating and fun" activities.
• Staff build strong relationships with pupils, resulting in "positive attitudes and behaviour" and high enjoyment of school, confirmed by parents.
• Governors are "highly committed," bringing considerable experience to support leaders and hold them to account effectively.
• A wide range of activities, including gardening, bee-keeping, and work experience, helps pupils transition to the next stage of their lives.

Areas to improve

• Leaders need to ensure that actions to develop the curriculum, including staff training, are "embedded securely in practice," as current work is not yet fully rooted in teachers’ everyday practice.
• Some staff lack detailed knowledge about new curriculum approaches, which can occasionally limit pupils’ learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with detailed systems understood by staff and strong links with local agencies to support pupils’ safety and welfare.