City of London Academy (Southwark)

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils “consistently achieve highly across the curriculum” and benefit from an “extremely ambitious curriculum.” Leaders maintain a “tight focus” on attendance and behaviour, creating a calm environment where students show “high levels of respect” and take pride in their work.

Strengths

• Pupils, including disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs, “achieve very well” in examinations and make strong progress.
• Teaching is of “high quality,” with staff using deep subject knowledge to ensure pupils build “detailed knowledge” and close learning gaps.
• The school’s mission to be “inclusive by design” is “firmly embedded,” with effective support for vulnerable pupils and those with education, health and care plans.
• Attendance has “steadily improved” due to positive relationships with families and swift identification of pupils needing support.
• Sixth-form students receive excellent guidance for university or apprenticeships and benefit from an ambitious curriculum and enrichment opportunities.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure the implementation of relationships and sex education has the “intended impact” so pupils develop a “more detailed understanding” of the content.
• Leaders should work to embed the revised approach for phonics teaching for new pupils who require support to build “reading fluency.”
• Leaders should ensure “exceptionally high standards across all subjects and phases.”

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns are actively identified and managed.