Co-op Academy Leeds

Overview

Inspectors found that leaders’ work to improve behaviour means pupils feel safe, with a strong sense of pride in the school’s rapid recent improvements. The school provides a high-quality, broad curriculum where all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are valued and supported to progress.

Strengths

• Leaders have clearly mapped ‘powerful knowledge’ and sequenced the curriculum so it builds on previous learning, ensuring relevance to pupils’ backgrounds.
• Teachers use effective models like ‘I do, we do, you do’ and start lessons with recall tasks, which builds pupils’ confidence and helps identify knowledge gaps.
• Reading is a high priority, with expert phonics support and multilingual staff aiding communication for pupils learning to read in English.
• The school fosters a calm, respectful atmosphere where bullying is not a problem, supported by thriving extra-curricular clubs and inclusive policies.
• Governors and trustees receive clear information and focus on supporting disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and those speaking English as an additional language.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure a consistent approach so pupils can demonstrate age-appropriate, subject-specific knowledge, as some currently lack opportunities to show how important knowledge connects.
• Leaders should develop strategies to enable pupils to manage their own behaviour and emotions, as some are not yet able to demonstrate high levels of self-regulation.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with meticulous record-keeping, swift actions, and successful work to raise awareness of harmful sexual behaviour.