Diamond Wood Community Academy

Overview

Diamond Wood Community Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The school provides a calm and consistent environment where pupils are safe, eager to learn, and proud of their achievements. Staff foster strong relationships rooted in respect and care, ensuring high expectations are consistently realised through an ambitious curriculum.

Strengths

• Staff create an environment where pupils are "resilient learners who persevere when what they are learning becomes more difficult."
• The school "quickly and accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)" and provides skilful support.
• There is a "sharp focus on developing pupils’ communication and language skills," ensuring pupils quickly become fluent readers through early phonics teaching.
• The school has secured "consistent improvement in pupils’ attendance over time," with attendance seen as everybody’s responsibility.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the school, and staff feel "involved and valued," with their workload and well-being considered.

Areas to improve

• In some curriculum areas, pupils needing reading help are asked to write words beyond their phonics knowledge, which "can hinder their achievement."
• Some systems for analysing attendance do not give a clear view of which pupils need "more immediate support," meaning actions are not as focused as they could be.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.