Discovery Academy

Overview

Discovery Academy is described as a “nurturing and welcoming school” where pupils are happy and show kindness to one another. The inspection found that staff have “high expectations for pupils’ achievement” and work effectively to remove barriers, helping pupils to “re-engage positively with education.” The school provides a “broad, rich and ambitious curriculum” tailored to pupils with special educational needs, fostering strong relationships and resilience.

Strengths

• Pupils develop “genuine friendships” and have a “clear understanding of what it means to work well in lessons.”
• Staff carefully assess individual needs, ensuring “correct provision is in place to meet their learning, sensory, social and emotional needs.”
• Reading is “central to pupils’ experience,” with staff expertise helping those who find it difficult to “catch up” and become “confident, fluent readers.”
• Behaviour is managed well, allowing pupils to “concentrate on their work,” and attendance improves over time.
• Leaders are “highly reflective in driving improvements” and governors provide “effective challenge and support.”

Areas to improve

• Teachers sometimes fail to select activities that match the “ambitious nature of the planned curriculum,” meaning pupils do not consistently build knowledge as intended.
• Support for pupils’ writing, including early skills like pencil grip, has not been “designed sufficiently well,” resulting in slow improvement in transcription skills.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”