Ellenborough Academy

Overview

Ellenborough Academy continues to be a good school, where pupils arrive happy and feel safe due to warm staff interactions. The institution maintains high expectations for learning and behaviour, resulting in a calm atmosphere where most pupils achieve well from their starting points.

Strengths

• The curriculum is designed effectively to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Teachers possess strong subject knowledge and receive suitable training, enabling them to deliver the curriculum well and address knowledge gaps quickly.
• Early reading is prioritised with effective phonics programmes; most pupils become fluent readers, and those who struggle receive necessary support.
• Pupils behave well, understand school rules, and enjoy celebrating achievements, such as earning points and receiving certificates.
• Governors provide suitable challenge and support, while staff value the additional help, training, and consideration for workload provided by the trust.

Areas to improve

• The curriculum does not identify in sufficient detail how pupils’ communication and language knowledge will develop over time, hindering some pupils’ vocabulary development and learning in other subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.