Ernesford Grange Community Academy

Overview

Ernesford Grange Community Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The school fosters a positive community where pupils demonstrate core values of “respect, determination and kindness” and generally behave well. Leaders have an accurate evaluation of provision, and staff are committed to sustaining improvements.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy learning with a “sense of purpose in lessons” and talk with pride about their work.
• The curriculum has been improved to ensure pupils can “embark on more complex work with success,” leading to increased recall of learning.
• A strong culture of reading is established, with early identification and support for pupils needing help with fluency.
• Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is clear, with teachers effectively adapting learning to ensure these pupils achieve well.
• There is an “impressive variety of clubs and activities” supporting personal development, including ambitious opportunities for sixth-form students.

Areas to improve

• Attendance remains too low for some vulnerable pupils; the school should embed its strategic approach to improve attendance, working closely with parents and external agencies.
• A minority of vulnerable pupils struggle to meet high behaviour expectations, leading to suspensions; the school should ensure ongoing support to reduce this number.
• Assessment is not always used precisely enough to identify when pupils are secure in their learning, preventing them from progressing to more complex tasks.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.