King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy

Overview: King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy is a good school where leaders have high aspirations for every pupil. Pupils are happy and safe, and they value the support staff give them. The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum, and leaders have developed a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their reading and personal development.

Strengths:

• Leaders have developed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, including in the sixth form.
• The school has a purposeful atmosphere, and pupils say they can focus on their learning well.
• Leaders have introduced a range of enrichment activities, including sports, animal care, and cookery, which many pupils attend regularly.
• The school has a comprehensive careers programme in place for all pupils.
• Leaders are proud of the broad range of enrichment activities on offer, including coding, drama, and philosophy.

Areas to improve:

• Some teachers do not consistently check what pupils understand and remember, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Some teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to broaden their learning, leading to pupils missing opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the subject.
• Some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND do not behave well enough during lessons, and too many are moved to other classes when this happens, which can disrupt the learning of others.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding leaders are highly experienced and well qualified, and staff record their concerns promptly and act on them quickly.