Northfield Academy

Overview

The report states that Northfield Academy has made “insufficient progress” since the original inspection, with “a few small improvements” noted but “a number of areas still require urgent attention.” Consequently, Education Scotland will liaise with Aberdeen City Council regarding the school’s capacity to improve and will conduct a progress visit within three months.

Strengths

• Staff, young people, and parents collaborated on new school values (“Nurture, Flourish, Achieve”), which are now displayed across the school.
• The new S1 crew area provides a “safe experience” with “friendly and supportive” relationships that have helped S1 pupils settle.
• Pupil behaviour in corridors and social areas is “calmer at times,” and staff have begun working together to improve learning and teaching.
• Faculty leaders are described as “keen to help to move the school forward.”

Areas to improve

• The headteacher must provide greater strategic direction, agree a clear improvement plan with stakeholders, and improve communication with parents.
• Urgent action is required to ensure young people feel safe, reduce bullying, and address high rates of pupils leaving class without permission.
• The school must urgently improve attainment, monitor attendance and timekeeping, and support young people to achieve positive destinations after school.

Safeguarding

The report highlights that a “significant minority of young people say they do not feel safe,” with ongoing concerns about bullying and too many pupils missing from class, stating that “the safety of young people must be ensured at all times.”