Phoenix Academy

Overview

Phoenix Academy is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, rated as ‘Good’ overall. The report highlights that staff foster positive relationships, helping pupils feel safe and supported despite their “difficult and inconsistent experiences of education.” While pupils enjoy coming to school and behaviour is generally improving, the inspection identifies specific inconsistencies in curriculum sequencing and assessment practices that require attention.

Strengths

• Staff use detailed knowledge of pupils’ individual needs to create personalised plans, ensuring pupils receive appropriate support to learn.
• The teaching of phonics and early reading is effective, with pupils engaging in positive routines and demonstrating excitement about reading resources.
• A strong pastoral culture underpins the school, with values such as “acceptance, belonging, regulation, respect and pride” helping pupils manage emotions and find solutions.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff alert to risks and working closely with external agencies to keep pupils safe.
• Pupils benefit from a rounded education enriched by trips and activities, such as visits to local castles, which prepare them for life beyond school.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must refine the curriculum in subjects like geography to ensure content is “carefully sequenced” so pupils can link previous learning to new concepts.
• Assessment practices need improvement to focus on small steps of mastery rather than just endpoints, ensuring teachers know what pupils have understood.
• Leaders should continue to embed the new behaviour policy to establish a consistent culture of high expectations, as some pupils find it difficult to adapt.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting a positive culture where staff are well-trained, alert to risks, and report concerns promptly.