Quest Academy

Overview

Quest Academy provides an ambitious and coherent curriculum that effectively prepares pupils with complex needs for life beyond school. The inspection highlights a strong focus on personal development, with pupils feeling safe, supported, and confident in their future prospects.

Strengths

• The curriculum is described as "ambitious for all pupils," combining academic subjects with personal development and life preparation.
• Personal development is rated Outstanding, with pupils benefiting from extensive opportunities such as the ‘ACE’ curriculum and ‘Questival’.
• Pupils are "very well supported to help develop their self-confidence and self-belief," resulting in tangible personal and academic benefits.
• Staff model high expectations for behaviour, and pupils are well supported to manage their own conduct through a motivating reward system.
• Leaders use funding effectively to support personalised learning, including specialist equipment and support for sensory needs.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must implement a "consistent or coherent phonics programme" and ensure books are matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge to improve early reading progress.
• The assessment system in many academic subjects needs strengthening to focus precisely on what has been taught, rather than high-level outcomes, so staff can identify what pupils need to learn next.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff being "vigilant and well placed to identify when pupils may need help to keep safe" and leaders following up concerns tenaciously.