Read Academy Education

Overview

Pupils describe the school as a supportive "family where everybody looks after each other," fostering a culture of mutual respect and high expectations. The report highlights that pupils are "very well prepared for the next stage of their education or the world of work" through a broad curriculum and rich extra-curricular activities. While behaviour and personal development are praised, the report notes that curriculum sequencing in some subjects requires refinement to ensure pupils can effectively build on prior learning.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit "exceptionally well" behaviour, taking responsibility for their conduct within a fair and consistent policy framework.
• Personal development is "exceptionally well planned," with high participation in activities that build character traits and self-esteem.
• Leaders have made reading a priority, ensuring phonics is taught effectively from the start with immediate support for those falling behind.
• Staff assess pupils’ understanding frequently, dealing with misconceptions immediately to help pupils refine their work and progress.
• The curriculum includes Islamic Studies and Arabic alongside core subjects, with "ambitious and well-designed" coverage in early years.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure all subjects are sequenced to allow pupils to build knowledge step-by-step, rather than being driven solely by cross-curricular strands.
• Leaders need to ensure pupils routinely have reading books that "fully align with their phonics knowledge" to consolidate fluency and accuracy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving regular training and secure systems in place to record and respond to concerns.