Southbroom St James Academy

Overview

Southbroom St James Academy has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The report describes a school where pupils are “happy and safe,” benefiting from “warm and nurturing” relationships with staff. Leaders have maintained high expectations for learning and behaviour, ensuring pupils “flourish and experience success.”

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “positive attitudes” and achieve well, particularly in English, mathematics, and science.
• Staff provide “high-quality pastoral support,” including dedicated spaces like the ‘Ark’ and ‘Lighthouse’ to help pupils manage anxiety.
• The curriculum is “ambitious,” with pupils enjoying enrichment activities such as music, arts, and sports that develop their talents.
• Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities receive accurate support, allowing them to “learn the same curriculum as their classmates.”
• Staff are “skilled in teaching reading,” helping pupils increase fluency and develop a “love of books.”

Areas to improve

• In some subjects within the wider curriculum, the specific knowledge required is “not precise enough,” preventing pupils from gaining the same depth of understanding as in other areas.
• Safeguarding records sometimes “lack sufficient detail,” which could lead to vital information being missed; the trust must ensure records clearly demonstrate actions taken.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with staff responding promptly to concerns, although the report notes that some records lack the necessary detail to consistently demonstrate the actions taken.