St Anne's Church of England Academy

Overview

St Anne’s Church of England Academy is described as a school that has “considerably raised the level of ambition and the quality of the curriculum” following previous improvements. The report highlights a “warm and welcoming environment” where teachers have “high ambitions” for pupil success, resulting in most students now “achieving well” across a range of subjects.

Strengths

• The school has created a “warm and welcoming environment” where teachers “get to know pupils well” and instil “clear expectations” for academic development from Year 7.
• Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow a “broad and ambitious curriculum” and benefit from “positive changes” to the quality of education.
• Behaviour is “calm and purposeful” due to consistently applied systems, and staff have “secure subject knowledge” to explain concepts effectively.
• A strong “reading culture” has been built, with accurate identification of reading needs and support helping reluctant readers to borrow books and improve fluency.
• Pupils prosper from “wider opportunities,” including extra-curricular activities like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, clubs, and international trips.

Areas to improve

• The school should ensure teachers are “fully equipped to make effective use of assessment information to remedy pupils’ gaps in knowledge,” as current strategies sometimes hinder the identification of misconceptions.
• The school should review strategies to support families in improving attendance, as “low rates of attendance continue to prevent” a small number of pupils from accessing the full curriculum.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”