The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College

Overview

The Avon Valley School is described as an “inclusive, warm and welcoming” institution where pupils feel safe and are “very well cared for.” Leaders have established high expectations for behaviour and attendance, resulting in positive attitudes towards learning and strong relationships between staff and pupils.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “sequenced effectively,” with teachers using assessment strategies like “closing the gap” to address misconceptions and ensure pupils retain key knowledge.
• Pupils benefit from a “wide range of opportunities outside of lessons,” including sports and drama clubs, which help them become “confident and resilient.”
• Personal development is a strength, with an effective curriculum covering important issues such as “healthy relationships, media portrayal and consent.”
• Governors are “very well informed” and hold leaders to account, while staff value the support regarding their “well-being and workload.”

Areas to improve

• Some teachers do not use information effectively to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meaning these pupils “do not always make the progress of which they are capable.”
• Reading initiatives are not “consistently embraced by all pupils,” and leaders need to implement a strategy to promote a stronger culture of reading.
• The proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is “much lower than the government’s ambition,” requiring continued efforts to increase uptake.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with a strong culture where staff are knowledgeable about local risks and report concerns in a timely manner.