Wath Academy

Overview

Wath Academy is described as an inclusive school where pupils “learn to have the highest expectations of success.” Leaders have made “huge strides in improving the quality of education,” creating a “calm and purposeful atmosphere” with “exceptional” leadership and personal development. The report highlights that pupils are “happy and safe” and benefit from a curriculum designed to “raise aspirations” and unlock future opportunities.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “Outstanding” behaviour and attitudes, behaving in a “calm and orderly manner” with rare instances of bullying.
• Personal development is “Outstanding,” featuring a structured debate programme, extensive careers guidance, and life skills education.
• Sixth-form provision is “Outstanding,” with students described as “keen, ambitious, articulate and enthusiastic” about their studies.
• Leadership is “exceptional,” with governors and trustees actively involved and staff well-supported, prioritising well-being.
• Reading is a priority, with a “culture of reading” celebrated through teacher ‘reading champions’ and carefully researched strategies.

Areas to improve

• In a minority of subjects, assessment is not consistently used to identify precisely how pupils are to improve, impacting their ability to build and remember knowledge.
• Leaders should ensure assessment is consistently used to identify missing component knowledge and that this information is fed back to pupils and acted upon.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a “strong culture of safeguarding” where vulnerable pupils are quickly identified and their welfare frequently reviewed.