Whitemoor Academy

Overview

This ungraded inspection found that aspects of Whitemoor Academy’s work “may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection,” triggering a future graded inspection. While pupils are described as “proud to be part of their school” with “respectful and nurturing” relationships, the quality of the curriculum and assessment practices requires significant improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit “high standards” for conduct and attitudes, contributing to their “happiness in school.”
• Reading provision is effective, with pupils learning to read well from Nursery and receiving targeted support to develop “fluency and confidence.”
• The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “with precision” and is “working successfully to strengthen the adaptations” made for them.
• There is a “shared goal to build pupils’ aspirations,” with students developing independence and valuing their contribution to the school community.
• Staff are “committed to making the necessary changes,” supported by the trust’s in-depth knowledge of the school.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure teachers make “more precise and accurate use of assessment” to identify and address misconceptions, as current checks are inconsistently applied.
• The trust must support staff to use “effective approaches to present curriculum content,” as some staff lack the required expertise and activities are not always designed to support learning effectively.

Safeguarding

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