Bader Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school knows its pupils well. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They value the strong relationships that they have with staff.

This helps them to feel, and be, safe. Pupils speak positively and openly about their own strengths and qualities. The school proudly celebrates pupils' achievements.

It has high expectations of all pupils. The school ensures that staff meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a consequence, pupils achieve well.'

Nurture Breakfast' provides a positive start to the day in which pupils learn important social skills. They gain confidence in how to speak to, and interact with, other people. ...The school has established clear routines for pupils.

These contribute to a calm and orderly environment. Classrooms are purposeful places for pupils to learn. Well-trained staff support pupils skilfully in class and around school.

They help pupils to manage their emotions when they are worried about something. Pupils enjoy earning rewards for their behaviour or demonstrating positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils benefit from a range of activities that help to prepare them for life beyond the school.

Lunchtime clubs enable pupils to interact with each other positively. These support pupils to build their skills in communication and to try new activities in a supportive environment.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has implemented a carefully designed curriculum.

It has identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn as they progress through the school. Pupils study a broad range of subjects. By the end of key stage 4, pupils leave school with appropriate qualifications.

These are increasingly ambitious. They prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education or training. Over time, the school has increased the number of subjects that it teaches.

It has also increased the number of subject specialist teachers. However, some subjects are at an earlier stage of development. Where this is the case, the knowledge that pupils should learn is not as well defined and taught as it is in more established subjects.

Staff identify pupils' individual needs accurately. They use this information, alongside pupils' education health and care (EHC) plans, to ensure that their teaching is appropriately adapted to pupils' needs. This enables pupils to learn and achieve the aims of the curriculum.

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They provide clear explanations to pupils. Teachers check effectively that pupils remember important curriculum content.

Pupils become increasingly confident to check their own work and make improvements. Many pupils articulate clearly what they have been learning and how this will help them in future lessons.

The school has ensured that reading is at the forefront of pupils' learning.

Pupils at the early stages of reading are supported very well to learn the sounds that letters make. Well-trained staff quickly identify gaps in pupils' learning to read. They address these promptly.

Pupils read books that are matched closely to their phonics knowledge. They read with increasing confidence and fluency. Pupils enjoy reading.

They like visiting the newly refurbished school library on a weekly basis where they choose different books to read.

The school has established clear processes to monitor pupils' attendance. It works with families to support pupils to attend school regularly.

Current attendance figures indicate that the school's actions are reducing pupils' rates of absence.

Members of the 'Pupil Parliament' speak proudly about the ways in which they have contributed to developing the school. The school has established opportunities for pupils to learn from, and contribute to, the lives of people in the local community.

Through these, pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They recognise the importance of being respectful to other people. The school supports pupils well to learn about careers and the skills required in the world of work.

Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school's work. They recognise how the school has grown and developed in recent years and the positive impact of this on pupils' learning and development. Leaders check that staff are appropriately supported to carry out their role.

The trust and school ensure that staff's workload and well-being is considered in the decisions they take to improve the school. Leaders and staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn are not as clearly defined as in more established subjects. This affects some teaching and pupils' achievement. The school should further develop its curriculum to ensure that the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn are identified clearly across all subjects.