By John Baron
Ofsted inspectors have told Crawshaw Academy that it requires improvement in three out of the four categories it has been inspected in.
Its quality of education, behaviour and attitudes of students and leadership and management all need to be improve, inspectors found during a visit in October. The personal development of students was rated as ‘good’.
The school, on Robin Lane, was rated as good in its last inspection in 2019 and bosses at the Red Kite Learning Trust have already appointed Iain Addison as their new headteacher. He will take up his role in January 2025.
The report said: “The school has clear ambitions for pupils to achieve their best, underpinned by a belief that they deserve every opportunity to succeed. Older pupils and staff acknowledge the positive changes that are being made to improve the education on offer.
“However, some pupils do not achieve well enough. The quality of education that pupils receive is varied across subjects and within subjects.”
The report expressed concerns over the ‘boisterous’ behaviour of some students.
“The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes,” the report said. “However, these are not consistently realised. While many pupils exhibit positive behaviour, some do not behave well enough. Some pupils disrupt the learning of others.
“Many pupils are happy here and some describe the school as a family. They know that they are safe and looked after.”
The report adds: “The school and trust have correctly identified and are addressing the areas that need to improve. New leaders are taking the right actions to improve the school. Leaders have worked with determination to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.
“Pupils in some lessons benefit from a well-planned, ambitious curriculum delivered effectively by teaching staff. However, this is not consistently in place in all lessons or all subjects.”
Pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs who attend the ‘Pathways’ provision thrive.
Staff take pride in working at Crawshaw, “knowing the school and trust prioritise their well-being” and offer valuable support and training opportunities.
Director of Secondary Education at Red Kite Learning Trust, Erica Hiorns, said: “Whilst the outcome of this recent inspection is obviously not what we were hoping for, it was not unexpected.
“We had already identified areas in need of improvement and have been working hard over the last year to implement measures to address these concerns.
“We are really pleased that Ofsted recognised the effectiveness of these efforts, and we are confident that with new leadership and collaborative support from across our trust we can cement these changes throughout the school and ensure a consistently high quality of education.”
She added: “We recognise the importance of good attendance and behaviour in supporting student engagement and success and are already supporting staff to work with pupils and their families to implement a new relational-based behaviour system designed to elevate behavioural expectations.
“This system has already received positive support from parents and carers and we are seeing continual improvement in this area.
“This new leadership team has the experience, skills and ambition to ensure the best possible outcomes for every young person in our care, both academically and in relation to their personal development, something that Ofsted noted in its report.”
The report can be read in full here.