Somercotes Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The determined leadership of the principal and senior leaders has successfully created a positive and inclusive culture that staff and pupils have embraced. The support provided by governors and trust leaders has been instrumental in securing improvements at the school and, consequently, a rise in the number of pupils attending. The leadership of the curriculum is good.

Leaders and governors have ensured that it now meets the needs and aspirations of all pupils. The quality of teaching is good. Leaders have ensured that effective opportunities for professional development have secured greater consistency of teaching and pupils' behaviour.

...>Pastoral support for pupils is effective and has brought about improvements in pupils' behaviour and attendance. The programme for pupils' personal, social and health education is well coordinated and is complemented by services to support pupils' emotional and mental well-being. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective and leaders have established a culture of vigilance in the school.

Pupils say that they feel safe and happy. Parents strongly agree. Pupils behave well.

They are polite and courteous. They understand the values of the school and reflect these values in their conduct around the school site. They wear their uniform smartly and with pride.

Pupils benefit from a well-coordinated programme of careers education from Year 7. This enables all pupils to secure appropriate next steps in further education, employment or training. The quality of teaching and pupils' outcomes in science has been consistently strong for at least two years.

The funding for Year 7 pupil catch-up in literacy and numeracy is successfully enabling identified pupils to catch up with their peers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported and are beginning to make stronger progress as a result. The progress made by pupils across the curriculum is strengthening.

Previous variations between subject outcomes are reducing quickly, particularly at key stage 3. However, too few of the most able pupils achieve the higher grades by the end of key stage 4, particularly in English and mathematics. The progress made by the most able and disadvantaged pupils by the end of key stage 4 is not yet strong enough.

Information about this school

This school is much smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The school is sponsored by the Tollbar Multi-Academy Trust Family of Academies and converted to academy status in November 2015. When its predecessor school, Birkbeck School and Community Arts College, was last inspected in February 2015, it was judged to be inadequate.

The Tollbar Multi-Academy Trust has overall responsibility for the academy and has appointed a local governing body which oversees both Somercotes and Theddlethorpe academies. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding is higher than the national average.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above average. The school used no alternative provision at the time of the inspection.