Ofsted inspectors praise North Cambridge Academy for providing quality education
North Cambridge Academy has been praised by inspectors for the good quality of education it provides to students.
The Arbury Road secondary has been judged ‘good’ by Ofsted for the second consecutive inspection.
Principal Martin Campbell said: “North Cambridge Academy is a school that firmly believes every individual pupil can and will succeed in all areas of their learning, personal development and future career.
“I am delighted to see this recognised and celebrated in a second consecutive Ofsted inspection.”
Inspector Jennifer Carpenter said in a letter to the school: “The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection because the school’s leadership team has worked tirelessly to ensure a good quality of education for young people at the school.”
The school’s focus on improving feedback to pupils about what their next steps in learning should be received praise for helping them to make progress more quickly.
Behaviour, attendance and the wider opportunities provided by the academy were also highlighted by the inspector.
Ms Carpenter said the “school staff know pupils extremely well” and that pupils settle easily when they arrive “because routines are well established, and expectations are clear”.
The report comes at the end of a successful year for the academy, which saw it rise to the top 22 per cent of schools in the country for the progress its pupils make in all subjects. The inspector felt that pupils’ progress and attainment in GCSE science and mathematics was particularly strong and continuing to improve.
The inspector said: “In these subjects, most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress.”
They also commented that pupil’s behaviour “showed maturity and focus on learning, particularly in Years 10 and 11”.
Mr Campbell said: “The letter is particularly glowing about the work of my colleagues, and I would like to thank them all for the hard work and dedication they put in to supporting our students. We will continue to work together in our relentless pursuit of excellence in all areas of the academy.”
The inspector also praised the academy’s holistic approach to ensuring all students are given equal opportunities and experiences to complement their learning, celebrating the wide range of clubs and trips and ‘Saturday school’ enrichment sessions in dance and drama. The inspector felt “pupils and families value these opportunities”.
Safeguarding at the academy was commended for being thorough and embedded.
“Pupils at the school said that they feel safe and reported they could talk to any member of staff if they have a concern,” said the inspector.
Attendance was also reported to be strong with inspectors commenting that pupils felt proud of their high attendance.
The academy is partnered with Swavesey Village College through the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT).
The inspector reported that staff benefit from this close working relationship and subsequently “feel valued for their professionalism”.
To improve further, the school should develop its ‘mastery programme’ further by ensuring pupils are challenged in all curriculum subjects as well as ensuring that the most able pupils make consistently strong progress.
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