SAMUEL WHITBREAD ACADEMY IS JUDGED AS GOOD BY OFSTED (2023)

On the 2nd and 3rd March 2023 the Academy was inspected by three Ofsted inspectors including a lead HMI. They observed numerous lessons and interviewed students, staff, governors, trustees and school leaders, as well as looking at documentation and students’ work.

The report is full of positive comments as well as a few areas that we need to improve. It acknowledges the journey we are on to being the best school we can be.

The highlights include:

• The Pupils are happy at this school.
• Leaders at all levels of the school have a strong, shared vision to provide a good quality of education for pupils and students. 
• Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils, including students in the sixth form and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils’ behaviour is positive in lessons and around the school site.
• Pupils feel safe in school.
• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a strong safeguarding culture at the school.
• Bullying is rare and is resolved quickly if it does happen. If pupils are worried about something, they have staff who they can talk to and will receive the help that they need.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is positive, sometimes highly so.
• Pupils appreciate the range of subjects they can study and consider this a strength of the school. These include an expansive sporting programme, music clubs and subject related clubs.
• Members of the school community are proud of the school’s involvement in sport and the arts.
• Sixth-form students lead tutorial sessions for younger pupils as part of ‘The Society’ programme.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge.
• Staff feel valued and are positive about the support they receive from leaders. They are consulted about changes that might have an impact on their workload.
• Teachers benefit from a wide range of training. They value the opportunities they have to work collaboratively with others, such as the work that contributes to a school-published research journal (Anthecology).

SAMUEL WHITBREAD ACADEMY IS JUDGED AS GOOD BY OFSTED (2017)

On the 31st Oct and 1st Nov 2017 the Academy was inspected by five Ofsted inspectors including three HMIs. They observed over 40 lessons and interviewed students, staff, governors and school leaders, as well as looking at documentation and students’ work.

The highlights include:

• The school is improving rapidly because all staff are fully focused on ensuring that pupils make good progress.
• The principal, governors and the trust all share the same vision and high aspirations for the school. They have led by example to secure better teaching, raise achievement and generate further capacity to improve.
• Attainment is consistently above average. A much larger than average proportion of pupils achieve national expectations in GCSE English and mathematics.
• Teachers forge good relations with pupils and make learning interesting and enjoyable.
• Behaviour is consistently good. Pupils are polite, pleasant and respectful towards staff and each other. Their enjoyment of school is shown by their regular attendance and participation in a wide range of enrichment activities
• Parents praise the care and support provided for pupils, particularly for those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.
• Good leadership of the sixth form ensures that students achieve well and engage fully in school life.
• Governors are professional, knowledgeable and know what needs to be done to improve the school further
• The trust provides clear, strategic leadership. Expectations of staff and pupils are very high. Senior and middle leaders are held fully accountable for making improvements.

SAMUEL WHITBREAD ACADEMY IS JUDGED AS GOOD BY OFSTED (2014)

On the 15th and 16th May 2014 the Academy was inspected by five Ofsted inspectors including a lead HMI. They observed over 51 lessons and interviewed students, staff, governors and school leaders, as well as looking at documentation and students’ work.

The highlights include:

• Achievement is good. Students make good progress as they move through the school.
• The proportions of students across all year groups making more than expected progress is rising steadily.
• Teaching is typically good with an increasing proportion of outstanding teaching.
• Leaders have had a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching in all subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Students behave well in lessons and around the school. Inspectors agree with the parents’ views that their children feel safe and that bullying is rare.
• School leaders are relentless in their ambition to raise achievement and improve the quality of teaching further. They have made very good use of the support from the Bedfordshire East Multi-Academy Trust (BEMAT).
• The curriculum is well-structured to meet students’ needs and provides an extensive range of courses at Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form.
• The sixth form is good. It is led well and, as a result, students are making good progress and are very well-prepared for the future.