School report Dixons City Academy Ripley Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD5 7RR Inspection dates 27–28 November 2018 Overall effectiveness Outstanding Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Outcomes for pupils Outstanding 16 to 19 study programmes Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is an outstanding school The executive principal provides exceptional The curriculum is well-planned by leaders. It leadership. Ably supported by other leaders, provides breadth, choice and challenge for she inspires staff and pupils to have the pupils of all abilities to achieve their best. All highest aspirations for themselves and of pupils progress onto further education, others. employment or training. The recently appointed principal shares the School leaders are passionate about enriching executive principal’s ambition to strive for pupils’ lives. Consequently, the range of extra- excellence in every aspect of the school’s work. curricular activities is impressive, and engagement levels are high. Performing arts is The school’s culture values diversity, harmony a real strength of the school. and independent learning. Pupils thrive in this environment and they achieve highly. With very few exceptions, pupils behave impeccably in lessons. During social times, Governors are very skilled and effective in there is an excited buzz around the school. challenging leaders. They have an incisive This reflects a community that is both cohesive knowledge of the school, and the trust provides and highly aspirational. strong support for the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is The high quality of teaching and assessment higher than the average for secondary schools. leads pupils to make outstanding progress across the curriculum, including in English and Students in the sixth form receive outstanding mathematics. teaching. Those who take academic qualifications now achieve as highly as those Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able on vocational programmes. disadvantaged, make progress which exceeds that of other pupils nationally. Despite the range of provision already in place, pupils with special educational needs and/ or Subject leaders are highly effective in bringing disabilities (SEND) do not make as much about improvements to the quality of teaching progress as their peers. and learning. Full report What does the school need to do to improve further? Continue to improve the provision for pupils with SEND so that more of them make progress that at least matches other pupils with the same starting points. Inspection report: Dixons City Academy, 27–28 November 2018 Page 2 of 13 Inspection judgements Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding Over recent years, the executive principal’s outstanding leadership has inspired the school community to strive for excellence in everything they do. To parents and carers, pupils and staff, she has demonstrated her unwavering determination to ensure that the school provides extensive opportunities for pupils, from all starting points and backgrounds, to be the very best they can be. Leaders and staff share a common understanding that pupils are entitled to be encouraged and challenged to meet their aspirational targets. Staff morale is high, because all staff feel involved in, and accountable for, achieving the school’s ambition to provide an outstanding education. The principal demonstrates the skills and passion to build on the school’s success. Leaders at all levels have a precise and detailed understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further improvement. Action plans are well considered and communicate leaders’ high expectations. Leaders carry out regular reviews of the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Over time, these reviews have led to pupils making rapid progress. The leadership of teaching, learning and assessment is highly effective. As a result of high-quality professional development and coaching, teachers are keen to engage in regular conversations about their practice and to trial innovative strategies in the classroom. Subject leaders use the school’s quality assurance processes to identify aspects of teaching which could be improved further. Regular training sessions enable teachers to work with each other to share good practice and to establish a consistent approach to teaching across the school. The trust provides excellent support and challenge, both for teachers and leaders. Staff work together regularly with their partner school Dixons Kings Academy to share good practice. When required, trust leaders have supported each other promptly to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes, for example, in Spanish. Leaders check pupils’ progress effectively by analysing pupils’ assessments thoroughly. Teachers’ assessments are moderated across the trust to ensure that they are reliable. Teachers then take swift action to address any gaps in pupils’ learning, for example by re-teaching particular skills or topics, and provide master classes to stretch pupils further. As a result, pupils know their strengths and weaknesses, and how to build on them. The curriculum is broad, balanced and challenging. In each subject, the programme of study is well planned so that pupils experience a wide range of skills and topics. Pupils have access to several options at GCSE level to suit their interests and career ambitions, preparing them well for advanced-level study. A higher proportion of pupils than the national average is entered for the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects, and their progress is above average. Leaders are passionate about providing pupils with an extensive range of enrichment opportunities. These are designed to raise their aspirations, develop their social skills and extend their understanding of the wider community beyond their home city. All Inspection report: Dixons City Academy, 27–28 November 2018 Page 3 of 13 pupils are expected to participate in extra-curricular activities, educational visits and residential experiences. For example, the Year 8 camp to Ullswater gives pupils the opportunity to experience an outdoor environment quite different to their own. The extra-curricular offer is extensive and includes several sporting activities, including football, trampolining, climbing and sports leadership. Clubs cater for many interests, for example chess, printing and an appreciation of literature. Several pupils take part in national debating competitions and in the local programme, ‘Stand out, speak out and make a difference’, thus developing their ability to communicate and articulate their opinions. Pupils’ participation in the performing arts is high, because the school offers scholarships for pupils who are talented in music, dance and drama. The additional funding for the pupil premium and Year 7 catch-up is used effectively. Leaders review the funded programmes regularly to ensure that they provide the best outcomes for pupils who need additional support. Disadvantaged pupils in all year groups make strong progress. Pupils in Year 7 who need to catch up make rapid gains in their literacy skills and good progress in their numeracy skills. Although the additional funding for pupils with SEND is used appropriately, this group of pupils do not make good progress in line with their peers. Also, a small number of pupils with SEND exhibit behaviour which leads to fixed-term exclusions. Leaders are committed to improving their progress and skills further. The parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey Parent View were extremely positive about all aspects of the school. For example, a high proportion agreed that their children are safe and that pupils behave well. The vast majority were also positive about the school’s culture. For example, one parent wrote, ‘I am very impressed with the positive encouragement the staff give to children to make the best of every learning opportunity.’ Another wrote, ‘The school is very supportive, and staff are amazing.’ These comments reflect the views of many parents who responded to the survey. Governance of the school The governance of the school is highly effective. Governors and trustees bring a wide range of experience to their roles. They challenge school leaders appropriately to strive for excellence. The minutes of governors’ meetings show that they evaluate the school’s work thoroughly. They have a detailed understanding of the quality of teaching, the progress of pupil groups, pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Governors and trustees play a full part in setting the school’s priorities and evaluating the school’s monitoring information on progress towards demanding targets for improvement. They visit the school regularly to make sure they are well informed about the progress pupils make across the curriculum. Safeguarding The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The safeguarding team has a very high profile in the school. Pupils and staff know who to go to if they have any concerns. Pupils have confidence in the school staff to resolve Inspection report: Dixons City Academy, 27–28 November 2018 Page 4 of 13 any concerns that they raise. Teachers are well trained to understand their responsibility for safeguarding pupils, and are vigilant in following the school’s procedures for noticing and reporting concerns. The designated