School report

Inspection of Ernulf Academy

Barford Road, St. Neots PE19 2SH

Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement

Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement
Personal development Requires improvement
Leadership and management Requires improvement
Not previously inspected under section 5
Previous inspection grade
of the Education Act 2005
What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils share largely positive relationships with staff and their peers. Teachers care
about pupils. Pupils’ work and examination results show that they are starting to
achieve more successfully. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) have not benefitted as much as others from leaders’ improved approaches
to the quality of education.

Many pupils behave well and are keen to learn. However, in some lessons, their
learning is interrupted by some pupils’ poor behaviour. Some teachers do not apply
the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Pupils said that this results in the actions
of some teachers being unfair and not effective.

Pupils value staff’s willingness to help when they have concerns. Bullying sometimes
happens, but staff put measures in place to make it stop. At times, these measures
are not completely effective in reducing the tension in pupils’ relationships. Some
pupils also receive homophobic comments.

Pupils appreciate the increased number of staff supervising them during breaktimes.
This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils enjoy time together in the various social spaces,
the well-resourced library and the learning support centre. Some pupils take on
positions of responsibility during lunchtime, such as working in the pupil-led tuck
shop.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do

better?

Leaders have redesigned the curriculum to be ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have
made clear to staff in most subjects what knowledge should be taught and the order
in which to teach it. In some subjects, leaders have not completely clarified what
pupils must know or be able to do. This is particularly challenging in subjects taught
by teachers with less well-developed subject knowledge - for example, supply
teachers or unqualified staff, who need greater clarity and support to know exactly
what to teach.

In many subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum successfully to meet the needs of
most pupils. However, the curriculum in some subjects is not delivered as effectively.
Some teachers do not have sufficient knowledge of the subject and how to teach it
well. Where this is the case, teachers do not choose the most effective learning
activities and resources. This does not support pupils, particularly those with SEND,
to learn successfully over time.

Leaders do not routinely provide suitable help for pupils who have fallen behind in
reading. Teachers do not always understand how to plan and teach early reading
effectively. For example, teachers regularly expect these pupils to learn from texts
when pupils do not have sufficient knowledge or skills to read them confidently and
accurately.
Inspection report: Ernulf Academy
17 and 18 January 2023 2
At the beginning of this academic year, senior leaders introduced new approaches to
improve pupils’ behaviour. Staff appreciate these changes, which has resulted in
pupils demonstrating more positive behaviour. In many lessons, pupils learn in a
calm and purposeful atmosphere. However, some lessons are disrupted due to some
teachers’ inconsistent use of leaders’ agreed behaviour policy and systems.

The attendance of pupils, particularly those with SEND, is too low. Leaders’
measures to improve attendance show some signs of success. Over the past year,
the number of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced. However, leaders
acknowledge that this is an area they should continue to focus on.

Leaders have recently introduced a well-planned programme to support pupils to

learn about themselves and the wider world. This programme includes teaching
pupils about different beliefs and lifestyles. However, the programme has not been
as successful as leaders planned. There remain some pupils who do not understand
the importance of tolerance for the differences and beliefs of others. Some parents
and pupils are rightly concerned about the regular use of homophobic language by
some pupils.

Leaders have put in place careers education and advice that meets the requirements
of the provider access legislation. However, not all pupils have accessed this
programme. Some pupils, including those with SEND, have not met careers advisors
prior to making important career decisions. Some pupils with SEND find it difficult to
get the information they need. This means they are not well placed to make
informed decisions about their next steps in employment, education or training.

The school has experienced many changes in leadership this year. Supported by the
trust, school leaders have acted swiftly to make necessary changes to improve the
school. Staff have confidence in the leadership team. Staff enjoy working at the
school.

Many parents contributed towards Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Most
expressed frustration with aspects of the school’s work. Leaders know they have
further work to do to reassure parents about the positive impact of the changes they
are making.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide regular training for staff so that they are alert to signs of potential
harm. Leaders and staff act swiftly and appropriately when concerns arise.

Leaders work well with external agencies and ensure that vulnerable pupils get the
support they need.

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17 and 18 January 2023 3
Trust leaders and governors ensure that school leaders carry out the expected
background checks to ensure that adults at the school are suitable.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe and know how to respond when
worried about their well-being.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not clarified exactly what pupils must know and be able to do in all
subjects. As a result, teachers with underdeveloped subject knowledge or supply
teachers do not teach the knowledge pupils must learn. Leaders must outline and
provide support for teachers so they know exactly what must be taught in all
subjects.
 Leaders do not have a cohesive approach to support pupils who find reading
challenging. These pupils are often required to learn from texts that they cannot
read. Leaders must create an effective, systematic approach to help pupils who
find reading difficult.
 Leaders have not ensured that pupils with SEND receive the academic and
personal support they need. This has resulted in these pupils not learning the
curriculum as well as they should. Many pupils with SEND have not been able to
make well-informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or
training. Leaders must put measures in place so that pupils with SEND receive the
necessary academic and personal support to be successful.
 Staff do not consistently follow leaders’ behaviour policy and systems. Pupils
experience disruptions to learning in too many lessons. Leaders must ensure all
staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and as expected.
 Leaders’ approach to improving attendance is not working well enough. Pupils’
attendance remains too low. Leaders need to develop more effective ways of
improving attendance.
 Leaders’ programme for personal development has not supported some pupils
well enough so that they show respect for people’s differences. Some pupils use
homophobic language at school. Leaders need to ensure that pupils learn the
importance of respecting the different lifestyles in society.

How can I feed back my views?

You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school,
or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted
Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as
part of their inspection.

Inspection report: Ernulf Academy

17 and 18 January 2023 4
The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a
school.

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government
pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six
years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route.

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17 and 18 January 2023 5
School details

Unique reference number 146369

Local authority Cambridgeshire

Inspection number 10254986

Type of school Secondary
Comprehensive
School category Academy sponsor-led

Age range of pupils 11 to 16

Gender of pupils Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll 705

Appropriate authority Board of trustees

Chair of trust Ben Brown

Principal Mark Neesam

Website www.astreaernulf.org

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

 There are many new leaders at the school. The principal started in September
2022. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) started in January
2023. The principal, the SENCo and other members of the leadership team are
new to their posts this academic year.
 The school uses four registered alternative providers and one unregistered
alternative provider.
 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which
requires schools to provide pupils in Year 8 to 13 with information about approved
technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education
Act 2005.

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17 and 18 January 2023 6
 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19
pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders
and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.
 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics,
science, geography, history, art and modern foreign languages. For each deep
dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of
lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and
looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also visited lessons, spoke with
pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.
 To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with leaders and staff about
safeguarding policies and practices. Inspectors looked at the register of
background checks for adults working at the school. Inspectors also looked at
child protection files.
 Inspectors considered the 162 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey
for parents, and the 150 free-text responses from parents. Inspectors also
considered the 55 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey and the 41 responses
to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

Inspection team

Al Mistrano, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

Caroline Dawes Ofsted Inspector

Jim McAtear Ofsted Inspector

Alan Gray Ofsted Inspector

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 The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)
regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young
people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and
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Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher
training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education
and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council
children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and
child protection.

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