Oldbury Academy told it must do better by Ofsted
One of Sandwell's biggest schools has been told it needs to do better after Ofsted inspectors found that senior leaders had failed to drive through improvements since their previous visit.
The 1,620-pupil Oldbury Academy in Pound Road was given a 'requires improvement' rating following an inspection on September 23.
The school was rated grade three across the board in the key areas of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, pupil outcomes and study programmes.
It received the same overall grade after its previous visit from the watchdog in September 2013.
A report noted that leaders had not ensured that the quality of teaching was high across the academy.
The most able pupils did not always reach their potential because work was too easy, the reports said, while disadvantaged students did not always catch up with other students quickly enough.
Some work was marked inaccurately by teachers, the report said. It added: "Others do not use assessment information effectively to plan work which is pitched at the right level for students.
"Students sometimes make mistakes that go unchecked in lessons. Others are not moved on to harder work quickly enough."
In his report lead inspector Richard Sutton also noted that attendance was low at times, particularly among disadvantaged students.
"Too many students miss too much school," he wrote. "While there are signs that attendance is improving, it is too low for disadvantaged students.
"This is a very important reason why these students do not always catch up with others quickly enough."
He added: "Students do not always show good attitudes to learning, particularly when teaching is not good."
The academy's work to promote students' personal development and welfare was described as 'good' in the report.
"The vast majority of students are confident learners who value the opportunities that the academy has to offer them," it added.
The report also ordered an external review of the academy's use of the pupil premium in order to 'assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved'.
Inspectors said disabled students made good progress at the school, while teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes were said to be improving.
Staff were praised for having high standards of pastoral care and giving students the support they need to become happy and confident learners.
This year 43 per cent of GCSE students at the school achieved grade C or above in five or more subjects, including English and maths. The national average is around 52 per cent.
Oldbury Academy did not respond to the Express & Star's requests for comment.
