St Augustine Academy is a small, caring school located in Maidstone, Kent. The school emphasizes values such as courage, compassion, and community, which guide its educational approach. Pupils have access to a diverse range of subjects and activities, including an enriching program that allows younger students to explore various interests, from weightlifting to sign language. Parents have expressed positive feedback regarding these opportunities, describing them as fantastic. The school has a strong pastoral team that ensures pupils behave well and feel safe. The Autism Resource Centre provides specialized support for students with special educational needs and disabilities. Pupils are known for their lively and direct nature, and they understand that bullying is not tolerated.
Despite the positive aspects, the school has faced challenges, particularly in recent public examination results, which have been disappointing. Leaders are committed to improving pupil learning and achievement. A robust training program for teachers, led by the multi-academy trust, has been implemented, resulting in improvements in English and mathematics. However, overall pupil achievement remains below expectations. Attendance issues have contributed to gaps in learning, especially among disadvantaged pupils.
In the past year, the school has revamped its behavior policy, leading to more consistent standards of conduct. This has resulted in a significant reduction in incidents of poor behavior, allowing both teachers and pupils to focus on learning. The curriculum is ambitious, offering a broad selection of examined options at key stage four, including modern foreign languages, which aligns with the government's national ambition for the English Baccalaureate.
Subject leaders utilize effective, whole-school guidance to plan the curriculum, ensuring that topics are taught logically and build on prior knowledge. Most departments execute this well, and most teachers possess strong subject expertise. However, some teachers struggle to adapt the curriculum and resources effectively to meet pupils' learning needs. The school has implemented 'passports' for pupils with special educational needs, which provide staff with essential information about individual needs. However, staff require more guidance on how to support these pupils in their learning effectively.
Teachers provide feedback during lessons to help pupils improve their work, addressing misconceptions early. Nevertheless, some assessments lack value as they do not align well with the intended learning outcomes, hindering staff's ability to address knowledge gaps. Leaders have organized training to enhance teaching and assessment quality, which is gradually reducing inconsistencies, although the impact is not yet widespread.
The school has a well-structured careers program for all ages, offering work experience for Year 10 pupils and promoting citizenship through personal, social, and health education courses. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with knowledgeable leaders and thorough employment checks. However, record-keeping in safeguarding needs improvement to ensure that important information is not overlooked.
To improve, the school must address low attendance rates, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, which has led to learning gaps. Leaders should enhance their efforts to improve attendance and maintain oversight to ensure effective actions are taken. Additionally, staff need more training to adapt learning for pupils with special educational needs to ensure they achieve their best across the curriculum. Finally, the school must strengthen its safeguarding record-keeping processes to ensure all expected procedures are consistently followed.
