School report
Inspection of Merchants’ Academy
Gatehouse Avenue, Withywood, Bristol BS13 9AJ
Inspection dates:
26–27 February 2020
Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
The quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Early years provision
Requires improvement
Sixth-form provision
Requires improvement
Previous inspection grade
Inadequate
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What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are safe and well cared for at Merchants’ Academy. They enjoy a wide range
of activities and experiences that enhance their learning in classrooms. For example,
workshops led by the school’s sponsors develop pupils’ awareness and
understanding of engineering. Pupils receive good-quality careers guidance and
participate in work experience placements with well-respected employers. This is
helping them to aim higher in possible future careers.
Teachers have increasingly high expectations of pupils. In the primary phase, pupils
follow teachers’ instructions quickly. Pupils show respect for one another. As a result
of the increased emphasis on religious education and personal, social and health
education, pupils appreciate different faiths and cultures. This translates into their
positive relationships.
The quality of education pupils receive is improving but it is still not good enough.
The subjects and topics that pupils study have been reviewed. New plans are being
developed to ensure that pupils learn a wider range of knowledge. However,
teaching is not ensuring that pupils remember what they have been taught. In key
stage 4 and the sixth form, pupils can now choose from a wider range of courses
and qualifications. However, attendance remains low and pupils do not routinely
catch up on the work they miss.
Around school and in class, pupils are generally calm. However, where the
curriculum plans are not matched well to pupils’ needs, pupils ‘switch off’ quickly.
Pupils move around the buildings in an orderly manner. Bullying is rare.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do
better?
Leaders have made a real effort to improve both the range of subjects that pupils
study and the content within those subjects. This content is now in place for most
subjects but not all years. Some plans are not as well thought through as others.
Within and across subjects, there is a lot of variability in how well the plans are
implemented. Too often, pupils are covering the content in their classes, but the
approaches teachers use are not ensuring that pupils remember what they have
been taught.
School staff have worked hard to improve teachers’ understanding of the various
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that many pupils have. Teachers
are now aware of these pupils and have some general tips that they use with these
pupils. However, teachers do not have enough information about pupils’ particular
needs or guidance about how to support these needs in their subject. This is limiting
the progress that pupils with SEND make.
Attendance and punctuality at school have improved year on year. However, they are
still too low. Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance is improving but not as quickly as
that of other pupils. Leaders are continuing to work with families to raise pupils’
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attendance further. When pupils miss school, they do not routinely catch up on work
they miss. As a result, they have gaps in their knowledge.
Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils’ behaviour and reduce exclusions. They
have been successful in their efforts. Exclusions are now in line with the national
average and the number of pupils who are removed from lessons continues to fall.
Since September 2019, leaders have made a determined drive to improve the
teaching of early reading in the primary phase. Teaching staff have had training by
experts and new plans are in place. Trustees have ensured that money was available
to buy high-quality books. As a result, the teaching of reading in the early years and
in key stage 1 is getting better but it is not yet ensuring that pupils have the
knowledge they need to read fluently. Key stage 2, pupils still have significant gaps
in their knowledge and they are not yet catching up quickly enough.
Leaders and school staff are wholly committed to improving life chances for pupils.
Leaders make decisions with the best of intentions. However, although there is a lot
of activity, it is not raising pupils’ outcomes as rapidly or efficiently as it could.
Nonetheless, school and trust leaders, trustees and local governors are all clear
about the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are continuing to improve all
aspects of the school’s work. They are keen for the school to be the centre of the
community. Events, such as the fireworks display and summer fair, have been well
supported by the community.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
School staff are vigilant. This is the result of the training they have received. They
work well with families. Leaders draw on a network of specialist agencies, including
medical practitioners and housing associations. This ensures that pupils who are at
risk are protected well and that families receive timely support.
As a result of the teaching they receive, pupils have a strong awareness of the risks
they may face in the community and when online.
Leaders have made certain that systems are effective in ensuring that adults who
work in the school are suitable to do so.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
Leaders have overhauled the curriculum from the Nursery to the sixth form. In
most subjects, there is now a more cohesive approach that builds on pupils’
knowledge over time. However, it is not yet fully in place for all subjects.
Furthermore, as teachers implement some of the plans, weaknesses are
emerging. Leaders need to tackle these weaknesses quickly. They should ensure
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that cohesive plans across phases are in place for all subjects and in all years and
that they are carefully thought through, so that pupils’ knowledge builds over
time.
Pupils do not have a strong understanding of the concepts they explore and
struggle to recall much of what they have learned. This is partly because, in some
subjects, curriculum plans are not designed well enough and partly because
teachers do not have strong enough subject-specific pedagogical knowledge to
teach it effectively. Trust and school leaders should ensure that teachers and
teaching assistants receive the training they need to develop their own practice
further.
‘Pupil passports’ are in place for pupils with SEND. These identify broad categories
of need and generic strategies for teachers. However, they lack specificity about
pupils’ particular needs and subject-specific strategies teachers may use. Leaders
should continue to refine the information they provide to teachers so that
teachers have what they need to best adapt their teaching approaches to meet
pupils’ needs.
Leaders gather a lot of information about pupils. However, they are not
sufficiently analytical in the information they gather. Consequently, actions are not
planned strategically in order to address specific issues. Trustees and local
governors should ensure that leaders are more strategic in analysing and using
this information to develop effective plans to improve outcomes for pupils.
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 Ofsted Parent View
information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as
part of their inspection.
The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a
school.
If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you
can complain to Ofsted.
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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School details
Unique reference number
135597
Local authority
City of Bristol
Inspection number
10111455
Type of school
All-through
School category
Academy sponsor-led
Age range of pupils
3 to 18
Gender of pupils
Mixed
Gender of pupils in sixth-form
provision
Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll
1,178
Of which, number on roll in the
sixth form
98
Appropriate authority
Board of trustees
Chair of trust
Gail Bragg
Principal
Samantha Williamson
Website
www.merchantsacademy.org
Date of previous inspection
24–25 September 2019, under section 8
of the Education Act 2005
Information about this school
Merchants’ Academy is an all-through school with a Nursery, primary phase,
secondary phase and a sixth form. It is based on two sites in the Withywood
area, approximately half a mile apart.
The school is part of Venturers’ Trust, a group of eight schools in Bristol. It is
jointly sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of
Bristol.
The school makes use of three alternative providers: Bristol Hospital Education
Service, City of Bristol College and Lansdown Park Academy.
The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is much higher than the national average.
The proportion of pupils with SEND is much higher than that of similar schools
nationally.
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Information about this inspection
We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief
Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.
We met with the principal, senior leaders, class teachers and a group of newly
qualified teachers.
The lead inspector met with three trustees, six members of the local governing
body, the trust’s chief executive officer and other trust leaders.
We did deep dives in reading, English, history, mathematics, science, and
personal, social and health education. These included discussions with subject
leaders; visits to lessons; looking at examples of pupils’ work; discussions with
teachers; discussions with pupils and listening to pupils read.
We reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local
authority. We spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. We also asked
the pupils about how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have
concerns.
We observed pupils at breaktime and lunchtime.
One inspector spoke to parents of primary-aged pupils at the start of the school
day. Inspectors took account of the views of the 30 parents and carers who
completed the Parent View survey.
We also considered the views of the 36 members of staff who completed Ofsted’s
online survey. The views of the 30 pupils who completed the pupil survey were
taken into account.
Inspection team
Iain Freeland, lead inspector
Her Majesty’s Inspector
Deborah Wring
Ofsted Inspector
Matthew Shanks
Ofsted Inspector
Paula Marsh
Ofsted Inspector
David New
Ofsted Inspector
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