New Horizon Academy, Birmingham

What it's like to be a pupil at New Horizon Academy

Pupils attend New Horizon Academy because previous mainstream education has not been able to meet their needs. Some pupils have been out of education for a long time. Others have lost the confidence to see themselves as successful learners. New Horizon offers a fresh start. Pupils settle quickly, and attend often, because the school addresses their individual needs. Pupils are grouped in a considered way, to promote successful integration. Warm and purposeful relationships are the bedrock of the school. Pupils trust the staff and this helps them to feel safe in school. They recognise that staff care for them and have their best interests at heart. Pupils make friendships with each other and this contributes to their sense of belonging in this nurturing school. Pupils now show positive attitudes in lessons and to learning. Most pupils are able to stay in lessons for the expected amount of time. This allows them to fully benefit from the education on offer. Pupils now recognise themselves as learners. They are able to feel the success that is so important to their personal wellbeing. The progress they make since arriving, and the work they produce are of a pleasing standard. This, coupled with effective pastoral support and care, means that pupils are able to thrive. Cody, the school's therapy dog, is a much loved member of the school family. He supports in lessons, supports with attendance, and is always grateful when pupils take him for a walk or sit and have a cuddle or a belly rub. Pupils behave well. Sometimes incidents do occur, but pupils know that when they do staff will respond with patience, care and sensitivity. Pupils say that bullying happens occasionally. However, systems and approaches in place mean that any issues are dealt with promptly and fairly.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders need to continue to build pupils' resilience for learning so learning time is maximised.
• Leaders need to ensure that professional learning opportunities are purposeful and lead to even greater consistency in teaching across the school.
• Leaders need to ensure that decisions taken to suspend any pupil are carefully recorded and ensure that they are always used appropriately.
• Leaders should continue to develop the handwriting of all pupils to ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of education or employment when the time comes.

New Horizon Academy excels at giving pupils a genuine fresh start after negative educational experiences. The school combines excellent pastoral care with a personalised approach to learning, helping pupils rebuild confidence and achieve real progress. Staff genuinely care for each pupil's wellbeing, creating a warm, nurturing environment where previously disengaged learners thrive and see themselves as successful.

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Crochet, music, comic book story creation, community council, trips and visits, university visits, weekly physical education lessons at local college, public transport travel practice, litter picking in local community

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