Etone College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Etone College continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of all pupils.

Pupils are proud to belong to the school and strive to meet these expectations. Pupils say that 'bullying is not tolerated here'. They are confident that if bullying occurs, it is dealt with effectively by staff.

Pupils speak positively about the supportive relationships they have with their teachers. They describe the school as a 'listening school' and they are clear that staff will help them if they need support.

Leaders have planned the curriculum carefully.

They have made sure that they have identified gaps in ...learning that have arisen during the pandemic and have addressed these quickly. As a result, pupils are confident that they can achieve well. However, there are a few inconsistencies in the curriculum and in how well pupils are taught, but leaders are working with teachers to iron these out.

Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. These include clubs such as British Sign Language, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, chess club, journalism club and well-being club. Pupils take on a number of leadership roles.

For example, students in the sixth form are part of the student leadership team, 'Etone Elect'.

Leaders have created a culture of respect and aspiration. Pupils are recognised for demonstrating the positive behaviours that staff expect.

Pupils eagerly anticipate the half termly 'Progress Praise' assemblies, they say they enjoy sharing each other's successes.

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

Leaders have planned and sequenced the curriculum well. They have identified the important things that pupils need to know and have organised learning so that pupils revisit this information regularly.

This helps pupils build on their learning over time. Clear classroom routines support pupils' learning. Teachers provide appropriate activities and model and reinforce key subject vocabulary.

Most teachers have strong subject knowledge, and this helps pupils develop a good understanding of what they are expected to know. Leaders promote a love of reading. Pupils enjoy taking part in reading challenges as well as the opportunities they have to develop reading in lessons.

Usually, teachers check on pupils' understanding regularly and use questioning to challenge pupils to think more deeply. At other times, checking understanding is not as effective and, as a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. In the sixth form, the curriculum is well sequenced.

However, some teachers do not provide all students with sufficiently challenging work. This limits students' achievements.

Leaders make sure that all staff have the information and expertise to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively.

As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well. Leaders provide support for pupils who find reading difficult.

Behaviour in lessons is calm and purposeful.

Pupils are keen to do well, and they make positive contributions to lessons. Low-level disruption is rare and when it happens, it is managed well by staff. Leaders have established a high-profile reward system.

They make sure that pupils are recognised for their positive contributions to the school community. Pupils value this, and they are keen to be recognised for their hard work and for demonstrating the 'Etone Values' and the school's employability skills. Students in the sixth form appreciate the leadership opportunities available to them.

They enjoy supporting younger pupils through the school council and as well-being ambassadors, and they view themselves as positive role models in the school.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider development. Enrichment activities, such as visits from employers, are part of all subjects, and there is a wide range of clubs.

Although leaders track attendance at these clubs, they do not use this information well enough to make sure that all pupils benefit from participating in activities that support their personal development. Careers education, information and guidance are a strength. Pupils are taught employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving and resilience in every subject.

They receive rewards for demonstrating these skills. Pupils attend many careers events, including careers fairs, employer visits and industry days. Pupils with SEND attend university open days in Year 10 in order to help them plan their futures.

Pupils are trained to be careers ambassadors, and they are proud to help run 'careers surgeries' for other pupils. Students in the sixth form receive beneficial advice about their next steps. Increasing numbers of students are gaining places in prestigious universities.

All pupils and students receive advice about apprenticeships.

Staff are positive about the support they receive from leaders. They say that leaders listen to them and that they are mindful of their workload.

The staff well-being committee meets regularly to support leaders in improving the school. Staff have some choice in the professional learning that they receive. They say that this has supported the improvement of their teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding leaders are knowledgeable about their pupils and the risks they face outside of school. They deliver regular training so that all staff have the skills to identify when pupils need help.

Leaders have developed beneficial relationships with local partners in order to support their pupils. They are tenacious in making sure that all pupils receive the help they need. Pupils benefit from a high-quality relationships, sex and health education.

They know about the risks of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence and how to report their concerns. Leaders have adopted the trust's safeguarding policy, but this does not fully reflect the good work of the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have prioritised supporting all teachers in delivering the curriculum well.

However, this is not yet consistent in all subjects across the school. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should continue to make sure that the curriculum is implemented well in all subjects.

• Leaders collect useful information about pupils' participation in the wider opportunities offered by the school, but they do not always consider it in sufficient detail to make sure that all pupils benefit from the wide range of activities offered. Leaders should make sure that they use the information they collect to identify the actions that will make the biggest difference to improving all pupils' wider development.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2017.