Taverham High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe around the school. They happily engage in conversation and games at break and lunchtimes. Pupils get opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as diversity ambassadors.

They are typically tolerant and accepting of difference.

Pupils benefit from an ambitious and interesting curriculum. There are high expectations for all.

Sixth-form students benefit from teaching that is closely tailored to their needs. Pupils learn the intended curriculum well in many subjects, as knowledgeable teachers regularly check what they know and provide additional guidance and support as needed.

Pupils are clear about the raised expectations of the ne...w behaviour policy.

Most follow this. They learn effectively in classes, as teachers usually deal with any disruption to learning quickly. However, although pupils know that bullying is not tolerated, some do not always have enough confidence in how well issues are resolved.

Opportunities to represent the school are open to all. Girls achieved success in football recently. Pupils have opportunities to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as the 'couch to 5k club'.

They benefit from a rich range of opportunities that support their wider development, such as trips to RAF Coningsby and the Norfolk skills festival.

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

Leaders have raised expectations about what pupils can achieve and subsequently raised achievement. Pupils study a curriculum that is suitably broad and ambitious.

Subject staff plan learning that builds pupils' depth of knowledge over time. This supports pupils to be well prepared for their next stage of learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils spend time securing their understanding of number, so they have the foundations they need for learning algebra.

Key stage 4 pupils have additional course opportunities that help bridge the gap with more complex sixth-form study. Leaders have planned sixth-form provision around students' interests. Teachers provide tailored and individualised guidance that support sixth-form students to achieve well.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge that underpins teaching across the school. Teachers usually support pupils to deepen their subject knowledge well. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and can do.

This includes checking that pupils have understood important knowledge within lessons and over time. Staff support pupils to successfully close any gaps in their understanding by revisiting learning or by providing additional guidance. Pupils produce high-quality work.

In a small minority of subjects, teaching is not as effective, so pupils are not able to recall or apply important information as readily.

Those pupils who are at the earlier stages of reading get specialised intervention and support that is well matched to their needs. This helps them to read more fluently.

Leaders encourage a wider love of reading at the school. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to read out loud and explore a variety of engaging and interesting books.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their classmates.

Teachers' ambitions about what pupils should achieve are equally high. Leaders identify pupils' needs well. Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support, as teachers follow the adaptations specified for pupils.

However, this support would work even more effectively for pupils if teachers tailored it more closely to their subject.

Leaders have set clear expectations for standards of behaviour. Teachers are supported to uphold these, so any disruption to pupils' learning is minimised.

Classrooms are typically orderly and pupils' behaviour around the school site is respectful. Pupils attend regularly and any lateness is effectively challenged. Bullying is not tolerated, and leaders act when they hear about perceived bullying concerns.

However, they do not always record, or continue to communicate with pupils well enough, to ensure that pupils are fully satisfied that things have been resolved. In the sixth form, students take responsibility for managing their own behaviour and are respectful and tolerant.

Pupils value the broad range of popular clubs, such as e-sports, that are available to all.

They learn about fundamental British values, relationships and important issues, such as consent, through a well-planned programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils learn key skills, such as resilience and how to be a good citizen. They get suitable careers guidance.

This includes expert guidance, support and opportunities to learn about careers throughout the curriculum. They have had aspirational opportunities, such as visits to Cambridge University and a project with Balliol College. All of this effectively supports pupils' wider development.

Leaders engage with staff effectively and are considerate of staff workload and well-being. Most staff feel well supported and have understood the need to raise standards.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that thorough and diligent safer recruitment checks are carried out. The single central record of these check meets statutory requirements and is thoroughly maintained.

Staff have appropriate training to be able to identify any concerns.

They have regular reminders and updates about key areas of risk. Leaders ensure concerns are followed up. They work effectively with external agencies, such as social workers and the police, to secure the support pupils need.

Students feel safe, including around the school site. However, some would like to have even more ways to share worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders listen to and follow up on pupils' concerns about bullying.

However, they do not always communicate with pupils well enough about the actions they have taken, or ensure that pupils feel things are fully resolved. As a result, a minority of pupils and parents have concerns that bullying is not addressed well enough. Leaders need to ensure that any concerns about bullying are clearly recorded, so patterns and trends can be addressed, and that actions taken to resolve and support pupils are fully followed through and clearly communicated with both parents and pupils.

• In a small minority of subjects, pupils experience inconsistencies in how well the intended curriculum is taught. As a result, some pupils are not able to recall or apply important knowledge as well as they might. Leaders need to ensure that teaching in all subject areas is effective in helping pupils to learn the intended curriculum well.