Towers School and Sixth Form Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The principal and his senior team provide strong leadership. They have a compelling vision for their school which is supported by pupils, staff and the majority of parents.

Leaders' expectations for pupils' behaviour and learning are absolutely clear. Pupils understand exactly what they have to do and respond well to clear systems and routines. Standards of behaviour have risen as a result and are consistently good.

Teaching is good across the school. Leaders' thoughtful development of teachers' skills is having a very positive impact on pupils' learning. Pupils value the consistent approach that they experience across the school, which h...elps them to learn better than in the past.

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are now making good progress. Trustees are ambitious for the school. They carry out their duties diligently, providing useful support and challenge to senior leaders.

They contribute effectively to improvements in the school, such as the quality of the curriculum, teaching and pupils' outcomes. Safeguarding is effective. Staff know their responsibilities and take them very seriously.

Clear and consistent routines help pupils to feel safe and well looked after. Over time, pupils have not made as much progress by the end of Year 11 as they should have. Pupils currently in key stage 3 are making good progress from their starting points.

However, pupils in key stage 4 are not currently on track to achieve as well as they should by the time they leave the school. Leaders' actions to improve pupils' attendance have been largely successful. Overall, attendance is broadly in line with national averages.

Pupils with SEND do not currently attend as well as other pupils. Leaders use helpful information to check how the school is improving. Trustees hold leaders stringently to account for the impact of their work.

At times, leaders' evaluations about standards lack the precision to help them prioritise the school's next steps as it develops. Provision in the sixth form is good. Students make good progress and achieve well in academic and vocational courses.

Leaders identify priorities for improvement accurately. Aspects of personal development and welfare are not as strong as in the rest of the school. The curriculum meets pupils' needs successfully.

Extra-curricular activities supplement lesson-based learning well. Leaders' plans to broaden the key stage 3 curriculum further are appropriate.

Information about this school

Towers School and Sixth Form Centre is a larger-than-average mixed non-selective school.

It is based in a local authority where some pupils choose to attend selective grammar schools. The school operates as a single academy trust governed by a board of trustees. The school roll has slightly larger numbers of boys than girls.

There is a higher than average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. The school has a lower than average proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school works with three alternative learning providers, ASPIRE, Goldwyn and Concept Training, that provide for a small number of pupils.

There are fewer pupils from ethnic minority groups than is the case in schools nationally. The current principal joined the school in January 2014. The chair of trustees was appointed in 2016 after the previous inspection.

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