Wade Deacon High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Wade Deacon High School are completely committed to the 'Wade Deacon Way'.

They talk about it with passion. Pupils fully live out the school's values to respect themselves, to be the best that they can be and to believe in themselves. These behaviours are consistently evident in pupils' respectful interactions with each other and with staff.

Pupils' behaviour around the school and in classrooms is exemplary, reflecting leaders' high expectations of their conduct.

Pupils are extremely happy at this school. They are confident that staff have their best interests at heart when making decisions about their education.

The quality of pastoral sup...port available to pupils is a key strength. For example, if bullying ever happens, staff deal with issues swiftly and effectively.

Pupils undertake an impressive range of opportunities to enrich their wider personal development.

They embrace leadership roles, for example as a prefect or a subject ambassador. Pupils thrive in the extra-curricular clubs on offer, such as dance, creative writing, and robotics and electronics. They relish the opportunities that staff provide for them to be involved in a variety of competitions locally and nationally.

Leaders have very high expectations of what every pupil can and should achieve. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well. They benefit from a first-rate education, including an aspirational curriculum, that gives them a firm foundation for their future learning and employment.

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

Leaders and staff are fully committed to excellence for every pupil, regardless of their background or ability. They fully realise this vision. Leaders have also designed a rich and ambitious curriculum, which includes a suitably broad range of academic, vocational and creative subjects.

Leaders have carefully considered the essential knowledge that pupils must learn. Pupils' achievement is exceptional.

Teachers skilfully use their strong subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum expertly well.

As a result, all pupils, including pupils with SEND, develop a deep and rich body of subject knowledge. Teachers take care to build pupils' confidence and resilience in learning. Increasingly, pupils embrace the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

They recognise these subjects as a firm grounding for post-16 learning.

Leaders ensure that staff make excellent use of assessment strategies across different curriculum subjects. Teachers identify and address pupils' misconceptions in learning quickly and accurately.

Inspectors found that pupils have a deep grasp of the content of subject curriculums. Pupils make complex and sophisticated connections between topics and concepts. There is an air of scholarly excellence.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading across the school. They are quick to identify any deficits in pupils' reading knowledge. Staff provide timely and appropriate support to enable those pupils who fall behind in their reading to catch up quickly.

Consequently, leaders ensure that these pupils access the full curriculum. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the books that they are reading and they are regularly found reading for pleasure in the library.

Leaders and staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately and swiftly.

Teachers receive high-quality information about the needs and wishes of the pupils that they teach. As a result, teachers skilfully adapt the delivery of subject curriculums for pupils with SEND. Consequently, all pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

They are fully included in school life and achieve very highly.

Across the school, pupils are fully focused on their learning. Pupils learn without disruption.

They behave impeccably well around the school site. Pupils' rates of attendance are high and continuously improving.

Pupils recognise and celebrate the diversity of the school population and of the wider world.

They respect the uniqueness of individual people. The personal development curriculum enables pupils to explore and debate issues with maturity, such as tolerance, the rule of law, and sexism. Leaders consistently promote consideration, respect, good manners and a positive work ethic.

Pupils enjoy high-quality and impartial careers advice and guidance. This broadens their horizons beyond their local context. Pupils are incredibly positive and ambitious for their future careers.

They are fully equipped for the next steps in their education and/or training. Leaders are tenacious in following up on former pupils to ensure that they settle fully into their next phase of education or employment.

The school's local governing body and board of trustees support and challenge leaders to improve the quality of education for pupils continually.

Staff are extremely proud to work at this school. They appreciate leaders' considerable efforts to care for their well-being. Staff describe the school as a 'community' where everyone cares for and supports each other.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide effective, up-to-date safeguarding training for staff and governors. Staff act quickly to identify vulnerable pupils.

The safeguarding team has fostered close links with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the timely support that they need. Staff are quick to support pupils in need.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through a thoughtful and age-appropriate sex and relationships curriculum.

For example, pupils learn about respectful, safe relationships and healthy ways of dealing with conflict. They understand about sexual consent. Pupils know how to stay safe when online.