Allestree Woodlands School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school. The school's core values of courage, optimism, regard, and endeavour are a key part of school life.

Adults and pupils show mutual respect to each other. Pupils feel well supported in their studies. They are confident to ask questions in lessons or to ask for extra help.

Pupils are polite and well mannered when moving around the school site. At break and lunchtimes, pupils can engage in wider curriculum activities. These activities include chess and football.

Lessons are calm and disruption is rarely seen. Pupils feel safe at Allestree Woodlands School.

The school has high expectations of all pupils.

Pupils ...with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all parts of school life, including trips and wider curriculum activities. Pupils with SEND access most lessons within the main school. The school uses additional adults to support them in the classroom.

Some of these adults use British Sign Language. As a result, pupils with a hearing impairment can fully participate in all parts of the lesson.

Pupils have opportunities to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

This consists of over 100 clubs. Student leaders undertake an active role in contributing to the wider school.

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

The school has a well-planned curriculum in place.

It knows what it wants pupils to learn and by when. The school has thought about why particular knowledge is important. Parts of the curriculum are aspirational.

For example, in English, pupils study a wide range of quality books. This encourages debate around themes such as racism and misogyny. Good relationships exist within the classroom.

Pupils can, therefore, debate sensitive subject matter. In most subjects, the learning journey is well structured for sixth-form students.

The school is proud of the recent adaptations to its reading curriculum.

These have enhanced the programme for pupils who are struggling to learn to read with fluency. Extra staff are employed to support early readers. Staff have been trained well to support early reading.

The reading programme is showing early signs of success. Pupils are feeling more confident with their reading. They state that this is enabling them to further access other subjects.

The school quickly identifies pupils who need extra help with their work. Teachers use relevant strategies to help pupils with SEND access their work. These strategies are consistently used.

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They explain key learning by breaking down complex ideas. Teachers use assessment well to understand what pupils know.

This reflects recent changes to practice that are in place for most subjects. In a minority of subject areas, however, this continues to develop. Most pupils now achieve in line with national expectations.

The school works well with parents and carers and other organisations to improve pupils' attendance when this is necessary. This has brought about a marked improvement in attendance. Parents are positive about how the school works with them to remove attendance barriers.

The school has introduced innovative measures to improve the level of attendance for those pupils who have the highest level of absence. This is showing early signs of success. The school analyses the reasons for absence meticulously.

However, some pupil groups still do not attend as regularly as they should. Leaders know that this creates gaps in learning for some pupils. Some disadvantaged pupils are not making the progress leaders would like.

Pupils benefit from a curriculum that extends beyond the academic. They learn about world faiths. Inclusion is a theme that runs strongly throughout the school.

As a result, pupils adopt the attitude that 'everyone is equally welcome'. Careers advice within the school promotes a wide range of vocations, university courses and apprenticeships. All sixth-form students have benefited from work experience.

This includes placements at theatres, solicitors and sporting venues. The personal development programme sets out how pupils can keep themselves safe. It covers healthy eating and the importance of exercise.

Sixth-form students learn about driving safety. They participate weekly in physical exercise during the school day.

The large majority of staff enjoy working at this school.

Staff benefit from high-quality and well-planned professional development. Leaders have made significant improvements at this school. They have done this in a considerate way to make the improvements sustainable.

Staff understand that change was needed. They support leaders in bringing about changes. Governors are well informed about school priorities.

They support the school to keep getting better.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The attendance of some pupils remains too low.

Leaders have made recent improvements, but these still require further development. Some pupils, particularly those that are most disadvantaged, have some gaps in their learning due to absence. The school needs to make sure that it continues to reduce absence for all pupils to reduce the gaps in knowledge and to improve pupil outcomes.

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