Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls explained how they live out the school's values in full. These include embracing diversity, perseverance and selflessness. Pupils and students show a genuine care and respect for each other.

They leave the school remarkably well placed to thrive in a modern society.

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, benefit from extremely supportive relationships with their teachers. Pupils and students explained to inspectors that staff would listen if they had any worries or concerns.

They are confident that teachers will do their best to help. Pupils also explained that incidents of bullying are taken v...ery seriously and will be dealt with effectively. This helps pupils and students to feel happy and safe in school.

There are extensive opportunities for pupils and students beyond the classroom. For example, they are proud to sit on the highly influential school council, representing the views of their peers. Pupils and students also talked eagerly about the clubs that they attend, such as: coding club, origami folding, the politics society, the Hindu society, gardening club, hip-hop-dance crew, play reading, Indian dance and Latin club.

Pupils and students live up to leaders' high expectations of what they can and should achieve, both academically and personally. Pupils and students, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have very high expectations of themselves. They excel in all aspects of school life.

Their behaviour during lessons is faultless. They listen attentively to their teachers, are keen to get things right and they follow instructions from staff conscientiously.

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

Leaders ensure that all pupils and students achieve their best.

At the same time, leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils and students are prepared exceptionally well for life beyond school. To this end, leaders have designed a highly ambitious curriculum. For example, all pupils benefit from studying two modern foreign languages in depth in key stage 3.

Almost all pupils in key stage 4 study the suite of subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate. Pupils and students achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.

Subject leaders have skilfully considered the knowledge that pupils, including students in the sixth form, should learn.

Leaders make it explicitly clear to teachers when learning should be delivered. This leaves teachers confident in what they should be teaching and when new content should be taught. Teachers use their expert subject knowledge to design learning effectively.

They are well trained. Teachers choose suitable, research-informed approaches to designing learning activities. These activities support pupils and students to build securely and successfully on what they already know and can do.

Teachers adeptly check pupils' and students' understanding of key concepts. Staff are skilled in planning for misconceptions. They provide opportunities for meaningful debate and discussions linked to pupils' and students' learning.

Teachers' effective use of assessment strategies means that pupils and students are reflective, highly motivated and independent learners. If they get something incorrect, they remain resilient and keen to ensure that their own understanding of earlier learning is secure.

The impeccable conduct of pupils and students, coupled with their mature attitudes to their studies, enables teachers to focus solely on delivering the curriculum.

This helps pupils and students, including those with SEND, to acquire a rich body of knowledge across the full range of academic subjects that they study.

While most pupils join the school able to read accurately, staff check whether any pupils would benefit from additional help with reading. This ensures that pupils receive appropriate support to develop their fluency and enjoyment of reading.

Pupils and students read avidly. For example, pupils in key stage 3 talked enthusiastically about the books that they are relishing, such as non-fiction texts about the plight of the Suffragettes. Added to this, teachers across subjects encourage pupils to read widely beyond the curriculum.

Leaders have effective systems in place to ensure that the needs of pupils and students with SEND are identified quickly. Teachers receive high-quality information about the needs of this group of pupils and students. Teachers skilfully tailor their delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.

All pupils and students with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. They achieve exceptionally well and they are fully involved in all aspects of school life, including the abundance of extra-curricular activities on offer.

Pupils and students make excellent use of a wealth of experiences that enrich their wider development.

They understand the fundamental importance of celebrating difference and respecting each other's uniqueness. A range of worthwhile occasions, such as the inter-school Diwali events and Islamic charity week, support pupils and students to broaden their cultural awareness. Through the citizenship and personal, social and health education curriculums, pupils and students learn about the features of healthy relationships.

In these sessions, they engage articulately in discussions on some complex and sensitive topics, confidently giving their reasoned opinions.

Pupils and students are ambitious about their next steps. They benefit from high-quality and impartial careers advice.

This inspires pupils and students to be the best that they can be. A large proportion of students in the sixth form secure places on highly competitive degree courses at university, such as medicine and dentistry.

The local governing body and trust representatives provide insightful challenge and support for leaders.

Staff are immensely proud to work at the school and they enjoy their roles. They feel that they are supported well by leaders, particularly regarding opportunities to develop their subject knowledge. Staff provide an exceptional quality of education for pupils at this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that all staff understand that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training.

This ensures that staff remain alert to the signs that may indicate that a pupil or student is at risk of harm. For example, staff have recently completed refresher training on recognising the early signs of neglect.

Leaders have fostered strong links with external agencies, including those who provide mental health support for pupils and students.

This is to ensure that vulnerable pupils and students and their families receive appropriate help.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through a carefully considered and age-appropriate curriculum. For instance, pupils learn about how to recognise and give consent and how to resolve friendship issues.