Aureus School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Aureus School has changed for the better.

Leaders and staff share the same high ambitions for pupils, who understand what is expected of them. Academic standards have risen, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults know pupils and families well, which enables them to act in their best interests.

Consequently, pupils feel safe at school, trusting staff to help them with their learning and emotional needs.

Classrooms are typically calm and purposeful. Most pupils understand the importance of working hard and behaving well.

When things go awry, well-rehearsed routines help staff deal with situations calml...y and proportionately, so that the impact on learning is minimised. Pupils are encouraged to learn from their mistakes, be kind to one another and face the consequences of their actions. Occasionally, behaviour outside of lessons is less respectful.

In these instances, adults make every effort to ensure pupils' concerns are heard and addressed.

The school is rightly proud of its work to develop pupils as global citizens. Leaders are astutely aware of what knowledge will help pupils navigate the challenges of modern-day life.

Pupils benefit from a rich range of experiences beyond the classroom that support their cultural and social development.

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

The school's improvement journey has gained momentum over the past year. Staff strive to provide pupils with the best possible education.

Trustees, school standards board (SSB) members and senior leaders all understand the school's strengths and weaknesses. School leaders work closely with trust colleagues to address improvement priorities. Staff, pupils, parents and carers describe a school which is settled and growing in quality.

In 2023, standards at the end of Year 11 were too low, and behaviour and attendance were also concerning. Through a clear and focused approach, with useful support from the trust, there are now consistent routines in place that help pupils learn vital knowledge in a planned, logical way. Opportunities for pupils to connect and apply what they learn, such as through extended writing, are less evident.

Nevertheless, standards have risen and pupils gain the knowledge they need to move on to further education, employment and training at the end of Year 11. For some, this represents strong progress from their low starting points. Introducing a second language in Year 7 supports the ongoing ambition for even more pupils to study the broad English Baccalaureate suite of qualifications.

Often, pupils join the school after the start of Year 7, and some much later on during key stage 4. Many speak English as an additional language or have other learning or social needs. The school takes necessary steps to identify pupils' individual starting points.

Those who require extra help with spoken English or social skills access a well-planned programme of support. Where pupils do not yet read fluently enough for their age, extra help is timely and effective. Pupils with SEND benefit from extensive and precise support, helping them to learn well and move on to appropriate post-16 destinations.

In comparison, support for those pupils eligible for the pupil premium is currently less defined, and so is making less of a difference to their attendance and achievement.

A relatively high number of pupils receive their education via alternative provision. The school is diligent in checking that these arrangements are safe and suitable.

The number of pupils attending alternative provision is declining over time, as in-school support improves.

Determined work has raised standards of behaviour across the school. Suspensions remain high but have reduced as pupils respond to the expectations of the new behaviour policy.

Positive behaviour points far outweigh the negative ones. Attendance is also improving slowly, supported by recent changes to how it is overseen and promoted. Lateness and truancy are challenged successfully.

However, there is more to do to ensure that pupils eligible for the pupil premium, in particular, come to school often enough.

Pupils receive useful information to inform decisions about their futures. Opportunities to learn about university and apprenticeship options are helping raise pupils' aspirations.

More widely, pupils benefit from personal, social, health education that is planned meticulously and responsive to their needs. Attendance at the broad range of clubs, activities and extra-curricular experiences offered is high. The school monitors participation rates carefully and persistently pursues how it can remove any barriers to attendance, so that everyone benefits.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to connect and demonstrate their learning. As a result, pupils do not make connections between what they know as readily as they could, which limits the standards they achieve.

The school should work with staff to ensure that pupils routinely practise applying and explaining their knowledge, for example, through extended writing and other independent work. ? Some pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium do not attend school often enough or achieve as well as their peers. The school should promptly refine and enact its plans to ensure that these pupils come to school more frequently and are supported effectively, so that they achieve as well as other pupils.

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