Bedale High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this inclusive school.

Pupils understand the school's values of courage, commitment and compassion. They are learning to become more resilient and independent. Leaders are increasingly ambitious for pupils' academic progress.

However, pupils do not have access to a religious education (RE) curriculum that covers the scope of the local authority's agreed syllabus. The support the school provides for weaker readers is not as effective as it could be.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

Pupils behave well at this school. They are respectful and supportive of each other most of the time. Pupils feel safe in school....r/>
They have trusted adults to speak to if they have any concerns. Pupils value the pastoral support from the school.

Pupils have a thorough understanding of positive and negative relationships.

They talk knowledgeably about the protected characteristics and understand which actions constitute discrimination. A significant number of pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme in Years 9 and 10. Some pupils do not attend school often enough.

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

The school has recently reviewed all areas of the curriculum. Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Teachers deliver this knowledge in a logical order that builds in complexity over time.

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Published outcomes for the past two years have been below national averages and, in some subjects, significantly below. The school has responded to this by introducing a research-informed lesson structure to help pupils build resilience and become more independent learners.

There is some evidence that this is having a positive impact. For example, in English and history workbooks, there is evidence of improvements in pupils' extended writing. Sometimes, teaching does not match the aims of the curriculum.

On these occasions, pupils do not consistently make as much progress as they could.

The school promotes a love of reading well through a range of strategies. These include 'snack-bite' reading in the dining hall, form-time reading and reading and writing competitions.

The school accurately identifies pupils who struggle with reading. However, some of the support that is in place for these pupils is not focused enough to help them improve swiftly. These pupils do not catch up with their peers as quickly as they might.

Whole-school attendance figures are below national averages. Disadvantaged pupils attend school less often than their peers. Pupils who do not attend regularly make less academic progress than their peers.

Improving pupils' attendance is rightly a priority for the school. The school now has effective systems in place to identify, support and challenge pupils who have poor attendance. As a result, the number of pupils who are persistently absent has decreased significantly this year.

The school effectively identifies pupils with SEND. Teachers support most pupils with SEND well in lessons. As a result of this support, pupils with SEND progress well from their starting points.

The school provides a range of opportunities to support pupils' wider development. Pupils access a range of extra-curricular clubs such as sports, drama and board games. They take on a range of leadership roles at the school, for example sports leaders, school councillors and school ambassadors.

Feedback from the school council has resulted in the introduction of a summer uniform. Pupils support the local community through work with a local care home. The school provides effective careers provision for pupils.

Pupils encounter the world of work through alumni visits and discussion questions in form time. All Year 11 pupils went on to further education, training or employment last year.

Governors have a strong oversight of the school and regularly hold school leaders to account.

Leaders are mindful of staff workload and genuinely care about the well-being of the staff. However, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum for RE meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. As a result, pupils do not have a thorough understanding of a range of different beliefs and cultures.

Leaders have taken steps to address this with the appointment of a full time RE teacher and plans to timetable RE for all pupils from September 2024. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not developed an RE curriculum that is in line with the local authority's agreed syllabus. As a result, pupils do not have a thorough understanding of a range of different beliefs and cultures. The school should ensure that all pupils have access to an RE curriculum that meets the scope of the locally agreed syllabus.

• In some lessons, the activities that teachers deliver do not meet the full ambition of the curriculum. In these lessons, pupils do not consistently make as much progress as they could. The school should ensure that staff are supported to plan activities which deliver the intended curriculum.

• Some of the support that is in place for weaker readers is not sufficiently focused. As a result, these pupils are not catching up with their peers quickly enough. The school should ensure that the strategies in place to support weaker readers are matched precisely to their areas of weakness.

• Too many pupils do not attend school regularly. These pupils are not achieving as well as they might. The school should continue to work with pupils and their families to overcome any barriers to regular attendance.