Berwick Middle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Leaders have rapidly improved the school's effectiveness, particularly the quality of teaching and students' achievement, since the last inspection.

Most teaching is of at least good quality and this enables students to make good progress during their time in the school. Students who are not on track to meet the school's challenging targets are quickly identified; short-term additional support is used well to accelerate their progress. Students' attitudes to learning and each other are typically very positive.

Above average attendance reflects their enjoyment of school. Students say they feel safe in school and the views of almost all pa...rents and carers shared via 'Parent View' confirm this. Students experience a rich range of learning activities beyond the classroom which, combined with the effective teaching in all subjects, promotes their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development well.

Staff have embraced opportunities to develop their teaching skills and risen to the challenge of higher expectations for students' progress to successfully deliver improvements in achievement. Governors have a clear understanding of the school's performance and provide a good balance of support and challenge for leaders. It is not yet an outstanding school because : While all groups of students make good progress, the school recognises it still has more to do to fully address the gaps in performance between different groups that exist when students enter the school, so that those lagging behind can catch up rapidly.

A small minority of teaching is not consistently good and not enough is outstanding. In lessons, planning to meet the needs of all students and strategies to check students' learning do not always match the best practice seen in the school. Leaders' evaluations of the impact of teaching in lessons do not always focus sharply enough on whether all groups of students are making good or better progress relative to their starting points.

Improvement planning does not set a clear course towards 'outstanding'.

Information about this school

Berwick Middle School is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional government funding to support students known to be eligible for free school meals, children of service families or those looked after by the local authority) is below average but increasing.

The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is low but increasing. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is low. The proportion of students supported through school action is below average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average. The school meets the government's current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for students' attainment and progress. In September 2013, Bridges, a specially resourced provision for disabled students, those with special educational needs and those needing short-term alternatives to mainstream education, was established on the school's site.