Beverley High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Beverley High School are proud of their school and its heritage. Pupils benefit from the school's desire for every pupil to be involved in an ambitious curriculum, in and out of the classroom.

This enables pupils to reach their full potential. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. This allows teachers to teach and focus on learning.

Pupils are respectful, polite and articulate. They attend well, are prompt to lessons and are quick to focus on their work. This means that pupils learn exceptionally well, achieve highly in examinations and leave school very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders have very high expectations in all they do. They lea...d by example and always put the interests of pupils first. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent.

Pupils have no concerns about bullying and know who to speak to if they require support. The ideas of pupils are listened to and acted upon.

The academic sixth form offers an ambitious, relevant and well-planned curriculum.

Sixth form students are strong role models for younger pupils.

Staff offer pupils over forty clubs and activities across all year groups. The vast majority of pupils are involved with this varied and rich extra-curricular offer.

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

At this school, leaders, including governors, carefully plan what they do to ensure that pupils are given the skills and knowledge to reach their full potential. They constantly promote a culture of high ambition and have taken successful actions since the previous inspection, especially in relation to the teaching of mathematics. This subject is now among the strongest in the school.

The school provides a highly effective education that ensures pupils and sixth form students are inspired with a love of learning and achieve very well in examinations. The school's actual entry for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects is very high. The 'big ideas' personal development curriculum underpins the working life of the school and ensures that pupils make many contributions to the wider life of the school.

Considerable thought has gone into developing detailed and appropriate curriculum plans, including for the sixth form. These plans ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and relevant for everyone. Very effective use of assessment enables teachers to understand what pupils have learned and what they can remember.

Pupils revisit their learning regularly. Teachers take steps to further develop pupils' knowledge. For example, in history, staff deliver 'lecture style' lessons that go beyond the examination syllabus, so that pupils learn about other important historical world issues.

As a result of this, pupils can talk about their learning in a sophisticated way.

Teachers are highly skilled and have very strong subject knowledge. They reference and use up-to-date research to inform their planning and teaching.

Teachers at the school contribute to professional development training, both at the school and across the region. All teachers have high expectations of pupils in class and, as a result, pupils work hard and achieve well. Pupils read regularly.

Leaders encourage pupils to read demanding texts to further develop their knowledge and understanding of subjects. Pupils told inspectors they enjoyed the challenges that this brings.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have detailed individual learning plans that enable teachers to monitor their progress well.

Teachers refer to these and adapt their teaching skilfully to make sure pupils with SEND learn the most important curriculum content. They also achieve the highest standards. Pupils with SEND participate well in extra-curricular activities.

The extensive extra-curricular programme is well established. It develops and extends pupils' learning considerably. Many parents who responded to Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents, Parent View, wrote in positive terms about the opportunities available to pupils.

Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy taking part in the activities that are available to them through the school's 'big ideas' curriculum. The school's personal development curriculum and the way that it prepares pupils for life beyond school is exceptional. It links together learning in and out of lessons in a purposeful and planned way that enriches pupils' curiosity and learning experiences.

Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about how it has developed their aspirations and increased their confidence.

The school provides dedicated support to assist sixth form students in applying to the top universities in the country, including Oxbridge. Governors support this and contribute to arrangements for alumni students to come back and speak to the pupils at the school about their university experience and their working careers.

Staff very much enjoy working in the school. Senior leaders and especially the headteacher, manage the school extremely well. Teachers are united in saying that leaders consider their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture throughout the school. Staff know the local risks that pupils face.

They work well with other agencies to provide timely support to pupils and their families. There are clear procedures for reporting concerns and staff know how to use these. Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training and are highly knowledgeable.

Pupils feel safe. They are taught to stay safe through the personal development programme. Pupils and students in the sixth form are clear about where they can get help.